[NOTE: In this edition, data for the 2^nd quarter of 2026 are made available, relating to the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM). It should be noted that DREM continues to release an aggregate comprising hotels, rural tourism and all local accommodation, regardless of the number of beds. Statistics Portugal (INE), in turn, excludes local accommodation with fewer than 10 beds from its release, so in this news release, in the “In Focus” and in the tables published by DREM, a higher overall total than that of Statistics Portugal is mentioned with regard to guests and overnight stays. For the variables occupancy rates, rooms and revenue, the values coincide with those of Statistics Portugal, since their calculation excludes local accommodation with fewer than 10 beds.]

In the 2^nd quarter of 2026

Overnight stays by national residents in tourist accommodation in the Autonomous Region of Madeira increased 12.3% year-on-year

Summary

In the 2^nd quarter of 2026, all forms of accommodation (tourist accommodation, holiday camps and youth hostels) in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) recorded the entry of 721.2 thousand guests and around 3.5 million overnight stays, corresponding to increases of 4.9% and 1.8%, respectively, compared with the same quarter of the previous year.

The average length of stay across all tourist accommodation stood at 4.37 nights in the 2^nd quarter of 2026, representing a decrease of 3.2% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025 (4.51 nights). This change was mainly due to the reduction recorded in the foreign market, whose average length of stay stood at 4.59 nights (-3.5% compared with the same quarter of the previous year).

Holiday camps and youth hostels, in turn, recorded 2 660 guest arrivals (0.4% of the total; -32.8% compared with the same quarter of the previous year), generating 8 716 overnight stays (0.3%; -22.6%) and an average length of stay of 3.11 nights (+12.0% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025).

Tourist accommodation

Tourist accommodation recorded the entry of 718.6 thousand guests in the 2^nd quarter of 2026, who generated around 3.5 million overnight stays, representing year-on-year increases of 5.1% and 1.9%, respectively. It should be noted that, excluding local accommodation with fewer than 10 beds, overnight stays in tourist accommodation decreased by 1.8% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025, a change contrary to that recorded at the national level (+1.2%).

In this quarter, the hotel segment accounted for 64.5% of total overnight stays (around 2.2 million), recording a year-on-year decrease of 1.8%. Local accommodation accounted for 33.3% of the total, having increased 10.5%, while rural tourism, with a 2.2% share, fell 5.8%. Analysing by category of establishment, the largest increases were observed in tourist apartments (+9.2%) and 5-star hotels (+8.3%).

In the quarter under review, the average length of stay across all tourist accommodation decreased compared with the same quarter of the previous year (4.52 nights), standing at 4.37 nights. The highest values continue to be observed in hotels (4.41 nights) and local accommodation (4.39 nights), while rural tourism shows the lowest length of stay (3.39 nights). Within the hotel segment, 5-star aparthotels stand out with the highest average length of stay, at 5.92 nights in the reference period (-1.3% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025), followed by tourist villages, with 5.54 nights (+0.3% compared with the same period of the previous year).

In the 2^nd quarter of 2026, the ARM recorded, across all external markets (residents abroad), the entry of 558.1 thousand guests, who generated more than 2.8 million overnight stays. These results correspond to an increase of 3.2% in guest arrivals and a slight decrease of 0.2% in overnight stays, compared with the same period of 2025.

In this quarter, among the nine NUTS 2 regions, dependence on external markets, measured by the proportion of overnight stays by non-residents, was highest in Grande Lisboa (82.5% of the total), followed by the ARM (82.1%) and Algarve (81.6%). By contrast, Centro and Alentejo showed the lowest dependence on external markets (32.6% and 34.6%, respectively).

In this period, among the five main source foreign markets, in terms of overnight stays, the German (18.8% of the total; +1.4% compared with the same period of 2025), British (14.1%; -8.8%), French (9.7%; +2.3%), Polish (5.8%; -2.5%) and Dutch (5.7%; +9.5%) markets stood out. The market of residents in Portugal (18.0% of the total), in turn, showed a year-on-year growth of 12.3%. Together, these six main markets accounted for the large majority of overnight stays (72.1%) recorded in the ARM during the period under analysis.

At the municipal level, Ponta do Sol stood out as the municipality with the highest dependence on external markets (residents abroad), which accounted for 90.1% of total overnight stays recorded in this municipality in the 2^nd quarter of 2026. It was followed by the municipalities of Santa Cruz (89.3%), Câmara de Lobos and Machico (both with 89.1%). Conversely, in Porto Santo, the national market held a predominant position, accounting for 70.5% of total overnight stays, while external markets accounted for only 29.5% of total overnight stays recorded in this municipality in the period under analysis.

The municipality of Funchal stood out for accounting for 56.5% of total overnight stays recorded in the Region, corresponding to around 2.0 million overnight stays in the 2^nd quarter of 2026. This result represents a year-on-year growth of 0.2%. In this municipality, overnight stays by residents in Portugal increased by 8.8% compared with the same period of 2025, while those by residents abroad recorded a decrease of 1.4%.

Santa Cruz was the second municipality of the ARM with the highest volume of overnight stays, accounting for 11.3% of the regional total and around 393.3 thousand overnight stays in the 2^nd quarter of 2026. Compared with the same period of the previous year, it recorded an increase of 0.4%, sustained by growth of 0.2% in overnight stays by residents abroad and of 2.6% in overnight stays by residents in Portugal.

Among the eleven municipalities of the Region, Ribeira Brava stood out for the 19.5% growth in overnight stays recorded in the 2^nd quarter of 2026, compared with the same period of the previous year. This result was driven by an increase of 80.6% in overnight stays by residents in Portugal and of 10.4% in overnight stays by residents abroad.

In the quarter under analysis, the net bed occupancy rate for tourist accommodation in the Region was 67.5%, corresponding to a decrease of 5.3 percentage points (pp) compared with the same period of 2025 (72.8%). The room occupancy rate, in turn, stood at 78.9%, lower than the 83.1% recorded in the 2^nd quarter of 2025.

From April to June 2026, total revenue and revenue from accommodation recorded year-on-year changes of +6.6% and +6.5%, totalling 255.2 million euros and 184.1 million euros, respectively.

The evolution of overnight stays shows a slowdown trajectory following a period of strong recovery in tourism activity. In the 1^st quarter of 2023, exceptionally high year-on-year growth was recorded (+48.3%), reflecting the effect of the sector's recovery. From the 2^nd quarter of 2023 onwards, a gradual normalisation of the growth rate was observed, with more moderate but relatively stable changes, ranging between 5.7% and 10.0% until the end of 2024. In 2025, growth rates remained close to the upper limit of this range in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters (+9.8% and +9.9%, respectively). However, from the 4^th quarter of 2025 onwards, a slowdown in activity was observed, culminating in year-on-year growth of 1.9% in the 2^nd quarter of 2026.

In the 2^nd quarter of 2026, RevPAR (revenue per available room) for all tourist accommodation (excluding local accommodation with fewer than 10 beds) stood at 108.47 euros, representing an increase of 3.2% compared with the same period of the previous year. This was the second highest value among the nine NUTS 2 regions, surpassed only by Grande Lisboa (124.1 euros). In the hotel sector, RevPAR reached 117.03 euros (+4.0% year-on-year change). As for ADR (average daily rate), values were higher, totalling 137.51 euros for all tourist accommodation (+8.7% compared with the same period of the previous year) and 143.73 euros for hotels (+9.7%).

The highest RevPAR and ADR values were recorded in the 5-star hotel category, at 162.78 euros (+1.5% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025) and 208.30 euros (+8.6%), respectively. In second position, Lodging houses and Quintas da Madeira stood out, with a RevPAR of 151.31 euros (-5.2% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025) and an ADR of 185.98 euros (-1.9%).

Rounds played at the Region's golf courses increased in the 2^nd quarter of 2026

The Golf Courses Survey indicates that 19.5 thousand rounds were played at the three golf courses in the ARM, in the period from April to June 2026, representing a slight year-on-year increase of 0.8%. This activity generated around 1.1 million euros in revenue (+5.8% compared with the 2^nd quarter of 2025).

Of the total rounds played, 71.3% were by non-members (73.7% in the 2^nd quarter of 2025). As for the players' country of usual residence, 35.3% of rounds were played by residents of the Nordic Countries, 32.2% by residents in Portugal, 8.9% by residents in the United Kingdom and 8.4% by residents in Germany.

Cruise ship transit passengers visiting the ARM grew in the 2^nd quarter of 2026

According to data provided by the RAM Port Authority (Administração dos Portos da RAM), 119.1 thousand transit passengers were recorded in the 2^nd quarter of 2026, aboard the 70 cruise ships that docked at ARM ports. Compared with the same period of the previous year, there were 4 more calls, with the number of transit passengers increasing by 5.4%.

For further information, please access:

• In Focus (Portuguese only)
• Tables

Back

• Next