Hotel business received an additional nine million euros from guests until June

The Portuguese hotel business has accommodated 9.35 million guests, who were responsible for 25.2 million overnight stays, in the first quarter of this year. All in all, the hotel businesses earned 1.38 billion euros in the first six months of 2017.

These data were disclosed this Monday by Statistics Portugal (INE) and show that tourism indicators continue accelerating at an almost two digit rhythm. In the first semester of 2017, the number of guests increased 9.7%, while overnight stays had a 9.6% rise.

In June alone, the hotel activity registered 2.1 million guests and 5.9 million overnight stays. While the domestic market flinched 0.2% in an homologous comparison — which stopped the growth tendency –, external markets accelerated, which cause a 11.2% growth.

The thirteen main inbound markets, based on the 2016 overnight stays, “represented 86.1% of total overnight stays of non residents and mostly presented positive results”, INE states.

“The British market (25.8% of the total overnight stays of non residents) recorded a 4.6% growth in June”; the German market grew yet again, increasing by 14.8% from June 2016, while Spanish guests recorded increased 3.8%, and the French market declined by 3.9% in June, although it had a 4.4% growth in the first semester of 2017.

Both in June and in the first semester of 2017, the highlight goes out to the Brazilian market (55.4% in the first semester), the American (31.4%) and the Polish market (35.6%).

The increase in overnight stays happened in all regions in Portugal, although the highlight goes to the Azores islands (more than 18% both in June and in the first semester) and the Center regions of the country.