Algarve set for record tourism numbers exceeding 2024 and 2019

The President of Turismo de Algarve, André Gomes, says that bookings are above those registered in the same period last year, but admits that a large part of this growth is outside the high season.

“The expectation is extremely positive for what could be a great year for tourism for the region, and our goal is, above all, to have growth off season”, he told the business daily Negócios.

“It is here that we are focusing our attention and directing our strategies. We want to continue on the same path in this direction, and we have already seen results in previous years. In fact, we’re seeing more growth off season than for high season,” he added.

André Gomes said that the region had capacity for “all-year-round tourism”. “This year has been an exception to the usual 300 days of sunshine per year, but the Algarve is a lot more than just sun, sea, beach and golf which are the products that are best known internationally,” he continued.

To this end the regional tourism board has added products to complement its premium products and an example is nature tourism where it is trying out routes such as Via Algarviana that covers the entire region.

“We’re lucky to have around 40% of our region protected within natural parks and this is capital that we must conserve, but should also be marketed, and does not have to be incompatible with tourism, although we must preserve our natural heritage,” he added.

In other words, the Algarve can provide different types of tourism at the same time at a time when Portugal is working hard to get away form the notion that the region is just a summer holiday destination by diversifying its tourism to the off-season months so that companies and hotels can enjoy bookings all-year-round.