The number of British tourists staying at Algarve hotels fell 6.8% in October compared to last year, as did the number of Dutch (-13.4%) and Irish (-6.5%) holidaymakers, the region’s hoteliers association AHETA has revealed.
The uncertainty surrounding Brexit, which has affected British holidaymakers’ spending power due to the devaluation of the pound compared to the euro, the resurgence of rival destinations such as Turkey and the bankruptcy of airlines such as Monarch have been named by experts as some of the main reasons behind the falling number of Brits travelling to the Algarve.
But it’s not all bad news for the region’s hotel sector as there was a surge in the number of Portuguese spending nights at local hotels (14.5%), which helped keep booking levels similar to last year.
Overall, the number of hotel rooms booked in October fell 1% in the Algarve.
