Portugal has achieved a record-breaking number of tourists and overnight stays, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, as the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE) revealed.
Portugal recorded 30 million guests and 77.2 million overnight stays last year, marking an increase of 10.7 per cent and ten per cent, respectively, compared to 2019.
International guests made the majority of overnight stays, reaching 53.8 million, whereas the domestic market accounted for 23.4 million nights spent.
Nearly eight million nights spent were recorded in Central Portugal, the highest figure ever recorded in this region.
The highest number of overnight stays in 2023 was attributed to guests from the United Kingdom (18.4 per cent), followed by Germany (11.3 per cent), Spain (10.1 per cent), France, and North America (8.6 per cent each).
Meanwhile, the highest increases were recorded by the Canadian and North American markets, with 56.9 per cent and 32.9 per cent respectively.
Aside from the overall performance in 2023, Portuguese tourism also recorded higher figures during last December. Throughout this month, 1.8 million guests spent over four million overnight stays in Portugal. Of those, non-residents accounted for 2.5 million nights spent, while residents contributed 1.6 million overnights.
During that period, the Alentejo and Central Portugal regions experienced the highest increases, with +19.3 per cent and +17.6 per cent, respectively. However, certain Portuguese regions saw a decrease.
The Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira were the only regions to show a decrease in the number of overnight stays in December (-5.7 per cent and -1.0 per cent, respectively).
Beyond the record numbers of guests and overnight stays, 2023 also marked a record year for Portuguese tourism in terms of income. Last year, tourism in Portugal generated €25 billion in revenues, a 37 per cent increase compared to 2019.
Following this increase, Portuguese authorities announced 2023 as the most successful year in tourism so far. Meanwhile, they anticipate further growth in tourism in 2024 and have already introduced a new policy to boost tourism revenues.
Starting from the second half of this year, Portuguese authorities plan to charge a €2 tax to tourists visiting Madeira, one of Portugal’s most popular islands. This fee will be applied to both foreign and domestic visitors, and authorities anticipate it will generate a revenue of €10 million.
Hotel establishments will receive a 2.5 per cent commission from this tax, while the rest amount will be transferred to the municipal councils.
