Tourism in Portugal: a financial Eldorado
Not a week goes by without you or us receiving information or a travel offer for Portugal. The country has become a tourist destination to be reckoned with.
Social networking gives Portugal visibility
It's on Instagram that Portugal finds its recognition, among the 10 most popular UNESCO World Heritage sites on Instagram, Porto's historic center ranked second respectively.
By way of comparison, you'd have to go to tenth place to see the historic center of Lyon, and eleventh place to see Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris - incredible, isn't it? From 14th place we find the south of Portugal up to around 20th place.
Projects and initiatives are taking shape
Various initiatives have been developed, including accessible roadmaps made available on the Visit PortugalA specific funding line has been launched to support accessibility projects in the tourism sector, as part of the Valorizar support program.
To date, 116 projects representing a total investment of €20 million have benefited from €14 million in state aid. Among the most significant investments are the following:
- Convento de Cristo (Tomar)
- Castelo de Sao Jorge (Lisbon)
- Palacio Nacional de Mafra (Mafra)
- Caves Calem (Vila Nova de Gaia).
The Minister of Tourism is ecstatic
In an interview, Portugal's Secretary of State for Tourism said: " We are delighted to be recognized with this award, which is a huge incentive for Portugal to become the most inclusive destination in the world. Accessible tourism is a matter of citizenship and is also an important segment of global tourism. Although we still have a long way to go, we hope to continue to be a world leader in this category. "
Tourism accounts for 10 % of GDP
In 2017, sales of tourism sectorwhich represents around 10 % of GDP, amounted to over 15 billion euros, an increase of 23.6 % on 2016.
Ana Mendes Godinho recalled at another event that "these figures are a reward for all those who work in the tourism sector". In 2018, Portugal welcomed 21 million visitors.
