Foreign tourists visited Portugal in record numbers in 2023, with 26.5 million visitors, up 19.2 percent from the previous year, the country’s National Statistics Institute reported on Monday.
Portugal was ridiculed as part of the “Club Med” countries 15 years ago during the European debt crisis, but the country’s economy is now outperforming those of northern countries thanks to a revival in tourism.
Last year, tourism figures in Portugal increased by 7.7 percent compared to 2019, the reference year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the institute, 5.7 million visitors came from Spain, followed by Great Britain and France, with almost three million tourists each.
Tourism accounts for approximately 12 percent of Portugal’s gross domestic product.
In 2023, Portugal recorded economic growth of 2.3 percent, one of the highest in the European Union, mainly thanks to exports.
According to the latest government forecasts published in mid-April, growth of 1.5 percent is expected this year, rising to 1.9 percent in 2025.
The Bank of Portugal predicts growth of 2 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2025.
tsc/nmc/imm