The outlook comes from the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA), which is also positive about the region’s performance during August.

Speaking to Lusa, AHETA president Hélder Martins said September and October have become important months for tourism in the Algarve, helped by the warm weather that usually continues after the main summer holiday period.

The association expects occupancy to reach at least 80% this month before falling slightly in October.

Final figures for August are not yet available and should be released within the next week. However, the early indications are positive, with AHETA expecting results to be similar to those recorded in July.

Martins acknowledged that hotels and tourist resorts saw a decline in demand from Portuguese guests. However, he believes some families may have chosen local accommodation instead, as it offers more flexibility and the option to prepare meals.

Figures previously released by the National Statistics Institute showed increases in tourism revenue, guest numbers and domestic tourism during July.

Martins said the Algarve had continued to perform well despite several factors that could have affected demand, including international conflicts, high temperatures in central Europe and suggestions that more Portuguese holidaymakers were choosing the Alentejo coast.

The first week of September is expected to be particularly important because many families are still able to travel before the beginning of the new school year.

After schools reopen, the profile of visitors usually changes. September and October tend to attract people with more flexibility, more time to travel and greater spending power.

For the tourism sector, these two months help extend the summer season before the quieter winter period begins.

Martins said November, December and January remain the most difficult months for tourism in the Algarve, making strong results during early autumn particularly valuable to the region.