On Entreparedes’ social networks, on several occasions, we report favorable issues to the Portuguese tourism sector: international awards, presence on the list of must-see destinations, etc. However, even with the notoriety, mainly, of cities like Porto, the pandemic caused the number of visitors to drop dramatically.
But the medium- and long-term scenario is promising. For the country, for trade and for you.
An important sector of the economy
Portugal is an economically diverse country. But, in recent years, a sector has gained extreme relevance: tourism. From a country that received an average of 14 million visitors in 2012, our cities have seen this number practically double in less than a decade. In 2019 alone, more than 27 million visitors entered the country. And why this increase is due to several reasons: economic stability, security and the increase and qualification of accommodations, ranging from luxury hotels to apartments for rent.
Just as a comparison, in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, more than 10 million visitors entered the country.
A slower 2021 slower
The arrival of the vaccine brought hope that the beginning of the year would be different. But the worsening of the pandemic and the restriction of measures brought a new reality. Many experts say that, despite 2021 there is a slight recovery, caused by domestic tourism, that is, only Portuguese citizens, the sector will return, to be even more attractive than before the pandemic.
And among the reasons, a market trend: many people, after so long confined, want to travel away from home. Another important factor is that our soil receives, in its great majority, citizens of countries that, also, gravely face the crisis of the Corona Virus, like Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A new future ahead
If even the big economic agencies are betting on the recovery trend, the real estate sector may also be favored.
With the increase in tourism in the long term, there will also be a need for accommodation, which can be a benefit for small investors. However, until then, the most important thing is to take care of your health and respect the distance. Because the better days will come again.
