Ponta Delgada, Portugal, July 31, 2026 (Lusa) - The Ponta Delgada Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPD), in Portugal's Azores Islands, on Friday called for an immediate strategic response following confirmation of «nine consecutive months of decline» in overnight stays in the Azores, emphasising that this is not «a mere cyclical fluctuation».
In a statement, the board of the Business Association of the Islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria reiterated its «deep concern» regarding the figures released today by the Azores Regional Statistics Service (SREA) on tourism activity in June 2026.
According to the association, the figures confirm the ninth consecutive month of year-on-year decline in overnight stays in the region, consolidating «a prolonged trend of declining competitiveness for the Azores as a destination», which «cannot be classified» as «a mere cyclical fluctuation».
«The Azores are facing a persistent trend of declining competitiveness that demands an immediate strategic response,» warns the CCIPD.
Citing the figures, the association points out that in June the Azores recorded 506,400 overnight stays, representing a year-on-year reduction of 3.8%, whilst the number of guests fell by 1.8%.
For the first half of 2026 as a whole, the region has seen a 4.6% fall in overnight stays and a 3.6% fall in guest numbers, confirming that «tourism continues to lose momentum».
The CCIPD also highlights as «particularly worrying the performance of the domestic market», which recorded «a 9.2% fall in overnight stays in June and a 10.0% fall over the half-year as a whole».
«Foreign markets also showed a negative trend (-1.9%) once again, as had already been the case in April, highlighting that the weakening of tourism demand is no longer limited to the domestic market,» it states.
The association also warns of «the particular vulnerability of short-term rental accommodation, which again recorded a fall of 8.9% in June and has seen a cumulative reduction of 9.8% since the start of the year».
«São Miguel, too – the Azores' main tourist destination, accounting for around two-thirds of the region's overnight stays – continues to show a negative trend, with a 5.0% decrease in overnight stays in hotels and short-term rental accommodation,» it points out.
It also notes that data on revenue from short-term rental accommodation «has still not been released by the SREA».
The association emphasises that this trend contrasts with the national trend, given that Portugal recorded a 0.7% increase in overnight stays in June and a 1.3% increase in the first half of the year, noting that «the decline observed in the Azores calls for serious reflection on the factors that are undermining the destination's competitiveness».
For the CCIPD, the results confirm the warnings it has been issuing in recent months, citing as the main factors the reduction in flight capacity, the decline in competition between airlines, the rise in travel costs and the lack of international promotion of the destination.
The association advocates a strategic response based on strengthening air connectivity, attracting new routes and operators, increasing investment in overseas promotion, and adopting measures to boost the competitiveness of the Azores as a destination.
Postponing these decisions, it adds, «will only serve to prolong a cycle of declining demand, investment and employment, with increasingly significant impacts on the regional economy».
APE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
