According to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), overnight stays by residents decreased by 20.2% (vs -74.9% in February), and those by non-residents fell 86.2% (-94.5% in the previous month). The year-on-year drops compared to March 2020, the first month in which the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic began to hit Portugal hard.
The net bed occupancy (10.1%) dropped 7.1 percentage points (vs -26.6% in February). Tourism accommodation establishments reported revenues of 26.4 million euros in total and 20.6 million euros for just accommodations, down by 73.5% and 71.4%, respectively (vs -90.5% and -89.7% in February).
RevPAR stood at 7.3 euros in March, down 50.2% (-79.7% in February), while average income per occupied room (ADR) stood at 51.0 euros in March, a drop of 22.5% (-28.0% in February).
Total overnight stays in the first quarter of 2021 declined by 80.0%, following a drop of 59.3% for residents and 90.0% for non-residents. According to the INE, tourist accommodation establishments, camping and holiday camps, and youth hostels hosted 308,000 guests for 768,400 overnight stays in March, down 58.4% and 63.7%, respectively (vs -86.7% and -86.1% in February).
The tourism accommodation sector reported 283,700 guests and 636,100 overnight stays in March 2021, falling by 59.0% and 66.5%, respectively (vs -87.1% and -87.8% in February). The domestic market in March (relative weight of 71.1%) contributed with 452,100 overnights, a decrease of 20.2% (-74.9% in February).
The number of nights spent by foreign visitors decreased 86.2% (-94.5% in the previous month), for a total of 184,000. The year-on-year declines compare to March 2020, the first month in which the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic began to bite.
In the month, 58.5% of tourist accommodation establishments were closed or did receive any guests (vs 63.9% in February). Overnight stays in hotels (71.3% of the total) decreased by 71.0%, while overnight stays in local accommodation establishments (23.3% of the total) decreased by 49.9%. Stays in rural and residential tourism (5.4% share) dropped by 9.6%.
Overnights in hostels declined by 61.3% y-o-y, representing 18.3% of nights spent in local accommodation and 4.3% of total nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments.
The INE concluded that, in the first quarter of 2021, overnight stays in hotels (72.6% of the total) decreased by 82.5%, which represented a greater decrease than those recorded by local accommodation (-68.9%) and rural and residential tourism (-56.6%). In the same period, overnight stays in hostels decreased by 74.8%.
Translation: Richard D. K. Turner
