Foreign tourism to Portugal hits record first-quarter high

Global tourism is only set to fully recover from the pandemic this year as international tourist arrivals will likely be 2% more numerous than in 2019, the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation said in January. The INE said that these results were influenced by the effect of the Easter holiday period, which this year was spread over March and April, whereas last year it was concentrated only in April.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal surpassed three million in January-March, making it the best first quarter on record, boosted by the Easter holidays, flash data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed on Monday. Measuring only foreigners staying in Portuguese hotels, the number of foreign visitors jumped 10.6% in the first quarter from the same period of 2023, which was a record year for tourism in Portugal.

Tourism is a key driver of Portugal's economy, with all travel-linked revenues accounting for more than 15% of gross domestic product in the country, famous for its sandy beaches, golf courses and historic sites. The sector has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic much faster than most other countries. Global tourism is only set to fully recover from the pandemic this year as international tourist arrivals will likely be 2% more numerous than in 2019, the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation said in January.

The INE said that these results were influenced by the effect of the Easter holiday period, which this year was spread over March and April, whereas last year it was concentrated only in April. In March alone, more than 1.4 million guests entered Portugal, which was also a record, with the neighbouring Spaniards accounting for the largest share of arrivals, followed by visitors from Britain and the United States.

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