Portugal’s tourist arrivals climb to almost €30 million in 2025

The number of tourists arriving in Portugal rose to 29.9 million in 2025, but represented much lower percentage growth than that registered in 2024.

The growth in tourist numbers last year was 3.3% (compared to figures for 2024). 2024’s growth however represented a 9.3% increase on figures for the year before.

INE statistics institute has presented the data today, showing that the Spanish market remained the leading source market – despite a 0.6% decline – accounting for 23.8% of total volume.

The UK market (11.9% of the total) remained the second-largest source market, and was the only one among the top three source markets for international tourists to record growth (+1.9%).

This was followed by the French market (10.9% of the total), which saw a 2.9% drop.

In 2025, average expenditure per tourist per trip also fell compared with 2024 (by 4.2%), standing at €265.

Tourist accommodation establishments as a whole recorded 34.8 million guests, resulting in 89.7 million overnight stays in 2025, corresponding to increases of 2.2% and 1.6%, respectively.

The domestic market generated 29.5 million overnight stays in 2025, accounting for 32.9% of total overnight stays and representing a 3.5% increase compared with the previous year. International markets accounted for 60.2 million overnight stays, reflecting annual growth of 0.6%.

In 2025, 70 municipalities recorded more overnight stays by non-residents than by residents.

Overnight stays by non-residents accounted for 67.1% of all overnight stays across all types of accommodation in 2025; this was one of the years, since 2013, with the greatest dependence on international markets, surpassed only by 2017 and 2024, when these markets accounted for 67.8% and 67.7% of the total, respectively. Compared with 2024, dependence on external markets, measured by overnight stays, fell by 0.6 percentage points (p.p.).

The seasonality rate fell to 36.4%, reaching its lowest level since 2013. This indicator was higher among residents (40.4%) than among non-residents (34.4%), although it decreased in both groups.

Tourist trips by residents reached 26 million, up 13.7%, driven by domestic travel, which rose 14% year over year to 22.2 million, and overseas travel, which grew 12.5% from 2024 to 3.9 million.

The Alentejo continued to record the highest seasonality rate (43.6%, as in 2024), followed by the Setúbal Peninsula (41.4%, down from 42.2%).

Conversely, the Autonomous Region of Madeira and Greater Lisbon recorded the lowest figures for this indicator (29.7% and 30.3%, down from 29.5% and 30.0%, respectively).

Looking at overnight stays by residents, the Algarve was the only region with a seasonality rate above 50% (55.9%). Conversely, Greater Lisbon and the Autonomous Region of the Azores recorded the lowest figures for this indicator (28.0% and 30.3%, respectively).

With regard to overnight stays by non-residents, the Autonomous Region of the Azores (46.9%) and the Centre (42.0%) recorded the highest seasonality rates. Conversely, the Autonomous Region of Madeira (28.8%) and Greater Lisbon (30.8%) recorded the lowest figures for this indicator.

Source: LUSA