Hotels across Portugal’s Alentejo region are close to full for New Year celebrations, with occupancy rates expected to exceed 90%, according to the president of the Regional Tourism Authority (Turismo do Alentejo).
José Manuel Santos, president of the Regional Tourism Authority of Alentejo and Ribatejo, said New Year’s Eve continues to be one of the strongest periods for tourism in the region.
“As a rule, we see excellent occupancy at this time of year, especially for New Year,” he told the Lusa news agency.
According to data from a representative sample of hotel capacity, around half of operators expect New Year occupancy to surpass last year’s levels, while the remaining half anticipate similar results, with rates above 80%.
Current reservations for the New Year period stand between 65% and 75%. Occupancy is expected to rise “above 90%” as the year draws to a close, driven largely by last-minute bookings.
“There is an increasing trend towards last-minute reservations, both in the domestic market and in some Spanish markets,” José Manuel Santos said, adding that demand is expected to intensify in the final days of the year.
The tourism authority president noted variations within the region. In Évora, hotels typically reach near full occupancy during the festive period.
“Our expectation, once again, is to record very high occupancy rates at the end of the year, above 90%,” he said.
Christmas, by contrast, remains a quieter period. José Manuel Santos said the holiday is still largely spent at home with family, although travel during Christmas is increasing.
“This year, we are seeing some international visitors, including Spanish, American and Brazilian tourists, but Christmas cannot be compared with New Year,” he said.
Estimated hotel occupancy for Christmas stands at between 50% and 55%.
In Évora, the Hotel M’ar de Ar Aqueduto records 80% occupancy for Christmas, while Hotel M’ar de Ar Muralhas stands at 60%, according to a source from the hotel group. Both properties are already fully booked for New Year’s Eve.
In Sines, Pedro Santos, director of the Sines Sea View Hotel, said demand for accommodation and meals is higher than last year. Christmas occupancy ranges between 55% and 65%, with Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch close to full capacity.
For New Year’s Eve, the hotel is fully booked for dinner and expects occupancy between 70% and 80%, he said.
At Hotel Sever Rio, in Portagem, Marvão municipality, the hotel will close on Christmas Eve. New Year’s Eve, however, is expected to sell out, with most guests coming from Portugal, a hotel source said.
The Alentejo region currently offers around 30,000 tourist beds and has recorded growth of between 4% and 5%. Two new hotels opened this year, in Elvas and Viana do Alentejo, while another is expected to open soon in Ourique, according to the tourism authority.
“The destination continues to grow and, over the next 16 months, we expect a significant boost, with several projects nearing completion along the Alentejo coast and new hotel developments planned for Évora,” José Manuel Santos said
More than half of the region’s accommodation capacity is now in four- and five-star hotels. Lower-category accommodation has been losing relative importance, while rural tourism continues to represent a significant share of the market, he added.
Source: Lusa
