The tourism accommodation sector accounted for 9.4 million guests and 23.3 million overnight stays in the 2nd quarter of 2026, with changes of +2.3% and +1.2%, respectively (+1.6% and +1.4% in the same order, in the 1st quarter of 2026). Total revenue amounted to EUR 2.1 billion and revenue from accommodation totalled EUR 1.6 billion, marking growth of 5.2% and 4.5%, respectively (+5.9% and +5.3% in the previous quarter).
External markets remained dominant (71.9% of the total), at 16.7 million overnight stays (+0.5%). In turn, overnight stays by residents grew for the first time since the same quarter a year earlier, increasing by 3.2% to 6.5 million.
In the 2nd quarter of the year, dependence on foreign markets, measured by the share of overnight stays by non-residents, was highest in Grande Lisboa (82.5% of the total), followed by RA Madeira (82.1%), and Algarve (81.6%). In contrast, Centro and Alentejo had the lowest dependence on foreign markets (32.6% and 34.6%, respectively).
Algarve accounted for the highest number of overnight stays in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (27.2% of the total), followed by Grande Lisboa (23.4%) and Norte (18.5%). Overnight stays by residents were mostly concentrated in Norte (22.6% of the total), while those by non-residents were mainly spent in Algarve (30.9% of the total).
According to information from the Monthly Statement of Earnings (Declaração Mensal de Remunerações) from Social Security (DMR/SS) and the Contributory Relation (Relação Contributiva) of Caixa Geral de Aposentações (RC/CGA), the gross monthly remuneration per employee (per job) in Accommodation activities (NACE 55) continued to increase, +5.7% in the 2nd quarter of 2026, compared to the same period last year, standing at EUR 1,451, i.e., EUR 384 below the total for the whole economy, where remuneration increased by 5.1% in the same period.
It should be noted that the 2nd quarter results might have been influenced by the calendar's moving structure, i.e., the effect associated with the Easter period.
