“We are experiencing good occupancy rates for the Easter season, which begins next week. We are hovering around 85% occupancy, and we expect it to exceed 90% after Easter,” stated João Pinheiro, president of the Azores Local Accommodation Association (ALA), to the news agency Lusa.
Pinheiro noted that unlike last year, when Easter fell in March and before the start of the IATA summer season, this year presents “good prospects” for the festive period.
“This year, with Easter coinciding with the IATA summer, flights are normalized, and we expect a good season,” Pinheiro highlighted.
The ALA president mentioned that “national tourists remain the best market” for the Easter period, with continued demand from the French and German markets.
However, “there is growth in the Canadian market, which is a surprise,” he observed, suggesting that this could be happening due to the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” imposed by the United States on its trade partners.
“We have not yet observed a decline in American tourists. But we are seeing strong demand from Canadian tourists,” he added.
Local accommodation accounts for 62% of all beds in the Azores, and according to João Pinheiro, issues with air connections during the low season and the lack of labor remain the main concerns for business owners.
“The lack of labor continues to be a concern both directly and indirectly. This year, for example, we faced significant difficulties in preparing accommodations due to a shortage of labor for painting or construction work,” he explained.
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,” Pinheiro pointed out.
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