The president of Tourism Region of Alentejo and Ribatejo, José Manuel Santos, disclosed that hotel reservations in the Alentejo region are progressing well. He commented, “There is still some time” until Easter, and noted that the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, the main source of domestic tourists due to its proximity to Alentejo, tends to book closer to the date.
Despite this, Santos indicated that the “prospects are good” for the Easter period, with hotels and other accommodations in the region already showing “a good booking rate,” with an occupancy level “above 50%.”
These figures pertain to the entire Alentejo destination, which comprises a third of Portugal, he highlighted. Additionally, in a sample of about 40 tourism units, “70% believe this Easter will be better than that of 2024.”
“The major hotel groups in the region are experiencing positive dynamics, with increasing reservations, led by Portuguese and Spanish markets,” he reiterated, emphasizing that “Easter is consistently a favorable time for hospitality, especially in Alentejo.”
When asked about the Easter tourism occupancy estimates for Alentejo, José Manuel Santos stated it is “too early” and risky to make such predictions due to the region’s extensive and diverse nature.
“We are confident that Portuguese and Spanish tourists will once again make Easter successful for Alentejo and Ribatejo,” he stated, wishing for favorable weather conditions, which play a significant role in the decision-making process.
He noted that Easter falls later this year, with Good Friday on April 18, and acknowledged that weather conditions hold “significant importance” for some tourists.
“We had hotels in Évora last weekend that were at 30% to 40% occupancy until Thursday, and increased to over 70% in some cases, once it became clear we would have sunny weather and good temperatures,” he illustrated.
According to Santos, the region’s hotels are also “receiving a good level of bookings” for weekends following Easter, particularly those preceding the holidays on April 25 and May 1.
“Therefore, there is a positive outlook for tourism in the region over the next four or five weekends,” he concluded.
