New figures released by the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA) for January 2026 confirm a contraction in tourism across the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with fewer visitors and fewer overnight stays compared to the same period last year. According to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada (CCIPD), the numbers reinforce a growing concern: the intensification of winter seasonality during the International Air Transport Association (IATA) winter schedule for 2025–26.

In January, overnight stays in tourist accommodations—including hotels, local lodging (short-term rentals), and rural tourism—fell by 9.9 percent year over year, with the average stay reaching 2.73 nights. The decline was less severe in the hotel sector, where overnight stays dropped 3.8 percent compared with January 2025. However, the downturn was far sharper in other segments: local lodging fell 18.9 percent, while rural tourism declined 20.5 percent, reflecting a broader cooling across alternative accommodation sectors that had expanded rapidly in recent years.

The CCIPD also highlights the dominant role of São Miguel Island, which accounts for approximately 70.8 percent of the region’s total tourism activity, including hotels and local lodging alone. On the island, the year-over-year change was negative 11.2 percent, driven by a 3.5 percent decline in hotel stays and a much steeper 23.2 percent drop in local lodging.

Looking at the cumulative results for the IATA winter season of 2025–26 through the end of January, and comparing traditional hotels with local lodging, the number of guests totaled 146,227, down from 154,088 during the same period in the winter of 2024–25. The difference—7,861 fewer visitors—represents a 5.1 percent decline.

Using an updated estimate of €1,036 in average spending per tourist, the Chamber of Commerce calculates that this reduction corresponds to roughly €8.1 million in direct economic impact. When applying a sector multiplier of 1.35 for the regional economy, the total impact—including direct, indirect, and induced effects—rises to approximately €11 million. In terms of the contribution to the region’s Gross Domestic Product, measured through Gross Value Added (GVA), the reduction is estimated at around €6 million—“in just these three months,” according to the association.

In Diário dos Açores-Paulo Viveiros, director.

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