【Wen/Observer Net Wang Yong Editor/Zhao Qiankun】
Portugal's tourism will undergo a historic transformation in 2026. Currently, Portugal plans to return to the center of global tourism by relying on infrastructure upgrades, clean energy transition, and the release of tourism industry momentum.
According to recent reports from European News, Portugal's tourism achieved rapid development in 2025. It has made significant progress in multiple areas such as sustainable tourism, rural tourism, tourism digitalization, and transportation convenience. Cities such as Lisbon and Coimbra have won widespread acclaim for their museums, art exhibitions, and heritage preservation, successfully finding a good balance between historical traditions and modern innovation. This provides travelers with travel experiences that are both locally distinctive and full of fashion sense.
Coastal city views of Portugal，《Portugal News》
The report states that the construction of major infrastructure projects in cities is affecting the lives and travel methods of Portuguese people. The high-speed railway project from Lisbon to Madrid, Spain, which is planned to be put into operation in 2030, will reduce the travel time between the two cities to about 5 hours, and is expected to further shorten to 3 hours by 2034.
According to relevant plans, part of Portugal's railway network, including Évora, will be completed and put into operation after 2026. Particularly, the long-awaited high-speed railway from Lisbon to Madrid, once completed, will greatly enhance tourism and business opportunities on the Iberian Peninsula.
At the same time, after the completion of the expansion plans of Humberto Delgado Airport and Faro Gago Coutinho Airport, a three-dimensional transportation network will be established on the Iberian Peninsula, accommodating more international passengers and making Portugal one of the most convenient destinations for air travel in Europe.
The report points out that it is expected that by 2025, the passenger volume of all airports in Portugal will exceed 100 million. In order to enhance Portugal's status as a global tourism and transportation hub, the airport upgrade plan will effectively connect with the high-speed rail lines, jointly promoting the development of the transportation network.
Looking ahead, Portugal's high-speed rail network is expected to take over domestic and short-distance international passenger traffic from the hub airports, allowing the airports to focus more on handling medium and long-haul intercontinental routes. This measure will ultimately form an efficient "high-speed rail + aviation" integrated transport system, optimizing the transportation model and facilitating travelers from around the world to visit Portugal.
According to《Portugal News》，Portugal's reputation in Asia is rising, especially in China. Over the next three years, the focus of Portugal's tourism will be to increase the number of tourists, aiming to become one of the preferred destinations for Chinese travelers' European tours.
The report mentions that in 2024, China was Portugal's largest source of tourists in Asia. Last year, Portugal received over 280,000 Chinese tourists, contributing 154.5 million euros (approximately RMB 1.233 billion) to Portugal's tourism revenue, far exceeding other countries and regions such as South Korea.
According to《Portugal Post》，this year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Portugal increased by 27% compared to the same period last year. In May alone, the northern region received over 10,000 Chinese tourists, an increase of 24%. It is expected that by the end of the year, Chinese tourists will contribute 200 million euros (approximately RMB 1.655 billion) to Portugal's tourism revenue. Portugal's tourism goal is to receive 500,000 Chinese tourists in 2026 and further attract tourists to extend their overnight stays and duration of stay.
The report states that in order to attract more Chinese tourists, the Portuguese National Tourism Agency has widely promoted tourism in various parts of China this year, holding roadshows in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Macau, showcasing Portuguese destination resources, unique products, and in-depth tour routes to target travelers, and discussing new cooperation opportunities with Chinese travel industry peers.
At the recent "Portugal 2025 China Roadshow" held by the Portuguese National Tourism Agency in Macau, Observer Net learned on-site that the Portuguese Tourism Agency, together with dozens of institutions including domestic hotel groups, wineries, local agencies, and attraction operators, held multiple one-on-one business negotiations with over 200 Chinese travel industry peers around topics such as 2026 tourism cooperation, product co-creation, and visa facilitation.
According to information provided by the Portuguese Tourism Agency to Observer Net, with its ancient European borders, long Atlantic coastline, and diverse landscapes filled with vineyards and mountain cities, Portugal skillfully blends traditional stone streets, World Heritage Sites, modern design hotels, and creative cuisine, continuously attracting global travelers.
According to statistics, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Portugal this year is expected to reach 350,000, with 550,000 room-nights booked. It is expected that the number of tourists from China will continue to grow steadily in 2026.
At the Portuguese National Tourism Agency's roadshow event in Macau, Pedro Ferreira, president of the Portuguese Travel Agencies Association, mentioned that Portugal's tourism industry is diverse, including coastal tourism, city tourism, and rural tourism. The well-developed transportation facilities, digital infrastructure, and unique tourism products have attracted many international tourists, especially the unique rural experience that is increasingly capturing the attention of global travelers.
Tiago Brito, head of the Portuguese Tourism Agency's Shanghai office, told Observer Net that Portugal, as the 14th most popular tourist destination globally, has gained international fame through cultural heritage, conference and incentive tourism, wine tourism, starry sky tourism, golf, and surfing in specific segments. He looks forward to more Chinese visitors coming to Portugal.
Tiago introduced that in the future, the Portuguese Tourism Agency will focus on the "Portugal is Art" and business conference and incentive tourism (MICE) aspects for international promotion activities. "Portugal is Art" will take art as the main thread, showcasing the creative expressions of Portugal in culture, architecture, food, nature, and handicrafts, inviting Chinese tourists to feel the "art everywhere" in Portugal during their travels; MICE will strengthen Portugal's global image as an emerging conference, exhibition, and incentive tourism destination in Europe, attracting Chinese enterprises to hold high-end business events in Portugal.
The materials from the Portuguese Tourism Agency mention that the Chinese market has always been one of the most important sources of Asian tourists for Portugal. At the previous roadshow event of the Portuguese National Tourism Agency in Shanghai, Consul General of Portugal in Shanghai, Sílvia Inácio, stated that for ADS visa (a group tour visa issued for specific tour groups) tour groups with complete documents, the Shanghai area can issue visas within 48 hours at the fastest. The Schengen "Walk-in without appointment" service has covered the Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou visa centers, allowing individual and business tourists to "set off on a whim."
Inacio introduced, since 2023, the number of visa applications issued by Portugal in China has doubled, and it is expected to continue growing in 2025, with more than 60% being tourism-related applications. Visa acceleration is just the first step; the next step will be to add more flight routes and flights, giving Portuguese and Chinese travelers more travel options.
Information shows that regarding direct flight routes between China and Portugal, the flight between Capital Airlines' Lisbon and Hangzhou will increase to three times per week starting from the second week of December 2025. The Portuguese side will next focus on assessing the potential for direct flights between Shanghai and Lisbon and other cities.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7584014897014194726/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.