Tourist arrivals in accommodation in Portugal 2010-2022
Tourism development in Portugal
The tourism industry makes a significant contribution to Portugal’s economy. As the country came out of recession and tourism began to increase, the Portuguese government launched a ten-year plan to boost the number of overnight stays by 2027. Although figures showed a positive trend in both international and domestic tourism annually, there were still challenges that needed to be surpassed. For instance, arrivals from the United Kingdom, Portugal’s main travel market before Brexit, slowed down due to this political event, giving rise to Spain as the main tourist partner of Portugal.
Portugal’s popularity
From a tourism perspective, Portugal benefits from both urban and resort destinations. Tourism demand is highest in the city destinations of Lisbon and Porto, plus coastal destinations such as the Algarve and the island of Madeira. However, occupancy rates in Lisbon and Porto do not rank among the leading ten for city destinations in Europe as of 2022.