Over the last two decades, more than 9.9 million guests have visited the Azores. Following the pandemic, tourism rebounded strongly, and 2024 set new records.

Between 2001 and 2024, the Azores hotel industry welcomed 9,940,110 guests and recorded 30,436,187 overnight stays, with an average stay of 3.1 nights per visitor. São Miguel accounted for more than 60% of overnight stays and led all indicators, but all nine islands have seen growth over the past 24 years. The year 2024 was the best ever, with 772,951 guests and 2,290,894 overnight stays, surpassing previous highs and far exceeding the figures for 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

The decline was evident in 2020, when, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Azores received only 199,133 guests and recorded 536,239 overnight stays, representing less than a quarter of the normal number. However, the recovery was gradual: 411,000 guests in 2021, 662,000 in 2022, 720,000 in 2023, and finally 772,000 in 2024. The sector proved to be resilient and essential to the regional economy.

The island of São Miguel leads by a wide margin. From 2001 to 2024, it welcomed 6,117,270 guests and accumulated 21,081,388 overnight stays, with an average stay of 3.4 nights. The best year was 2024, with 489,698 guests and 1,584,002 overnight stays, beating the previous highs of 2019. Compared to 2019 (422,643 guests and 1,351,199 overnight stays), there was an increase of 67,000 guests and more than 230,000 overnight stays.

On Terceira Island, the total number of guests was 1,778,319, and the number of overnight stays was 4,425,792, with an average stay of 2.5 nights. The year 2024 was also the best, with 145,006 guests and 371,451 overnight stays. In 2019, there were 107,843 guests and 276,460 overnight stays. In five years, there was a 35% increase in guests, resulting in more than 94,000 additional overnight stays.

The island of Faial received a total of 908,325 guests and 2,114,686 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.3 nights. The best year was 2024, with 56,910 guests and 133,315 overnight stays, a significant increase compared to 2019 (49,669 guests and 111,563 overnight stays).

In Pico, the total number of guests was 464,480, and there were 1,120,494 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.4 nights. The year 2024 also set a record, with 34,251 guests and 84,643 overnight stays. Compared to 2019 (26,530 guests and 66,057 overnight stays), the island grew by more than 29% in guests and more than 18,000 overnight stays.

The island of São Jorge accumulated 207,360 guests and 460,345 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.2 nights. The year 2024 was the highest, with 15,003 guests and 32,273 overnight stays, surpassing the previous record of 2019 (11,081 guests and 24,307 overnight stays).

The island of Santa Maria welcomed 199,267 guests and recorded 557,699 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.8 nights. The record was achieved in 2024, with 14,063 guests and 43,366 overnight stays, well above 2019 (10,358 guests and 27,978 overnight stays).

In Flores, the cumulative total was 139,646 guests and 360,194 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.6 nights. The best year was 2024, with 10,290 guests and 24,416 overnight stays, also above 2019 (8,309 guests and 20,664 overnight stays).

Graciosa registered 111,835 guests and 285,629 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.6 nights. The best year in terms of guests was 2023, with 6,284, although the highest number of overnight stays occurred in 2019, with 16,326. In 2024, the numbers dropped slightly (5,569 guests and 13,241 overnight stays), but still remained higher than in the early years of the century.

The island of Corvo, the smallest in the archipelago, received 13,608 guests and recorded 29,960 overnight stays, with an average stay of 2.2 nights. The best year in terms of guests was 2022, with 2,148, and in terms of overnight stays, it was 2024, with 4,187. In 2019, Corvo had 540 guests and 1,501 overnight stays, indicating significant growth.

In short, the impact of the pandemic in 2020 was noticeable on all islands. That year, the Azores recorded only 199,133 guests and 536,239 overnight stays, the worst figures since the beginning of the century. However, the recovery was gradual: 411,000 guests in 2021, 662,000 in 2022, 720,000 in 2023, and 772,000 in 2024. The growth trend, which was interrupted in 2020, not only resumed but exceeded previous levels.

Filipe Torres is a journalist for Correio dos Açores. Natalino Vivieiros is the 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.