[NOTE: Regarding the monthly publication of Tourism data for the year 2020, the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) will keep the model followed in the previous year, releasing an aggregate comprising the hotel sector, rural tourism and local accommodation, independently of the number of beds. In turn, in its releases, Statistics Portugal (INE) excludes local accommodation establishments under 10 beds. In this press release and in the tables published by DREM the overall total for guests and overnight stays is higher when compared to INE’s. For the bed and room occupancy rates and for revenue and personnel costs, the figures of DREM and INE are the same, since the local accommodation under 10 beds is not included in the compilation of these variables. Exceptionally, this month, the main results of the specific questionnaire on the impact of the pandemic COVID-19 on the tourist accommodation sector of the A.R.Madeira will be disclosed in the referred press release]

In March 2020

Main indicators of the tourist accommodation sector in Autonomous Region of Madeira show negative impact due to COVID-19

Initial estimates of tourism accommodation for March 2020 show a decrease in the number of overnight stays (-49.9%), total revenue (-48.0%) and revenue from accommodation (-48.7%). It must be taken in account that these negative results were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and by the measures for its control implemented by the Central and Regional Governments.

Excluding local accommodation under 10 beds, overnight stays decreased by 51.7% year-on-year. In the country, on the other hand, overnight stays dropped by 58.7%, while total revenue and revenue from accommodation sunk by 60.2% and 59.7%, respectively.

In the month of reference, the number of overnight stays in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (considering all local accommodation) stood at 328.0 thousand. Total revenue and revenue from accommodation amounted to 16.7 and 10.9 million euros, respectively. Regarding the overnight stays, this was the lowest value for March since 1995.

The overnight stays in hotel establishments dropped by 51.9% year-on-year and were responsible for 80.2% of the total, while the overnight stays in local lodging decreased by 37.7% compared to the same month of the previous year and accounted for 18.2% of the total. In turn, rural tourism, which represented 1.6% of the total, registered a 58.2% decrease in overnight stays.

Looking at the data broken down by market, the French, German and British markets had a negative performance, compared to March 2019, decreasing by 59.3%, 50.3% and 48.0%, respectively. The Portuguese market also fell by 35.5%.

Considering the January to March period, overnight stays decreased by 15.9% year-on-year, while total revenue and lodging revenue declined by 16.1% and 16.6%, respectively.

The bed occupancy rate in the reference month reached 27.4%, dropping by 31.2 percentage points over the same month of the previous year, but remained as the highest among Portuguese NUTS II regions. In turn, the room occupancy rate reached 30.3%.

The average income per room (RevPAR) recorded a year-on-year change rate of -50.9%, decreasing to € 21.05. The average daily rated (ADR) increased by 6.5% in March 2020 to € 62.36.

Fewer rounds played in Madeira’s golf courses

The data from the Golf Course Survey show that the number of rounds played in the three golf courses of the Autonomous Region of Madeira in the first three months of 2020 stood at 18,797 (-17.4% compared to the corresponding period of 2019). 81.9% of those rounds were played by non-members, mainly coming from Nordic countries, Germany and UK. 63.9% of the total rounds were sold by hotel establishments and the similar, 23.3% by tour operators, and the remaining 12.9% by the golf courses themselves.

The effects of the pandemic were also reflected in this segment, with the month of March having registered a 57.0% drop in rounds and in total receipts. It is important to take in account, that the golf courses closed to the public on March 17, suspending this activity from that day on.

Number of transit passengers aboard cruise ships in Madeira’s ports decreased

According to the data provided by the Port’s authority, 143,132 transit passengers aboard cruise ships were counted  in the January to March 2020 period, a 31.3% decrease when compared to the previous year. The number of ships visiting Madeira decreased by 26.1% (down by 24 ships from the 1st quarter of 2019, making a total of 68).

It is important to keep in mind that on March 11 of this year, all ships in the R. A. Madeira were not allowed to dock (68.0% of the ships planned to arrive in March were cancelled), resulting in a sharp drop of 71.3% in transit passengers, in this month.

Results of the specific questionnaire on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourist accommodation

As a result of the current situation that is affecting the vast majority of companies, particularly those in the tourism industry, INE included in the Survey on Guest Stays in Accommodation Establishments (IPHH) a new tab "COVID-19" in the March 2020 questionnaire, aiming to assess the impact of the current pandemic on its activity, namely regarding bookings and cancellations in the period from March to August 2020, by main markets.

In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, 91.8% of tourist accommodation establishments (excluding local accommodation under 10 beds) that answered the “COVID-19” questionnaire, pointed out that the pandemic led to the cancellation of bookings scheduled for March to August 2020 (these establishments correspond to 98.8% of the capacity offered).

The proportion of establishments with cancellations is higher in April (97.5% of the total), and given the expectations of the reopening of borders, particularly in the summer months, the cancellations in the following months are not as significant.

Analysing the markets that were identified as one of the three markets with the highest number of booking cancellations, the results show that the German market was the most mentioned (by 72.9% of the establishments), followed by the French ( 59.3% of establishments) and British markets (49.6% of establishments). The national market was one of the three most mentioned markets by 30.4% of the establishments.

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