Tourism in Northern Portugal is experiencing positive trends for the upcoming holiday season, according to Luís Pedro Martins, president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal (TPNP). He notes that expectations align with post-pandemic patterns.
Currently, the hotel occupancy rate for Christmas is approximately 65%, with predictions for a slight increase as the holiday approaches, said Luís Pedro Martins.
Regarding New Year’s Eve, the average hotel occupancy rate in the Northern region stands at 75%, with some hotels already surpassing this rate. It is anticipated that occupancy may reach 85% to 90% closer to the date.
The 75% occupancy rate for New Year’s is consistent across subregions including Porto, Douro, Minho, and Trás-os-Montes.
During the Christmas period, bookings in the Northern region mostly consist of domestic market reservations at 60%, with international markets accounting for 40%. The Spanish market leads, followed by North American, British, and French markets.
The increasing reservation rates, particularly for New Year’s, are attributed to robust air connectivity in the region during the winter, as more flights continue beyond the summer season, explained the president of TPNP.
Luís Pedro Martins expects reservations to increase further as the holidays near.
From January to September, the Porto and Northern region hosted nearly six million guests, marking a 4% growth compared to the same period in 2024, noted the TPNP president.
The region recorded 11.5 million overnight stays between January and September, reflecting a 4.7% increase over the same period in 2024.
The region generated 902 million euros in revenue up to September. TPNP estimates that revenue will surpass 1.1 billion euros in 2024, with an 8.8% increase compared to 2024 noted so far.
