“Most hoteliers believe that Easter will be better this year than last year”, said the president of the Regional Tourism Entity (ERT) of Alentejo and Ribatejo, José Manuel Santos.

Although hotels in the region are “not yet” full for this festive season, the official indicated that some already have “bookings above 50% and 70%” and others have “occupancy estimates close to 100%”.

“The trend towards occupancy slightly higher than 2023 is increasing”, as “the average occupancy sold in hotels, at this stage, is above 60% and will further accelerate in the coming days, fulfilling the trend of last-minute [bookings] ”, he added.

At Easter time, said the president of Turismo do Alentejo e Ribatejo, the Alentejo region is sought after, above all, by Portuguese, Spanish and some German tourists, especially families and groups of friends.

In statements to Lusa, the official stressed that these forecasts are in line with data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) for January, which indicate “an increase of around 3% in overnight stays [in the region] compared to the same month of the year previous".

For the president of Turismo do Alentejo e Ribatejo, the geographical location of the Alentejo region, with proximity to Greater Lisbon and Spain, as well as the quality of accommodation and restaurants, have been decisive for success.

“There is a dynamic growth in the region, both in the Portuguese market and in foreign markets, which also applies to the whole country and we expect this year to continue growing, even though the pace may slow down in relation to 2023”, he said.