Portugal’s tourism industry continued its growth trend in September 2024, albeit at a slower pace compared to previous months. The country’s tourist accommodation sector saw 3.3 million guests and 8.4 million overnight stays, marking increases of 2.8% and 2.4%, respectively, over the same period last year. This growth, however, shows a decline from August’s 5.9% rise in guests and 3.9% in overnight stays, indicating signs of a potential slowdown.
Here are the key takeaways from September 2024:
1. Changes in Resident and Non-Resident Stay Patterns
- Residents’ Overnight Stays: Slight decrease of 0.3%, totaling 2.3 million nights.
- Non-Residents’ Overnight Stays: Rose by 3.5%, reaching 6.1 million nights, reflecting continued interest from foreign visitors.
2. Leading Source Markets
- The UK remained the top source market, representing 19.8% of non-resident stays with a marginal 0.2% increase.
- Germany was the second-largest source, accounting for 11.9%, though it declined by 1.9%.
- Canada and the United States saw impressive growth rates of 14.6% and 13.5%, respectively, highlighting growing interest from North America.
3. Regional Performance
- The Azores led regional growth, with a 9.0% increase in overnight stays, followed by the Centro (6.2%) and Norte (4.6%) regions.
- Madeira and the Algarve showed minimal increases, at just 0.1% and 0.9%, respectively.
4. Occupancy Rates
- Portugal’s accommodation facilities had a 57.5% occupancy rate for beds and a 69.7% rate for rooms, with slight changes year-over-year.
5. Quarterly and Year-to-Date Trends
- The third quarter of 2024 saw a 3.0% increase in overnight stays, slightly above the 2.9% in the previous quarter. Since January, overnight stays have grown by 3.9%, with residents showing a 1.3% rise and non-residents a stronger 5.0% growth.
This tourism data reflects Portugal’s ongoing appeal, especially to international travelers, despite subtle signs of deceleration in growth.
