The occupancy rate for the Algarve’s hotels was close to 100% this August but staff and management hardly will be able to draw breath as September looks like it will be another record-breaking month.
The president of the Algarve hoteliers’ association, Elidérico Viegas, says he expects a growth in the September occupancy rate with hotels running at 85% to 86% which he says “is quite satisfactory for the time of year."
Viegas, fresh from his annual moan about the unregulated grey market in private lettings to tourists, said that the figures are not all in yet but it looks like the tills have been ringing in the Algarve’s hotels with many experiencing a recovery in revenues to make up for the years of marginal or loss-making trade.
"We have a turnover of around 16% above last year’s, there was a recovery in prices and it seems that we can achieve the revenue that allows businesses to capitalise on their investments,' said Viegas.