Angra do Heroismo, Azores Islands, Portugal, Dec. 31, 2025 (Lusa) - The number of tourist overnight stays in the Azores this year up to November has already surpassed the record set in 2024, despite three consecutive months of decline, according to data released on Wednesday by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA).
Between January and November this year, the Azores recorded 4.4 million overnight stays in tourist accommodation, representing a 4.6% increase over the same period last year, with the number of guests totalling 1.3 million, 3.8% more than in the same period in 2024, with an average stay of 3.33 nights (an increase of 0.7%).
In 2024, the region had broken a record for the third consecutive year, with 4.3 million overnight stays.
According to the Regional Statistics Service data, "in November, all tourist accommodation establishments (hotels, short-term rental accommodation and rural tourism) in the Azores recorded 182,400 overnight stays, a figure 6.8% less than in the same month last year".
This is the third consecutive monthly decline, after 18 months of growth in the number of tourist overnight stays in the archipelago.
In September, the region had recorded a year-on-year decrease of 1.2% and 2% in October.
For the eighth consecutive month, the number of overnight stays by domestic tourists in the Azores fell compared to the same period last year. In November, there were 7% fewer overnight stays, totalling 84,500 (46.4% of the total).
Residents abroad accounted for more than half (53.6%) of the overnight stays recorded this month, reaching 97,800, a decrease of 6.6% year-on-year.
Among foreign markets, Germany was the largest source market in November, with 19,300 overnight stays (19.7% of overnight stays by residents abroad), still showing a 3.2% drop compared to November 2024.
In second place was the United States, with 16,800 overnight stays (17.2%), representing a decrease of 18.1%, and in third place was Canada, with 13,700 overnight stays (14%), which grew by 8.1% compared to November 2024.
Hungary (92.7%), Poland (33.4%) and Austria (16.1%) were the markets with the highest year-on-year growth, while the Czech Republic (-43.4%), Slovakia (-41.7%) and Brazil (-36.2%) showed the largest declines.
With 124,300 overnight stays, hotels accounted for 68.1% of all tourist overnight stays in the archipelago in November, followed by short-term rental accommodation, with 51,600 overnight stays (28.3%), and rural tourism, with 6,500 overnight stays (3.6%).
All three types of accommodation recorded a year-on-year decrease in overnight stays in November. The most significant decrease occurred in short-term rental accommodation (-15.4%), followed by rural tourism (-6.6%) and hotels (-2.7%).
Considering only hotels and short-term rental accommodation, which accounted for 96.4% of overnight stays in November, only the islands of Graciosa (24.4%) and Santa Maria (2.6%) showed an increase in overnight stays compared to the same period last year.
Corvo was the island that recorded the largest drop (-30.5%), followed by Flores (-20.6%), Pico (-12.6%) and Terceira (-12.1%).
Faial saw a decrease of 12%, São Jorge of 7.8% and São Miguel of 4.9%.
With 127,000 overnight stays, the island of São Miguel, the largest in the archipelago, accounted for 72.2% of the total overnight stays in hotels and short-term rental accommodation in the Azores in November, followed by the islands of Terceira, with 27,600 overnight stays (15.7%), Faial, with 8,700 overnight stays (4.9%), and Pico, with 5,700 overnight stays (3.2%) The domestic market stood out with the highest weight in overnight stays on the islands of Graciosa (85.9%), Corvo (78.0%), São Jorge (73.6%), Santa Maria (70.6%), Terceira (65.1%) and Faial (61.3%).
Among foreign markets, Germany was the main market in the islands of Pico (17.6%), São Miguel (11.5%), Faial (8.1%) and Graciosa (5.1%), while Spain stood out in Flores (17.1%).
The US market had more weight in Terceira (9.8%) and Santa Maria (5.4%), the Canadian market in São Jorge (6.3%) and the Dutch market in Corvo (3.9%).
In the hotel sector, the net occupancy rate per bed reached 32.2% in November (down 2.4 percentage points), but total revenue rose 2.9% to €7.7 million.
Rural tourism had a net occupancy rate per bed of 16% (down 0.6 percentage points) and total revenues of €593,300 (down 8.8%).
No data on revenue is presented for short-term rental accommodation, but the gross occupancy rate per bed was 18.6% (down 2.5 percentage points).
According to the report, 63.3% of active short-term rental accommodation establishments reported that they had no guest movement in November, 3.8 percentage points more than in the same month in 2024.
CYB/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
