“The North region is expected to reach 85 percent occupancy at Christmas and 95 percent occupancy at New Year, as in a survey conducted on 16 December, Christmas already has occupancy rates close to 75 percent and New Year reaching 90 percent, the president of Tourism of Porto and Northern Portugal (TPNP), Luís Pedro Martins, told the Lusa news agency on 16 December.

The TPNP president says that the forecast for this holiday season is in line with the fact that the region grew until October "above the national average".

“The region has grown until October above the national average, being at this time the fastest growing region, 10.1 percent in number of overnight stays and absolute record in the growth of overnight stays of foreigners with a growth of 12 percent over the same period”, recalled Luís Pedro Martins.

Speaking to Lusa, Carla Correia, director of sales and marketing, at the Le Monumental Palace hotel, a five-star unit on Avenida dos Aliados, in Porto, estimated that reservations for New Year's Eve should reach “100 percent of occupancy” and for Christmas Eve the “occupancy rate is 73 percent”.

At The Yeatman (Vila Nova de Gaia), Infante Sagres (Porto) and Vintage House (Alijó, Vila Real district) hotels, on the night of 31 December to 1 January the “occupation is exhausted” and the reservations for the consada and New Year's dinners are "in high demand", revealed source from the three hotel units of the Fladgate Partnership group.

According to Bruno Oliveira, manager of the Hotel Pestana Vintage Porto, located in Ribeira do Porto, the occupancy rate for the night from 24 to 25 December is at 85 percent, while at night from 31 December to 1 January the “expected occupancy is 100 percent”.

The high hotel occupancy rate is also registered at the Grande Hotel do Porto, a three star hotel located on Santa Catarina Street, with New Year's Eve above 85 percent and the consada at 60 percent.

“Both on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve, the restaurant is already sold out,” added Luísa Costa, assistant director of Grande Hotel do Porto, warning that they are only available for lunch on 1 January, because for the consada and New Year’s nights they are “complete”.

TPNP's president added that Christmas and New Year's Eve 2018 took place on a Tuesday, which “provided extended weekend enjoyment,” a fact that is not repeated this year and “may bring a different tourist demand."