The end of Ryanair flights to the Portuguese archipelago is causing concern for the tourism and hotel industries in the region, with business owners estimating a drop of up to 250,000 passengers per year.

Miguel Quintas, president of ANAV – the National Association of Travel Agencies, quoted by Rádio Renascença, says that the impact could be immediate and affect various sectors, which could even result in an increase in travel prices to the Azores.

Quoted by the same media outlet, the president of ANA states that "fewer tourists means less capacity to fill hotels, even directly affecting restaurants, handicrafts, cultural activities and all associated businesses, in this case employment."

Azorean business owners believe that Ryanair was responsible for transporting more than 100,000 tourists per year to the archipelago. In other words, passengers flying with the company accounted for almost 10% of overnight stays. Therefore, business owners predict an economic impact that could exceed €160 million per year.