Foreign tourism to Portugal beats pre-COVID record in 2023

The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal hit a record of over 18 million in 2023 as it rose 19% from the previous year and 11% when compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, official data showed on Wednesday.

The United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation expects global tourism to only fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024.

Overall, 18.3 million foreigners stayed in Portuguese hotels and other tourist accommodations last year, according to the National Statistics Institute, with Spain and Britain making up the two largest sources of arrivals, closely followed by the United States.

Tourism, a key driver of Portugal’s economy, accounted for almost 15% of gross domestic product before the pandemic and revenues from tourism helped the country achieve stronger-than-expected growth last year.

The INE said the hotel sector registered a total of over 30 million guests, with a 5% increase in the number of Portuguese travellers.