The Tourism Confederation believes that US tourists in Portugal will continue to grow, despite fears of Donald Trump’s policies, while the real estate sector says it has not yet seen “no relevant phenomenon” post-elections.
In 2024, Portugal received 2.29 million US tourists, according to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics. There were more than 5 million overnight (+12.1%), making this the fourth largest emitting country, representing 9.2% of non-resident overnight.
The growth of US tourism in Portugal was one of the most expressive in 2024, hence this market is the target of the focus of promoting destination and capturing tourists by the sector.
“The expectation for this year is the continuation of the increase of US tourists in our country, taking into account until the expected reinforcement of direct air connections between Portugal (Lisbon and Faro) and the United States,” said the president of the Confederation of PORTUGAL TOURISM TO LUSA. Asked for eventual effects of Trump’s economic measures, which could remove purchasing power to those tourists and lock the flow to Portugal, Francisco Calheiros until good news anticipates.
“The effect is even positive, as the dollar is valued in relation to the euro makes the travels of Americans cheaper to Europe and specifically to Portugal,” he added.
Thus, and this first month of the US President in office, the sector notes “that the tendency for Americans to be choosing Portugal to make their holidays, staying longer and spending more. This will continue to happen in 2025, ”he said.
US tourists are among the ones who spend the most, and according to Banco de Portugal, in 2023 were the fifths with the highest expenses in Portugal. In view of 2013, it is concluded that the countries of origin of tourists who spend the most in Portugal remained (albeit in a different order), except for one: Angola occupied fifth place among tourists who generate the most generation to Portugal and was replaced by the United States. According to the BDP, America’s travel and tourism revenues in Portugal reached 2.5 billion euros in 2023, a maximum historical maximum.
Revenue from US tourists began to recover and reached 1.8 billion euros by 2022, growing 33% to 2.5 billion by 2023, the last year to which there is data available. The trend has thus been a growth of these tourists in Portugal, which could eventually be influenced by Trump measures, as several analysts indicate that the tariffs applied to imports may have a inflationary effect, increasing the cost of living from those citizens. . As for living in Portugal, Jornal de Notícias (JN) reported on January 9 that official data show that in 2023, 14,126 Americans were residing in Portugal and that the visas issued to citizens of America have increased In recent years, although preliminary 2024 numbers have a decrease. The president of the Association of Professionals and Real Estate Mediation Companies of Portugal, Paulo Caiado, told Lusa that the search for real estate in Portugal by these citizens gained some expression, but did not intensify after Trump’s victory.
“We do not identify any relevant Post-election phenomenon of Trump,” he told, admitting that any increase in what is demand will result in pressure on price climb. “May no doubt about it,” he says, noting, however, that this is a type of client who pressures prices in the high and not cross -sectional segment, since the houses they seek are, above all, from 700 thousand euros to up.
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