Tourism direct GVA (2024) | Tourism direct employment (2023) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
8.1% of total GVA (equal to share in 2023) | 12.1% of total employment (up 1.8 percentage points since 2022) | 47.9% of total service exports (up 0.2 percentage points since 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: 2027 Tourism Strategy (currently under review)
National tourism administration: Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion
National tourism budget: EUR 481 million (2025)
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Transitioning toward a more sustainable and territorially balanced model of tourism development – Moving beyond traditional sustainability discourse to adopt a systemic approach that integrates environmental responsibility, social equity, and economic resilience.
Promoting a more regenerative and circular model of tourism – Developing the Climate Agenda for Tourism 2025-2030 to integrate sustainability into destination planning, regional investment, and business support.
Developing, retaining and diversifying talent across the tourism sector – Addressing immediate labour shortages, including through migration, and reversing structural weaknesses in workforce qualification, professional attractiveness, and long-term sector commitment.
Tourism continues to play a vital role in Portugal’s economic structure, as a leading export sector and a key source of employment. In 2024, the sector generated EUR 27.7 billion in travel exports, representing almost half of all service exports (47.9%). Tourism accounted for 8.1% of total GVA in 2024 and directly accounted for 542 200 jobs in 2023, representing 12.1% of total employment.
In 2024, Portugal recorded a total of 88.3 million nights in all means of accommodation, a 3.8% increase compared to 2023. This was driven by international visitors, accounting for 59.8 million nights (68%) across 20.5 million tourists. The top markets in 2024 were Spain (13%), the United Kingdom (12%) and Germany (10%). It is estimated that inbound tourist arrivals increased by 1.4% in 2025. Domestic visitors spent 28.5 million nights in all means of accommodation, a 1.7% increase from 2023.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services sits within the Ministry of Economy and of Territorial Cohesion. Turismo de Portugal is the national tourism authority and responds to the Secretary of State for Tourism. It is responsible for national tourism policy, promotion, training, investment, valuation and sustainability of tourism activities.
At the regional level, Portugal has five Regional Tourism Bodies acting as DMOs with financial and administrative autonomy. These regional bodies are responsible for domestic promotion and product development. There are also two Regional Directorates for Tourism covering the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores, with political and administrative autonomy.
Turismo de Portugal develops and implements international promotion initiatives in co-ordination with seven Regional Tourism Promotion Agencies. The regional promotion agencies are non-profit, private law associations with Regional Tourism Body and private sector membership. They have a formal contractual relationship with Turismo de Portugal for developing promotional activities in international markets.
The total budget of Turismo de Portugal in 2025 was EUR 481 million (operating costs and overheads included), of which half came from dedicated taxes (gambling tax) and the remaining coming from EU Structural Funds and other public funding sources.
Source: OECD, adapted from Turismo de Portugal, 2026.
Tourism in Portugal is guided by the Tourism Strategy 2027, approved in 2017 to be in effect for the following decade. However, despite the effects of the pandemic, the economic targets defined in the Strategy were achieved by the end of 2024.
In 2025, a strategic reflection process was initiated to define a new tourism policy instrument for the next decade (2035). The process involved an in-depth diagnosis of the state of tourism development in Portugal, with sessions held in all regions of the country to hear from local stakeholders. Thematic sessions were also held, bringing together experts in fields such as the environment, communities, culture, technology, employment, market, mobility, and territory.
This exercise enabled us to reach a consensus on the purpose of the future strategy: to enhance competitiveness and value creation while promoting a more balanced development model, with a stronger impact on economic activity and residents’ quality of life.
The new Tourism Strategy 2035 will provide a stable, long-term reference framework to guide tourism development in Portugal over the next decade. It will aim to position Portugal among the world’s most competitive and sustainable tourism destinations. The strategy will be structured around three overarching objectives: value creation, balanced development and competitiveness, and will be operationalised through 12 strategic initiatives (see box below).
While the Tourism Strategy 2035 is still in the final stages of preparation, a number of strategic initiatives aligned with its core objectives are already being developed. These initiatives are laying the foundations for the future strategy and will play a key role in its implementation.
One example is the Climate Agenda for Tourism 2025-2030, designed as an action plan focused on decarbonising and building the sector's resilience. This Agenda will aim to consolidate the ambition of carbon-neutral, resilient, and regenerative tourism capable of generating economic, social and environmental value, and reinforce Portugal's competitiveness as a tourist destination of excellence and trust, in a constantly changing global scenario. A Community Development Agenda will also contribute to promoting sustainability in the sector, especially in its social pillar, with the purpose of creating added value for residents and enhancing their perception of tourism. These plans aim to operationalise sustainability and climate action at all levels of the tourism value chain, reinforcing Portugal’s commitment to a more inclusive, climate-resilient, and territorially balanced tourism model.
In parallel with the forthcoming Climate Agenda for Tourism, a new national programme will support shared value for both tourists and local populations through a more integrated model of destination development. This ensures territorial cohesion, strengthens community identity, and enhances the relationship between visitors and residents. The initiative will support the development of inclusive and distinctive tourism experiences that reflect the authenticity of each place, prioritising cultural heritage, gastronomy, nature, and water-related assets, while guaranteeing accessibility, safety, and autonomy for all, including vulnerable groups.
The “Integrar para o Turismo” pilot programme was launched in 2024 (EUR 2.5 million investment) to complement the Agenda for Tourism Professions. This programme aims to support the structured integration of migrant workers into the tourism labour market by combining technical training, Portuguese language support, and employer intermediation to facilitate legal, professional, and social integration.
Portugal is actively working to strengthen support for tourism SMEs through a combination of public and private initiatives. Business capacity-building and incubation programmes offer technical training, mentoring, and access to strategic tools to help small enterprises professionalise and scale operations. Through co-operation with public agencies, regional development agencies, and business associations, further initiatives are being launched to encourage the aggregation of micro-enterprises into collaborative networks and clusters, especially in territories where fragmentation has hindered growth and diversification. In parallel, public procurement policies and innovation platforms are being reviewed to increase the participation of tourism SMEs in collective innovation processes, while aligning with environmental, social, and digital transformation goals.
The new tourism policy vision for Portugal is guided by a set of core principles that reflect the need to reconcile competitiveness, sustainability and territorial cohesion. These principles provide the foundation for a more resilient, innovative and inclusive tourism model, capable of generating long-term value for the economy, communities and destinations.
Value-driven tourism development: Tourism policy should prioritise the creation of higher economic value, increasing productivity and strengthening tourism’s contribution to national prosperity.
Tourism aligned with territorial cohesion: Tourism should contribute to territorial cohesion, enhancing the attractiveness of all regions, reducing regional asymmetries and promoting more balanced spatial development.
Community-centred tourism: Tourism development should enhance the quality of life of residents, promote inclusive governance and ensure that local communities actively benefit from tourism activity.
Environmental sustainability and climate resilience: Tourism policy should promote responsible resource management, climate adaptation and the protection of natural and cultural assets, ensuring the long-term sustainability of destinations.
Talent and skills as a foundation of sector competitiveness: Strengthening human capital should be a priority, through investment in skills, improved working conditions and greater attractiveness of tourism careers.
Competitive and innovative tourism businesses: Public policy should support the modernisation, digitalisation and productivity of tourism enterprises, particularly SMEs, fostering innovation and long-term competitiveness.
Authentic and diverse tourism experiences: Tourism development should valorise local identity, culture and heritage, creating distinctive and accessible experiences across the territory.
Knowledge, technology and collaboration as enablers of transformation: The transformation of tourism should be supported by data-driven decision making, technological adoption and strong collaboration between public institutions, businesses, academia and communities.