Meetings and events with ‘very important contribution to the Algarve’

# tags: MICE , Algarve , Tourism , Meetings Industry

Meetings and events have contributed to the growth of tourism in the region, according to Turismo do Algarve, which has increased its promotion in the United States and Canada.

In order to strengthen the flow of North American tourists, and taking into account the growth in overnight stays and in the number of guests recorded in 2023, Turismo do Algarve has outlined various actions to be developed throughout the year with this market - the seventh largest for the region - which include field visits with tour operators, journalists and influencers from the United States.

In addition to all the tourism that the Algarve has to offer, André Gomes, president of Turismo do Algarve, has no doubt that the meetings and events industry has also contributed to the increase in the number of tourists to the region.

‘Based on the direct contact we have with clients and the information shared by our regional partners, the meetings and events industry has made a very important contribution to the Algarve, both in terms of the number of tourists and in terms of turnover, especially in the mid and low seasons. This is therefore a very positive indicator, which also helps to reduce the seasonality of demand and thus allows hotels and other service providers to operate significantly throughout the year,’ emphasises André Gomes.

As far as the strategy for attracting events and meetings in the North American market is concerned, ‘we've been trying to intensify our strategy for communicating and promoting the destination through various marketing channels, favouring above all actions that allow for a P2P (people to people) approach,’ explains the president of Turismo do Algarve.

André Gomes adds that this year, ‘in addition to taking part in important trade fairs in this segment, such as IMEX and IBTM, where we prioritise meetings with the US and Canadian markets, we have also been present at The Meetings Space North America, the Global Incentive & Meeting Travel Exchange and we will also be taking part in the Global Incentive Summit’.

‘And all these events,’ he continues, ‘translate into strategic opportunities to reinforce the Algarve's position as an attractive destination capable of hosting professional events and to promote greater attraction of this type of initiative to the region.’

Prospects for this year ‘are very encouraging’

In terms of meetings and events, Turismo do Algarve's focus, ‘in addition to the wider national market’, has been mainly on the ‘German, English and French markets’, says André Gomes.

He adds that ‘on the other hand, the markets that have seen the biggest increase in this segment in recent years, and which still have a lot of potential for growth, are the United States of America, for incentives, and Belgium, for meetings. In this context, we have also expanded our presence there.’

With regard to the MICE sector, ‘judging by the feedback we've received from partners, clients and suppliers’, the outlook for the current year ‘is very encouraging’. According to André Gomes, ‘2024 is expected to perform slightly better than last year in terms of overnight stays and revenue; and it is believed that 2025 promises to be an even better year, as there has been a growing trend towards planning and booking events further in advance than in previous years,’ he adds.