Foreign tourism in Portugal records the best semester in history | Economy

the number of foreign tourists Visits to Portugal exceeded eight million between January and June, making it the best first half ever, official data revealed on Monday (14).

Nearly 8.2 million foreigners stayed in Portuguese hotels in this period, the National Institute of Statistics said, up from 6.3 million a year ago and 7.4 million in the first six months of 2019, a record year for tourism before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel in 2020. .

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Tourism, one of the main drivers of the Portuguese economy, accounted for nearly 15% of GDP before the pandemic.

Visitors from the United Kingdom accounted for the largest share in the first half, with over a million visitors, followed closely by North Americans and Spaniards.

In June, the United States, which has grown significantly as a source of tourism for Portugal, already represented the second largest group of foreign visitors.

The national statistics institute said the hotel sector recorded 13.6 million guests, including domestic travelers, in the first half, while total hotel revenue increased 32% year-on-year to €2.5 billion.

In a separate report, the institute stated that the number of travelers who passed through Portuguese airports in the first six months jumped by about 30% in the annual comparison and increased by 12% compared to the first half of 2019.

According to the International Air Transport Association, international travel this year has reached about 90% of pre-pandemic levels, with the recovery led by visitors from southern Europe.