Castro Almeida, Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, outlined this ambition at the VIII Portuguese Tourism Summit in Lisbon on 28 September, adding that the Government wants to move beyond rankings and focus on how tourism can generate greater economic benefits.

Portugal currently ranks 11th in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index.

The Minister said the priority was to create more value, support stronger businesses, improve employment and ensure tourism brings opportunities to different parts of the country.

Volume to value

In 2025, the tourism sector directly accounted for 8.1 percent of national gross value added to Portugal’s economy.

When direct and indirect effects are taken into consideration, its contribution reached €36.2 billion, equivalent to 11.8 percent of GDP.

The recent figures also point to a gap between the growth in visitor activity and tourism revenue.

In 2026, overnight stays increased by 2.1 percent compared with the same month a year earlier, while accommodation revenue rose by 4.9 percent.

For Castro Almeida, this reflects a strategy centred on increasing tourism value faster than visitor numbers, arguing that achieving this will depend on continued business investment and innovation, a more highly skilled workforce, and local authorities that can better use the characteristics of their own regions.

Preserving identity

The country’s gastronomy, wine, cultural heritage, nature and regional diversity all contribute to its appeal, with Castro Almeida stressing that modernisation should not come at the expense of these characteristics.

“Modernising does not mean making everything uniform”, he stated, arguing that technology, investment and higher quality services can be introduced while maintaining the features that distinguish Portugal as a destination.

The Government also wants tourism to generate stronger links with other areas of the Portuguese economy.

Visitors spending money on Portuguese wine, agricultural products, locally made goods and national brands can extend the economic benefits of each trip beyond hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses.

“Tourism becomes a platform for the whole economy”, Castro Almeida explained.

According to the Minister, technology and artificial intelligence could also help businesses improve productivity, but he stressed that it cannot replace the human side of tourism, including hospitality, local knowledge and the ability to welcome visitors.

Set The Portugal News as your preferred source for news on Google

GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google