“We expect occupancy to be slightly above the 80% recorded last year in the units that will be open for that period”, the president of the Algarve Hotels and Tourist Enterprises Association (AHETA) told Lusa news agency.

According to Helder Martins, unlike Christmas, which is “a celebration experienced more at home and with family and with no impact on tourist accommodation”, New Year's Eve “attracts more people to the region, but that is not what will change the month”.

“This is the lowest time of the year, these are months with accommodation occupancy rates of around 30%, increasing a little towards the turn of the year, but only for one or two nights, which is not significant”, he observed.

However, he said, hoteliers foresee “for this short period, a slight increase compared to last year”.

According to the director, the expected increases are reflected, above all, in units that offer accommodation and entertainment packages, as well as in municipalities that promote street entertainment.

“These are offers that attract people and that have some impact on accommodation in the units that will operate during this period”, highlighted the president of AHETA.

Helder Martins said he “still doesn’t know the booking rate” for the festive season, adding that they “start to be in demand when the units announce the entertainment program and then the last minute ones”, that is, in the week before the end of the year.

“It is a period most sought after by the national market, but it is limited to a short stay and, from our experience, without a major impact on tourism in the region”, he concluded.