The tourist accommodation sector registered 2.1 million guests and 5.6 million overnight stays in September 2021, corresponding to year-on-year rates of change of +52.3% and +58.4%, respectively (+35.5% and +47.9% in August, in the same order). The levels reached in September 2021 were lower than those observed in September 2019, having decreased the number of guests and overnight stays by 28.9% and 26.6%, respectively.

In September, the domestic market contributed with 2.6 million overnight stays and increased by 26.8%, continuing to exceed the levels of the same period of 2019 (+15.6%). Overnight stays from non-residents doubled compared to September 2020 (+100.7%) and totalled 3.0 million but were about half of those recorded in September 2019 (-43.9%).

In the third quarter of 2021, overnight stays decreased by 30.7% compared to the same period of 2019 (+15.8% for residents and -52.6% for non-residents). Compared to the third quarter of 2020, there were increases of 57.1% (+31.5% for residents and +102.4% for non-residents).

Overnight stays recorded in the first nine months of 2021 have already exceeded the value recorded for the entire year of 2020. During this period, total overnight stays increased by 19.5%, resulting from an accumulated growth rate of +28.7% in residents and +9.4% in non-residents. Overnight stays from residents grew in all regions, in particular RA Madeira (+109.9%) and RA Açores (+96.3%). Overnight stays from non-residents only decreased in AM Lisboa (-6.1%), with emphasis on the increase in RA Açores (+127.1%). Compared to the same period of 2019, overnight stays decreased by 54.0% (-14.4% for residents and -71.2% for non-residents).

In September, 19.5% of the tourist accommodation establishments were closed or had no movement of guests (17.4% in August).