Azores rural tourism group warns of falling overnight stays

Overnight stays in Azores tourist accommodation have fallen for 11 consecutive months, Gilberto Vieira, president of the rural tourism association Casas Açorianas, said on 23 October. He spoke at the opening of the association's annual meeting in Angra do Heroísmo, on Terceira, Rádio Atlântida reported.

According to Vieira, overnight stays in the region fell 3.1% year on year between January and August, while in Portugal as a whole they rose 1.5%. He pointed to the drop in the domestic market, the main source of visitors to the Azores, and asked the Regional Government to spend more on tourism promotion. Açoriano Oriental led its Saturday edition with the association's call.

Berta Cabral, Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, said the sector is going through an adjustment, not a structural decline. She said overnight stays and guest numbers are above 2024 and below 2025, with 100,000 fewer overnight stays than in 2025 and 100,000 more than in 2024.

Cabral said the draft regional investment plan for 2027 holds the largest amount ever for tourism promotion, and that a campaign with Turismo de Portugal for the domestic market has been in preparation since May. She urged rural tourism and local accommodation businesses to sell package tours that combine a stay with the air fare.

Asked about Azores Airlines fares between the islands and the mainland, Cabral said the Regional Government is the airline's sole shareholder but cannot interfere, because it operates in a competitive market. She attributed the increases to higher fuel costs. She also said local accommodation, which added 9,600 beds in the Azores in four years, is regulated by the municipalities.

Açoriano Oriental also reported that SATA takes more than four months to pay compensation.

Last month this site reported that the Azores would launch a winter tourism campaign for the domestic market.

radioatlantida.net

acorianooriental.pt