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Over 70% of Local Accommodations Are Outside Lisbon and Porto

2 September 2018

The figures released by the Portuguese Association of Local Accommodations show that the municipality of Lisbon accounts for almost 20% of registrations. The city of Porto has about 9%.

At a moment when the market for local accommodations has been the focus of debate in Lisbon and Porto, the president of ALEP, the Portuguese Association of Local Accommodations, noted that many of the current establishments operate outside of the major urban centres, helping to decentralise tourism.

Eduardo Miranda believes that the market for local accommodations has helped create jobs, maintain people living outside of the country’s principal urban centres and spread tourism to new niche markets, such as for surfing close to towns such as Ericeira and Peniche.

While Lisbon and Porto account for about 29% of the units, the geographical category “beach, summer and island destinations” comprises 61% and the remaining 10% are situated in the “interior and other cities.” The Algarve accounts for 40% of the supply of local accommodations at a national level. The executive added that the focus on the Algarve is not new. Mr Miranda added that the market was eventually brought under control by the requirement to license operations.

40% of local accommodations operate in the Algarve. The cities of Lisbon and Porto together account for 29% of the units. Leiria has around 5%, Madeira almost 4% and Setúbal has close to 4% of the registered local accommodations in Portugal.

Original Story: Radio Notícias TSF – Leonor Ferreira / Lusa

Photo: Fábio Poço / Global Imagens

Translation: Richard Turner