Inbound tourism volume in Portugal 2019-2023, by destination region

After a steep decline in the number of international visitors arriving to Portugal during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), 2022 recorded similar values to the pre-pandemic times. Lisbon was the most visited Portuguese region by international travelers in the same year, having received a total of 5.4 million overnight visitors. In 2023, the number of international tourists in the country was even higher. Lisbon received almost 6.5 million foreign guests. The Algarve – the Southern-most region in the European country – ranked second, with 3.7 million tourists from other nations.

Spanish visitors dominated, but the Algarve was mainly for the British

International tourists in Portugal mostly originated from European countries. Spain recorded the highest number of travelers visiting Portugal in 2023, reaching the benchmark of almost 2.4 million. The United Kingdom accounted for over 2.3 million visitors to Portugal, more than half selecting the Algarve as destination. This southern region of the country received, in 2023, well over one million British tourists, who were only surpassed in number by Portuguese visitors.

Travel and tourism had an undeniable economic impact

The great influx of tourists in Portugal had a considerable economic impact in the country. As of 2023, the travel and tourism sector contributed with 42 billion U. S. dollars to the gross domestic product of Portugal, which surpasses 2019 values. In terms of sales revenue, the sector presents a rising tendency. The year 2019 registered 28 billion euros in sales revenue, which were topped in 2022. During this year, almost 34 billion euros were generated in sales of tourism services.