March was the end of an era of prosperity for national and regional tourism. In a month that, traditionally, is the strongest of the 1st quarter in Madeira, there were only 293.6 thousand overnight stays and 62.2 thousand guests, income was only 16.6 million euros, 10.8 million of which room. Roughly speaking, these are the effects of the covid-19 pandemic in the Region, with regard to the direct impact on the tourist accommodation sector, representing falls of -51.7%, 49.8%, -48% and -48.7 % respectively for the four indicators.
And it only took about half a month of effects that, it was already known, would be harmful, but with figures from only half of March, they give an idea of what the April data should be like. It should be noted, for example, that March is traditionally the strongest month of the first three months of the year. But compared to February, for example, the fall in overnight stays was -45.5%, while in number of guests it dropped to -40.5%.
The data were released simultaneously this morning by the Regional Statistics Directorate and the National Statistics Institute.
Carnival in February may have helped to accentuate breaks
“In March 2020, the tourist accommodation sector recorded historically negative variations in the main indicators, influenced mainly by the constraints of the current pandemic covid-19, although the calendar effect of the Carnival period, which this year occurred in February and, in the year occurred in March may, to a much lesser extent, also have an influence ”, acknowledges DREM.
Identical scenario in the country
“The tourist accommodation sector registered 697.7 thousand guests and 1.9 million overnight stays in March 2020, corresponding to changes of -62.3% and -58.7%, respectively (+ 15.2% and +14 , 8% in February, in the same order). Overnight stays by residents decreased 57.6% (+ 26.6% in February) and non-residents decreased by 59.2% (+ 9.5% in the previous month) ”, INE also reported today with data for all the country.
“In March 2020, the average stay (2.72 nights) increased by 9.6% (+ 11.4% for residents and + 9.2% for non-residents). The net occupancy rate (17.0%) decreased by 21.8 p.p. (+1.8 p.p. in February) ”, he added.
“Total income recorded a change of -60.2% (+ 13.4% in February), standing at 98.9 million euros. Income from accommodation was 71.8 million euros, decreasing 59.7% (+15.5% in the previous month) “, he points out and adds:” Average income per available room (RevPAR) decreased by 57.4% % to 14.4 euros (+ 6.3% in the previous month). Average income per occupied room (ADR) reached 66.1 euros, decreasing 6.2% (+ 2.4% in February). ”
Considering the majority of the means of accommodation (tourist accommodation establishments, camping and summer camps and youth hostels), in March “there were 746.1 thousand guests and 2.1 million overnight stays, corresponding to an evolution of -61, 8% and -57.1%, respectively (+ 15.6% and + 15.2% in February, in the same order). Overnight stays by residents decreased 56.6% (+ 26.6% in February) and non-residents decreased by 57.3% (+ 9.9% in the previous month) ”, he specifies.
Few do not report cancellations until August
INE also says that “through an additional specific questionnaire that, during the month of April and the first week of May, INE promoted and that it received responses from about 4,600 establishments, about the prospects for tourist activity in the coming months until In August, 78.9% of respondent tourist accommodation establishments indicated that the covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of reservations scheduled for the months of March to August 2020 (these establishments represent 90.9% of the supply capacity of the respondent establishments ) ”.
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