These are typically low demand months. But the boom of Portuguese tourism nor the low season escapes. More than two million tourists were housed in Portuguese hotels between January and February 2017. This is an increase of 11% over the same period in 2016, according to INE figures, which had already registered a notable growth The previous year. “By 2016 tourism has been at the best levels in recent years and the low season accounted for two thirds of growth. The highest increases were in the traditional weaker months, “explained Manuel Caldeira Cabral, Economy Minister, DN / Dinheiro Vivo. “Once we have had the best year in 2016, 2017 also promises to be very good.”

In reading the INE data, Caldeira Cabral points out that these figures represent a better return on investment in tourism and have a direct impact on employment. “There is no more seasonal work. People are hired for the whole year. This brings greater stability, which turns out to be beneficial also for the establishments themselves. “On the other hand, in addition to an increase of 11% in the number of guests and 10% in overnight stays, INE figures indicate a rise of 16, 2% in hotel revenues, which raised 260 million euros in the first two months of the year. “This shows that tourism in Portugal grows in number and quality. There is an appreciation of the Portuguese tourism product. It’s not low-priced tourism. People do not come here because it’s cheap, “says the minister. The metropolitan area of ​​Lisbon remains the first place in the table of tourist preferences, with overnight growth of 17.4% over the first two months of 2016, followed by the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with an increase of 10, 3%. “There is more balanced growth in the regions. That is, Lisbon and Algarve have always stood out, but now they are experiencing more moderate growth. But the Azores and Porto, for example, which are areas with a less accentuated tourism, registered increases above the average than usual, “says Manuel Caldeira Cabral. The vast majority of the tourists who have stayed in hotels continue to come from abroad – 3.6 million overnight stays, 13.2% more, especially from France and the United Kingdom. But Brazilians (+ 34.2%) and Poles (+ 30.3%) also started to discover Portugal. The Portuguese who take vacations here were responsible for 1.5 million overnight stays, a much more modest increase, only 3 February was still slightly less strong than January, having seen a slowdown in the number of overnight guests and overnight stays, but the economy minister has no doubts: the results are good. Of tourists, there is a growth of profits and there is a balance growth between the strongest and weakest regions and still between the high season and the low season, all in relation to 2016, which had already been the best year of national tourism. “

Accounting and Tax advice