The president of AHETA, Elidérico Viegas, told Lusa agency that “2020 was the worst year ever for Algarve tourism, with the breakdown taking place in all tourist-emitting markets”.

According to data provided by the association, the approximately 80 accommodation units that remained in operation in December in the region registered a drop of 60.7 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

According to AHETA, the markets that contributed most to the decline were the Dutch with less 83.3 percent of tourists, followed by the British (-79.6 percent), German (-58.4 percent) and the national market (-37 percent).

In December, the volume of sales followed the decline in the occupation, registering a drop of 62.3 percent concerning the same month of the previous year.

The bed occupancy registered in accumulated values ??since January 2020, an average decrease of 56.8 and the volume of sales a decrease of 58.5% compared to the same period of 2019.

According to the association's data, in accumulated terms during the year 2020, there were less 15.3 million overnight stays in the more than 400 accommodation units officially classified in the Algarve, with the turnover recorded a drop of more than 800 million euros.