Turismo de Portugal Rolls Out the 'Encontra o Teu País' Domestic Push From Castelo de Porto de Mós — A Two-Phase Campaign Threading Through November Around the Storm-Kristin Recovery Arc

Turismo de Portugal launched its 2026 domestic tourism campaign — 'Não procures mais longe. Encontra o teu país' — from Castelo de Porto de Mós on 19 May, and the two-phase media plan now carries that message through to November via television, radio and digital channels. The campaign sits inside a larger sector arithmetic that the Hospitality Pipeline destaque captured earlier this week: 58 new hotel properties opening through 2026 against a receita curve already running ahead of 2025's €29 billion record.

The campaign mechanics

• Launch: 19 May 2026, Castelo de Porto de Mós (Leiria district).
• Slogan: 'Não procures mais longe. Encontra o teu país' — Don't look further. Find your country.
• Phase 1: Through June, building on summer-window decisions.
• Phase 2: September–November, capturing the shoulder-season arrivals.
• Channels: Television commercials, radio spots and digital content.
• Creative thesis: Emotional connection to destinations rather than discount-led promotion.

Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal, framed the campaign at the launch as evidence that domestic tourism is 'absolutely structural' to the sector — not a supplementary lever pulled in soft years. The choice of Castelo de Porto de Mós as the launch site is itself a political signal: the castle sits inside the Comunidade Intermunicipal de Leiria, one of the regions most affected by Storm Kristin in January, and the campaign is explicitly designed to redirect domestic spend toward areas still recovering.

Why the campaign exists now

2025 closed with 82 million overnight stays across Portuguese hospitality and €29 billion in tourism revenue — a record. But the composition matters: domestic tourism represents roughly 30% of all dormidas, and that 30% is the lever most exposed to Portuguese disposable income and the perception that the country itself is the best holiday option. The 2026 storms — first Kristin in January, then the post-storm campaign Turismo de Portugal floated in late May — shaped the demand signal sharply enough that the institute moved from a passive 'visit Portugal' message to a directed 'reinvest in Portugal' push.

The AHP (Associação da Hotelaria de Portugal) forecast for 2026 sets the trade-up: 2.5% more guests, 1.7% more overnight stays and 3% more revenue — slower growth than the 2024 reading but still positive. Hitting those numbers requires holding the domestic share at 30% even as international arrivals slow with the Schengen EES border-wait drag.

What this means for residents and expats

• Lower domestic prices in shoulder seasons: The Phase 2 push from September through November will lean on regional operators reducing Sunday-to-Thursday rates. Residents booking late-summer or autumn stays inside Portugal will find rural and inland options materially below 2025's peak.
• Storm-recovery destinations get the push: Leiria, Centro and parts of the Alentejo are the campaign's directed regions. Expect targeted offers from Turismo Centro de Portugal and the Comunidade Intermunicipal de Leiria.
• Inland over coastal: The 'encontra o teu país' framing is overtly steering domestic travellers away from the Algarve and Lisbon — already at saturation — toward Trás-os-Montes, Beira Interior, the Douro vineyards and the cork-belt Alentejo.
• Emotional, not promotional: The campaign's creative deliberately avoids discount mechanics. Expat residents shouldn't expect a national-coverage promo code or a state-funded voucher scheme; the lift is in awareness and softer city-pair targeting.
• Heritage tickets: Castle, monument and museum sites participating in the campaign typically extend Portuguese Card holder benefits during Phase 1 and Phase 2 windows. Residence card holders should check the local câmara tourism office for the participating list.

What to watch next

The June INE Alojamento Turístico tape will land in early July and will be the first numerical read on whether the campaign is moving the domestic dormida count. The Phase 2 launch in September will likely include refreshed creative tied to the Festas de Outono calendar and the cork-belt tirada window — a recurring autumn tourism leg the institute has not previously promoted at national scale.