It was revealed yesterday that the occupancy rate for local accommodation in the Azores is currently around 85% but could exceed 90% at Easter. The national market stands out, along with an increase in tourists from Canada.

“We have good occupancy rates for the Easter season, which is starting next week. We’re at around 85% occupancy. And we expect it to exceed 90% until after Easter,” said the president of the Azores Local Accommodation Association (ALA), João Pinheiro.

According to him, unlike last year, when Easter took place in March, when the IATA summer had not yet started, “there are good prospects” for the festive period this year.

“This year, with Easter coinciding with the IATA summer, flights are normalized and we expect a good season,” said João Pinheiro.

The president of ALA said that “domestic tourists continue to be the best market” for Easter, with demand from the French and German markets continuing to grow.

However, there is “growth in the Canadian market, which is a surprise”, he said, admitting that this may be due to the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” imposed by the United States on its trading partners.

“We haven’t seen a downturn in American tourists yet. But we are seeing strong demand from tourists from Canada,” he added.

Local accommodation accounts for 62% of the total number of beds in the Azores, and according to João Pinheiro, the issue of air connections in the low season and the lack of manpower continue to be the main concerns of entrepreneurs.

“The lack of manpower continues to be a concern, both directly and indirectly. This year, for example, we’ve had great difficulty in terms of preparing accommodation, due to the lack of manpower for painting or building work,” he said.

On the other hand, “we are completely dependent on transportation and if there is no clear investment in this sector, our development will never be sustainable, despite our environmental sustainability,” said João Pinheiro.

in Diário dos Açores, Osvaldo Cabral-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.