The tourist accommodation sector in Portugal registered 26.5 million guests and 69.5 million overnight stays in 2022, reflecting annual increases of 83.3% and 86.3%, respectively. This is based on preliminary data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Compared to 2019, the number of guests in Portugal last year decreased by 2.3% and the number of overnight stays declined by 0.9% (+8.6% in residents and -5.0% in non-residents).
Overnight stays by residents increased in all regions compared to 2019. Non-resident numbers remained below pre-pandemic figures, but only by a fraction. International visitor numbers are expected to surpass 2019 levels this year as normal travel habits resume.
Portugal tourism ends 2022 on a high
The last month of the year saw significant growth within Portugal’s tourism sector. In December, 1.6 million guests and 3.7 million overnight stays were recorded, up 44.2% and 44.6% respectively.
With this, year-on-year growth was significantly higher than in November, when guests grew by 19.8% and overnight stays by 19.1%.
Guests and overnight stays were also up on December 2019.
Where are Portugal’s tourists coming from?
Out of all of Portugal’s external markets, North America grew the most in 2022. There were 327.4% more American tourists in Portugal last year compared to 2021 (and +26.9% compared to 2019).
American tourists and home buyers have been flooding into western Europe thanks to the strong dollar and a languishing euro. Able to get more for their money in Portugal than ever before, many U.S. travellers are venturing across the pond for cheap vacations and, even, affordable properties.
With its sunny climate, two-hour flight time, and lower cost of living, Portugal remains a top destination for Brits. The UK remains the largest external market, representing 19.3% of overnight stays among non-residents.
As one might expect, Portugal also proved popular with other European markets including Germany (11.5%), Spain (10.8%) and France (9.3%).
Overall, the country has had an excellent year, having proved itself to be one of today’s top holiday destination for European and U.S. travellers. With international visitor numbers on track to surpass 2019 levels this year, the future looks bright for travel and tourism in Portugal.
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