Algarve tourism surges with nearly half a million visitors, soaring revenues, and packed flights into Faro
The Algarve’s tourism industry saw booming numbers in April, which delivered double-digit growth across the board thanks in large part to the Easter holidays and a big rise in foreign arrivals.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), almost 492,000 tourists stayed in Algarve accommodations in April – up 10.1% compared to the same month last year. The lion’s share of that increase came from non-resident visitors, whose numbers jumped 10.6%, while domestic travel also rose by 8.6%.
April also saw a spike in overnight stays, hitting 1.86 million – a 11.3% year-on-year rise. Both resident and international tourists spent more nights in the region, up 11.6% and 11.2% respectively.
Further data also paints a positive picture for Portugal’s sunny tourism destination, which registered €129 million in total earnings for April, a massive 16.1% year-on-year increase, as well as a 4.7% growth in revenue from January to April.
Meanwhile, the Algarve’s average stay length remains one of the longest in the country at 3.77 nights, above the national average of 2.5 nights.
Breaking the numbers down by municipality, Albufeira reigns supreme, pulling in 678,000 overnight stays, up 4.8%, mostly driven by international visitors (+7.6%). Other hotspots also saw impressive growth, such as Portimão (+26.2%), Lagoa (+15.7%), Lagos (15.5%), and Loulé(+8.7%).
Faro Airport also witnessed a significant increase in passengers, handling over one million in April alone -a 13.6% jump from last year.
Tourism board president André Gomes welcomed the news, saying the results prove that the Algarve – “a leading tourism destination” – is capable of adapting to an “extremely competitive international context.”
“Our significant growth in key indicators, such as guests, overnight stays and revenue, and the increase of traffic at Faro Airport, shows the effectiveness of our promotion strategies,” said Gomes, adding that tourism authorities will continue working to establish the Algarve “more and more as a pillar of the national economy and a success story for sustainable evolution in tourism.”
