By: NATASHA SMITH
RECENT FIGURES from Faro Airport and the Algarve’s hotel and resort association, AHETA, indicate that British tourists are flocking to the Algarve more than ever.
Last week, The Resident reported that British people represented 44.8 per cent of the tourist market in the Algarve last month. Due to more flights available from more destinations across the UK and affordable package holidays, more British tourists are choosing the region to spend their summer holidays.
This evidence is illustrated in Faro airport’s June statistics, when three British airlines featured in the top five most frequent flights. Easyjet flew 682 flights with 86,209 passengers in June, which is a rise of 15.6 per cent and 13.4 per cent, respectively, compared with June 2006.
The flight frequency was nearly double the second most frequent airline, Monarch, which recorded a rise of more than 12 per cent compared with June 2006.
Tourism from Ireland experienced a growth of eight per cent compared with last year at the same time. From across the UK, flight frequency and passenger figures remained on top in June, with a total of 2,599 flights and 391,382 passengers, which is a 6.5 per cent rise from June 2006 passenger figures.
Top five
London, Manchester, Dublin, Amsterdam and Birmingham were the top five destinations from Faro airport with a passenger total of more than half a million. Thomsonfly recorded an increase of 13.3 per cent of flights in June, compared with the respective month last year, to operate a total of 272 flights.
Anna Venturas from GB Airways told The Resident: “GB Airways, the British Airways franchise partner, has confirmed a 32 per cent increase in passenger capacity and a 24 per cent increase in scheduled flights to Faro this summer compared to the same period last year”.
She added: “This growth has been fuelled by the launch of direct flights from Heathrow Airport to Faro in May 2007 in addition to the operation from Gatwick Airport”.
GB Airways’ commercial manager Alan McIntyre said: “Our fares compare very well with no frills airlines but with all the benefits included in the ticket price”.
“This new service to the Algarve has become very popular among our leisure passengers, and the increasing number of second homeowners on the Algarve. GB Airways sees Faro as a core destination on our route network and we seek every opportunity for profitable growth in the future”.
GB Airways operates four flights to Faro in the summer, with three from London Gatwick and a new daily Heathrow service, which has already proved popular.
Experts predict that Faro will continue to grow as a top destination from the UK and with plans to construct an airport in the western Algarve, tourists will be offered even more choice.
Do you have a view on this story? Email: editor@portugalresident.com
