Portugal's tourism market has already returned to 2019 levels, with China being Portugal's largest source market in Asia, showing particularly remarkable recovery. The Portugal National Tourism Authority aims to welcome 500,000 Chinese tourists by 2026, achieve 1 million overnight stays, and generate a total tourism revenue of 350 million euros.

In 2023, Portugal hosted 30 million foreign tourists, a 13.3% increase year-on-year. The total number of overnight stays reached 7 million, and total tourism revenue amounted to 25 billion euros, accounting for about 10% of the country's GDP. Among this, direct tourism income reached 6 billion euros, a 40.2% increase compared to 2019. Notably, the number of Chinese tourists exceeded 180,000, and the number of overnight stays by Chinese visitors in Portugal reached 340,000, more than doubling compared to the previous year, showing significant growth. Although the number of Chinese tourists in Portugal has not yet fully recovered to 2019 levels, the recovery pace is very fast. It is expected that the number of Chinese tourists in 2024 will continue to rise steadily and may reach the 2019 levels, with tourism revenue expected to reach 244 million euros.

Carlos Abade, Director of the Portugal National Tourism Authority, stated that this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Portugal and the People's Republic of China. The Portugal National Tourism Authority has strengthened its efforts to maintain close cooperation with various cultural and tourism departments in China. Additionally, it has partnered with over 20 Portuguese resource suppliers to hold 2024 China roadshows in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Macau. The authority has also participated in conferences and exhibitions in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, where it shared the latest destination products and signed a cooperation agreement with Tongcheng Travel. He emphasized confidence in the recovery of outbound tourism to Portugal and outlined the Portugal National Tourism Authority's ambitious plans for the Chinese market, aiming to attract 500,000 Chinese tourists by 2026, achieve 1 million overnight stays, and generate 350 million euros in total tourism revenue. Therefore, increasing exposure in more regions of China will be the core task for the Portugal National Tourism Authority in 2024.

**Portugal Upgrades Marketing Strategy to Attract Young Chinese Travelers**

Currently, independent travel and small-scale family trips are on the rise in the Chinese market. The main force of travelers has shifted to Millennials and Generation Z, who increasingly focus on shopping, food, entertainment, travel experiences, safety, and sustainable travel. In response, the Portugal National Tourism Authority has optimized and upgraded its marketing strategy. It has launched official accounts on multiple social media platforms and created a WeChat mini-program to provide information on Portuguese tourism, aiming to reach young travelers through various channels. Moving forward, the authority will kick off a series of promotional activities to warmly invite Chinese tourists to explore Portugal, with a focus on uncovering non-traditional popular attractions. It will also encourage Chinese tourists to enjoy Portugal’s convenient intercity transportation and visit lesser-known destinations such as Coimbra, Aveiro, and Algarve, beyond Lisbon and Porto.

In addition to reducing visa processing times to around 7 days, Portugal has established a dedicated tourism hospitality school (with over 3,000 students) to provide relevant training for industry professionals, helping them better serve Chinese tourists. To optimize the travel experience for Chinese visitors, the Portugal National Tourism Authority will also focus on promoting local investment opportunities to attract more Chinese entrepreneurs. Local tourism operators will gradually introduce a variety of in-depth travel products that combine literature, military history, wine, and other themes, aiming to capture the attention of different Chinese customer groups.

The number of flights between China and Portugal is steadily increasing. Capital Airlines in Beijing operates four weekly flights between Hangzhou and Lisbon. Tourists can also transit to Portugal via Lufthansa, British Airways, Iberia, Air France, KLM, Turkish Airlines, as well as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways.