The Algarve continues to be the top destination for British holidaymakers in Portugal, revealed the region’s tourism chief Desidério Silva at the BTL tourism fair in Lisbon last week.
He said that 65.2% of Brits who visited Portugal last year came to the Algarve, which registered a total of 6.1 million overnight stays – a 0.3% increase on the year before.
While the number of Brits staying at Algarve hotels may be slowing down, Silva said that Faro Airport registered an 11% increase in the number of British passengers which, according to the tourism boss, shows that Brits are finding other places to stay during their holidays.
Taking all international markets into account, the Algarve welcomed 19 million overnight stays in 2017, a 5.3% increase compared to last year and a number that accounts for 33.1% of the national total.
The number of hotel guests also grew (+5.1%) having reached 4.1 million, while revenue totalled just over €1 billion.
The golf sector in the Algarve also reached new heights, with 1.3 million rounds played (+5%).
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
