Porto and the North accounted for three out of every four additional overnight stays recorded nationally in the first half of 2026, according to Público. The national figures, however, masked significant regional differences: foreign guest numbers rose 1.9% year-on-year across the country, Público reported, even as occupancy rates measured by beds and rooms fell across most of the country.
The steepest occupancy declines were in the Alentejo, the Azores, and metropolitan Lisbon, according to Público's reporting. Lisbon was the only region where RevPAR (revenue per available room) fell, down 3.5% for the January to June period. Within Lisbon, short-term rentals were hit harder: revenue per room in Alojamento Local properties dropped 7.6% and guest numbers fell 3.2%, Público reported.
Porto and the North recorded stronger results, with a 5.4% rise in overnight stays and a 5.6% rise in revenue in the first half, according to Público.
The Azores also recorded weaker tourism performance, with overnight stays declining through the first half of the year, according to data from the Azores regional statistics office, SREA. The Azores' short-term rental association, ALA, estimated the slowdown has cost the regional economy roughly €30 million across accommodation, restaurants, retail, car rental, and tour operators, according to Açoriano Oriental. That figure is ALA's own estimate, not an independently measured loss. ALA president João Pinheiro argued that better transport access and promotion could limit the losses, citing Madeira's continued growth, according to the same report.
Industry group AHRESP attributed the weaker performance in some regions to consumer purchasing power, higher travel costs, competition from other European destinations, and rising operating costs, according to Público.