Prices continue to rise and travel becomes more expensive, but that doesn’t seem to stop the Portuguese from packing their bags and getting on a plane. It is the travel agencies that testify to the trend justified by the growing increase in bookings, both at Easter and for the summer – for the hot months, bookings are 50% higher than in 2019. The rise in inflation has made the payable bill increased a hotel or a plane ticket, but the appetite of the national market remains large. “The desire of the Portuguese to travel is very present and travel is seen as an essential asset. We noticed this in the demand and the anticipation of reservations,” explains the operational director of Bestravel, Ricardo Teles. The head of the travel agency network adds that “interest in holidays around Easter is going very well”, with demand reaching the same number as in 2019.
Agência Abreu confirms the positive indicators and, although she admits that travel is more expensive, she does not see the amount to be paid as an obstacle. “There is an increase in spending due to the effect of high prices on suppliers. However, we do not believe that this is decisive for demand, as it has a very dynamic behavior,” justifies the director of sales and marketing. In fact, Pedro Quintela guarantees that not only has the price increase not affected Portuguese holiday plans, but he also ensures that the national market pays off. “The continued effect of travel denial due to the pandemic is still leading a proportion of customers to choose more expensive trips/destinations than their usual consumption pattern would be,” he says, recalling that the pandemic is also leading to more savings has led to higher incomes for many families. “If, on the one hand, there are customers who prefer closer destinations and adjust the number of days or the type of hotel, there are others who are still looking for the trip of a lifetime or simply to make up for something. for the years when the joy of traveling was taken away,” he continues.
Travel professionals do not want to advance the average value of packages sold or the percentage increase in products, but ensure that the price increase is transversal, from hotels to transport, which makes the final offer of the travel agency more expensive. “The travel sector, like so many others, is also sensitive to all economic constraints such as the increase in fuel. For example, we are feeling increases in what is air travel on a regular flight, but, in contrast, as a result of pre-bookings or promotional campaigns, we were able to balance the prices charged, keeping bookings in line with 2019.” explains Ricardo Teles.
Caribbean, Cape Verde and Maldives
Easter is used by many as the first window of the year for a break. The Portuguese look for travel agencies for a long weekend, taking advantage of Good Friday, or for a whole week of rest. The profile varies and so do the destinations. For longer trips, the choice is for destinations such as the Caribbean, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Morocco, the Spanish islands or Disneyland Paris.
Abroad, the Abreu agency is progressing, Brazil and Asia also stand out, which resume tourism activity after the closure imposed by the pandemic. The Maldives is also a destination with more and more Portuguese fans. Within Europe, Spain, Italy and France have been selected for a three-day weekend. Inside, the islands and the Algarve collect the preferences for this period, with the emphasis on Porto Santo, which continues to seduce the domestic market. “There is also an extension of the length of stay during the Easter period. In terms of product, there is a clear increase in circuits and long journeys,” emphasizes Pedro Quintela.
Another novelty is the return of cruises. This was one of the products most affected by the pandemic, whose recovery in 2022 lagged behind the rest of the tourist offer, but the trend is already reversing. “Cruise demand has been one of the types of travel that has taken the longest to recover from the pandemic, but from what we are observing, since October 2022 to now, they have made an impressive recovery, surpassing 2019 numbers,” indicates Ricardo Teles.
And if last-minute bookings have been the trend of recent years, the return to normalcy and the security customers feel are once again empowering them to buy in advance. Precisely for this reason, we can already look forward to “a very positive year” with an emphasis on the high season, whose reserves are already 50% above pre-pandemic levels, assures Bestravel’s director of operations. Agência Abreu’s spokesperson is also optimistic about the coming months. “I believe that the constraints on airports and air capacity that emerged in the early summer of 2022 have been largely overcome, and other constraints related to supply chain interruptions and lack of staffing have affected the quality of service at destinations. (hotels, restaurants, land and sea transportation) have also been resolved”. Pedro Quintela believes that 2023 will be “the year of a return to normality”, anticipating “the predictions of recovery in the tourism industry that pointed only to 2024”.
Rute Simão is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
