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Tourism

Tourism industry, travel trends, and visitor statistics for Portugal.

Aerial view of the historic centre of Sintra, Portugal, with the white National Palace and its twin conical chimneys surrounded by red-tiled roofs and forested hills

Sintra's Tour Operators Take the Village's New Coach Ban to Court, Seeking to Freeze the Historic-Centre Traffic Plan

Coach and tour operators have asked the Sintra Administrative and Tax Court to suspend the traffic restrictions the town hall imposed on the historic centre this month, arguing the rules were rushed in at peak season and are strangling their business.

The Portugal Brief 24 Jul 2026

The yellow facade of the Casa-Museu Amalia Rodrigues on Rua de Sao Bento in Lisbon, with flower-filled balconies, red banners and a mural of the fado singer

Lisbon's Amalia Rodrigues House-Museum Marks a Quarter-Century With Fado and Poetry

The Casa-Museu Amalia Rodrigues on Rua de Sao Bento opens a year of 25th-anniversary events on 23 July with a fado-and-poetry session on what would have been the singer's birthday. The Lisbon house has drawn over 150,000 visitors from 150 nationalities.

The Portugal Brief 22 Jul 2026

The Gothic facade of the Mosteiro da Batalha (Batalha Monastery) in Portugal

A New Government Portal Puts 90 Portuguese Monuments and Museums Online for Virtual Visits

Portugal's Ministry of Culture has launched a new online platform offering virtual visits to 90 heritage spaces and access to 232 national treasures, from Batalha Monastery to Mafra National Palace.

The Portugal Brief 19 Jul 2026

A classic yellow Lisbon Tram 28 passing through the Baixa district of Lisbon, Portugal

After 30 Million Visitors, Portugal Pivots Its Tourism Strategy From Volume to Value

Portugal drew a record 30 million visitors in 2025 and is now steering its tourism strategy from volume toward value. Turismo de Portugal has backed ten projects with €2.4 million, all outside the crowded Lisbon and Algarve cores, as authorities forecast only 2–2.5% more visitors in 2026 but 4.5–5.5

The Portugal Brief 18 Jul 2026

The city of Coimbra rising above the Mondego river at dusk, with the university on the hilltop

Coimbra Prepares to Double Its Tourist Tax to €2 a Night to Cover Visitor Costs

Coimbra's council is set to vote on Monday to double its municipal tourist tax from €1 to €2 per person per night. The city calculates each overnight stay costs it about €3.49 in services and infrastructure, against €726,000 raised by the levy in 2025, and says the higher rate still falls short of t

The Portugal Brief 17 Jul 2026

A yellow Lisbon tram climbing a steep narrow street toward the Tagus river

Pickpocket Thefts in Lisbon Rose Nearly 10% in the First Half, Concentrated Around Belém and São Jorge Castle

Reported pickpocketing in Lisbon rose almost 10% in the first half of 2026, with 1,770 cases — about ten a day — logged by the PSP. Belém and the streets around São Jorge Castle are the hotspots, even as arrests for the crime fell nearly 21%.

The Portugal Brief 15 Jul 2026

View over the terracotta rooftops of Lisbon's Alfama towards the white curved Lisbon Cruise Terminal on the Tagus riverfront, with a ship on the water

The Port of Lisbon Logged Its Busiest-Ever June for Cruises, With 81,735 Passengers Up 53% on 2025

The Port of Lisbon handled a record 81,735 cruise passengers in June, up 53% on June 2025 and above the previous 2024 high, across 37 ship calls — its busiest June ever — as high-spending turnaround traffic led the first half's steadier 5% growth.

The Portugal Brief 13 Jul 2026

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