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Online booking website, HomeAway, commissioned the Lusófona University to study the impact on the economy of the Alojamento Local short-term tourist rental market – the result is a guesstimate of a positive €412 million injection.
This study is the first that analyses the profile of travellers using AL accommodation for their breaks, estimating that this growing class of tourists will generate ‘around’ €411.9 million, of which €133.6 million is spent on accommodation and the balance spent on food drink, gifts and travel during the stay.
The study estimates that this in 2018, a total of 1.7 million travel to Portugal will opt for AL at least once and that the total average value per stay per person is €737, of which, €354 is spent on the accommodation element.
“Taking into account the sum of the direct and indirect benefits, the weight of local accommodation in tourism and the economy in Portugal is undeniable,” the study concluded.
Local accommodation is an activity that is growing rapidly and is, “responsible for creating and maintaining jobs, for earnings from real estate, for urban regeneration, for generating value for local authorities through tourist taxes and gives a strong contribution to the sustained increase in the tourism offer of Portugal as a brand.”
According to the HomeAway report, the pioneering study provides a precise analysis of the habits and customs of those using AL and by sharing the data will enable a better understanding of this specific sector.”
According to the study, the main users of local accommodation in Portugal were families (41.30%), followed by couples (34.90%) and groups of friends (18.5%).
Travellers preferred local accommodation for longer stays and prefer the Algarve (27.1%), the North (24.5%) and then the Centre (21.1%).
The study does not take into account the huge market in illegal short-term rentals from those who are deterred by the laws, additional running costs and taxes associated with being street legal.