Algarve Popularity

[HampshireRich]

It's been mentioned on this site a few times recently that numbers are lower than previous years. Whilst some of that can be attributed to the recession, I don't think all of it can.

Does anyone know if the Algarve in general is declining in popularity at the moment? It is nice that you can get a seat in your favourite restaurant, sit round the pool in comfort or sit on the beach without being crowded, but too quiet is not good.

I have done some searches on the Internet for "Best Beach Holidays in Europe" "Top Europe Holidays" etc and to my surprise the Algarve is very rarely mentioned. The usual suspects - Greece and Islands, Spain and the South of France are there, and now Turkey, Croatia etc are getting mentioned. However, the Algarve is rarely mentioned (Expedia does have it in the top 10).

Is the Tourist Authority (whatever they are called in Portugal) not pushing so hard, or is this just a cycle?

Has anyone any ideas - or am I wrong and CVO and the Algarve is bustling and busy?

[e-llen]

Don't know, but from personal experience, we flew back to the UK last week returning yesterday and both flights were really busy didn't see any empty seats.....and no it wasn't easyJet

[steve]

Friends in the holiday rental business tell me that the peak season is still very popular and that everything worth having will have gone. Unfortunately May and June seem to have been quiet and forecasts for September do not look all that encouraging. Although the exchange rate will have some impact I do not think that this is pivotal. The main problem is that in a recession a lot of people simply do not have the money to spend on holidays that they have in previous years or do not want to accumulate debt to fund a holiday.

I walk my dog around the east side of CVO every day and it is clear that villas which in previous years have enjoyed a high level of occupancy this year have been largely empty. Hopefully it will be different in the school holiday period but I suspect that even then a lot of people will be economising by eating in much more. Bars and restaurants will no doubt notice a difference.

Overall this is probably not a problem peculiar to the Algarve but just one which is noticeable to people who are used to coming here when tourist levels are higher. For local residents not dependent upon the tourist industry the situation has its advantages.

[ditzy]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people pottering around Carvoeiro in the last few days following a very quiet week. Many of my friends in England come to the Algarve every summer and have done so from a very young age. Every so often the Algarve Tourism Board invests in a surge of advertising, although it seems quite irregular. Despite this, it is a well-established location and airlines still advertise offers to Faro.

Although I do agree that restaurants (maybe not so much bars, some people would go without food before forgoing their nightly tipple!) will be the ones to really feel it this year.

[EMM]

Our flight out on sunday was full and the airport was busy.

Our car hire rep who we have got to know well believes that cars will be in short supply this summer as the companies cut back thinking that it would be much worse than it is turning out.

Town was busy last night but if you walked aout a little further then places were quieter, we got into Taste without any problems,
they said that weekends are very busy but the earlier part of the week less so.
They thought that people are stying in their accom for more nights than in the past.

We have had two enquiries for our remaining weeks today so I think that the season won,t be very different to past years.

Have noticed however that £ has declined from peak to just over E1.16.

[Bruce Wallis]

I dont think lettings have declined that much....what has declined is owners revenue where we let in sterling.....that is converted to a lower level of euros...therefore less revenue....and the cost base stays the same or even slightly higher.....therefore less return to the owner.

The general movement of the pound against the euro is up....but it will go in fits and starts, usually drops a bit towards the end of the week....I am hopeful of 1:20 by the middle of July.

(It needs to be if Hampshire Rich and Gary are going to buy a round!)

[Michael Crane]

......It is nice that you can get a seat in your favourite restaurant, sit round the pool in comfort or sit on the beach without being crowded, but too quiet is not good.....

I disagree . . . from my tourist's point of view.

When I first went to Turkey in 1987 (read all about it here), it was a beautiful, quiet, peaceful place; however over the years it has become infested with chavvy, gold-laden, lager-supping, shirtless, loudmouthed, tattooed Brits. It has become spoiled by - unfortunately - people like me who went home after their first visit and told everyone what a great country it was. We should have kept our mouths shut.

The quieter the better for me.

[Gary/Gaynor]

I think that people up until very recently were taking maybe 2 to 3 trips abroad annually but now reserve that privilige to just one main holiday a year to foreign climes. This could explain why the peak season still holds up well. The portuguese tourist office could do a lot more I feel in advertising the Algarve see very few posters here in Holland on bustops etc compared to other locations promoted around Europe.

Bruce dont worry exchange rates have little effect on me as Im paid in Euros and Pounds so your cold beer/wine is as good as paid for

Gary

[HampshireRich]

.....
(It needs to be if Hampshire Rich and Gary are going to buy a round!)

Gary - methinks Bruce is volunteering to pick up the tab, don't you!

[HampshireRich]

......It is nice that you can get a seat in your favourite restaurant, sit round the pool in comfort or sit on the beach without being crowded, but too quiet is not good.....

I disagree . . . from my tourist's point of view.

When I first went to Turkey in 1987 (read all about it here), it was a beautiful, quiet, peaceful place; however over the years it has become infested with chavvy, gold-laden, lager-supping, shirtless, loudmouthed, tattooed Brits. It has become spoiled by - unfortunately - people like me who went home after their first visit and told everyone what a great country it was. We should have kept our mouths shut.

The quieter the better for me.

..... a bit of over-generalisation of the Brits, MC - we're both Brits after all. However, I didn't mean the type you're talking of - you need a buzz around the place - nothing more depressing than looking into an empty restaurant or bar - is it because it's quiet or is it because it's poor?

[SJ & RE]

Last year we could only manage one trip to CVO and this year the same, but primariy for other reasons as most well know.
In regards to keeping a beautiful place a secret, its a bit like Southwold. Its very lovely there and Walberswick and one says keep it to oneself so not to get to spoilt.
Perhaps that is what is endearing about CVO and its area. Schh, lets keep it to our selves so it does not turn into the Turkey someone mentioned.