According to data obtained by Público from the National Local Accommodation Registry (RNAL), managed by Turismo de Portugal, there were 124,700 local accommodation units registered as of August 20, of which 117,288 were controlled by owners of Portuguese origin. "In other words, more than 94% of the sector is controlled by nationals," the publication states, highlighting that the remaining registrations include owners from 101 different countries.

Among foreigners, the British lead in the number of registrations, with 1,762, followed by the French (1,298) and Germans (710). North Americans account for 455 units, confirming their position as the fifth largest group of foreign owners. This increase coincides with the growing presence of North Americans in Portugal, which in 2024 already totalled 20,959 residents, almost 50% more than the previous year.

The geographic distribution of local accommodation also reveals differences between Portuguese and foreign residents. Faro and Lisbon remain the preferred districts, but while the Portuguese have registrations spread throughout the country, foreigners are mainly concentrated in the Algarve. In the case of British and German residents, more than 70% of the units are in that region, and French and North Americans account for over 50%.

Another relevant fact concerns property ownership. In the case of foreigners, most of the owners also own the properties they operate, unlike the Portuguese, whose ownership often does not coincide with the property itself. Only about 59% of the units registered by Portuguese residents are actually owned by the person listed as the owner.

This phenomenon reflects a growing trend toward internationalisation in the sector, aligned with the increase in foreign tourism. As Público reports, North American tourists, for example, now constitute the third largest source market for Portugal, with over 1.3 million visitors in July and approximately three million overnight stays.