Latest news and stories about hotel industry in Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal's tourism sector faces mixed results this Easter, with Lisbon and Porto experiencing a 10% decline in hotel bookings while the Algarve anticipates a 5% rise driven by last-minute demand amid broader economic caution.
The national hotel industry says that this Easter is operating at half capacity, as the war in the Middle East has caused many cancellations.
Bernardo Trindade, president of the Portuguese Hotel Association, says the conflict in the Middle East has caused cancellations in Lisbon and Porto. The Algarve and Madeira have seen an increase in customer traffic.
The Portuguese Hotel Association notes a shift in bookings to Portugal from destinations such as Cyprus, Turkey, and Egypt, but also reports fewer tourists from the USA and Asia.
The Booking platform and direct websites remain the main booking channels for Easter, cited by 96% and 89% of respondents, respectively.
Travel from the United States to Portugal is cooling down, impacting the country's hotel sector. With Easter approaching, bookings from American tourists have dropped compared to the same period last year. Industry representatives note that while some tourists are diverting to Portugal from conflict-affected regions, this trend is expected to be temporary due to global instability, rising fuel costs, and economic uncertainty. Despite these challenges, the hotel industry remains cautiously optimistic about growth for the year, anticipating that travelers will adjust their spending habits rather than cancel their plans entirely.
During the BTL — Lisbon Tourism Exchange, at the launch of the 2026 National Tourism Award, artificial intelligence entered the conversation about the future of the hotel industry. On the “Quatro à Conversa” podcast, Cristina Siza Vieira, executive vice-president of the Portuguese Hotel Association, spoke about the technological pressure the sector is facing, the limits of automation, and the risk of relying too heavily on these tools.
Catarina Pinto Coelho, the new general manager of the Mama Shelter Lisboa hotel, is committed to creating experiences that enrich and extend tourists' stays and considers one of her challenges to be leading a team of nearly 100 people.
In the '2h Turismo' segment, AHP (Associação da Hotelaria de Portugal) calls for the resumption of the expression-of-interest procedure.
Home News Hotels oppose alcohol consumption limits in Lisbon Hotels oppose alcohol consumption limits in Lisbon The Secretary-General of AHRESP \- the Portuguese Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Establishments - today considered the ban on the sale of beverages for consumption outsi
