Portugal’s tourism sector has bounced back significantly from the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is evidenced by revenue from the sector reaching a sky-high €22 billion in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic figures.
This information was revealed by the Portuguese Minister of Economy, Antonio Costa Silva, in a statement made at the closing session of the inauguration of the new School of Hospitality and Tourism (EHTP) in Portimao.
“Portugal ended the year 2022 with 22 billion euros, which is absolutely extraordinary because, in one year, we not only managed to recover what we did in 2019 but also surpassed the results by another 20 percent”, the Minister said.
Silva noted how tourism in Portugal — which, he said, is one of the engines of development of the country’s economy — was highly affected by the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants for about two years, leading to an immense economic decline in the sector.
According to the minister, there were many negative assumptions and predictions about the recovery prospects of Portugal’s tourism sector, especially as compared to pre-pandemic levels. While the assumption was that it would take about three, four, or five years to recover, he said, the country managed to recover within the past year alone.
The minister advised that in order for Portugal to achieve one of the goals of being among the most sustainable destinations in the world, the country needs to work together with international partners and develop collaborative networks.
Silva went on to say that while Portugal’s tourism industry is undoubtedly among the fundamental pillars of the country’s economic development, prejudice in the country in relation to tourism still exists.
Emphasizing that his ministry has a clear vision for the tourism sector, the minister stressed that tourism is a tool to develop the country, including the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores.
A recent survey conducted by Air Journal, provided by the travel search engine Liligo, revealed that after Morocco, Portugal was the main tourist destination for French citizens last year.
Despite the fact that the Portuguese tourism sector was highly affected by the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants, the recent figures provided by Portugal’s Minister of Economy show that the country has managed to welcome a large number of international visitors, even surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
Last year, Portuguese authorities announced that they received a large number of tourists from the United States as much from European countries.
The data provided previously by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) revealed that Portugal registered a record number of visitors from America in September with over 204,000 travelers from the US.
The same source revealed that the highest number of visitors were from North America.
