Meet The Winners: Turismo De Portugal

Winner of the Destination Award at Routes Europe in Aarhus, Turismo de Portugal spoke to Routes about the significance of this achievement and the recent successes in route development that led to this recognition.

Turismo de Portugal is the national tourist authority responsible for the promotion, enhancement and sustainability of tourism activity in Portugal. Tourism is a fundamental economic activity for the generation of wealth and employment in the western European country. 

Portugal’s exceptional landscapes, unique cultural heritage, and beautiful beaches attract visitors from around the globe. The country’s tourism sector surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with over 30 million guests recorded, marking a 13.3% growth.

Driven primarily by European visitors, Portugal has seen a wealth of new routes from airlines such as Pegasus Airlines, Jet2.com, and LOT Polish Airlines. Summer 2024 also saw Ryanair increase its Portuguese traffic by 22%.

Visitors from North and Latin America show strong growth, with TAP Air Portugal adding frequencies to destinations like Washington, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, and to points in Brazil. United Airlines launched a direct flight from Faro Airport to New York Newark Airport in May 2024.

Shortly after Routes Europe 2024, SkyTeam member Korean Air announced the launch of its flights between Lisbon and Seoul, marking the only nonstop flights between Northeast Asia and Lisbon. Despite operating only from September through October 2024, Turismo de Portugal sees great growth potential in this market.

Speaking about the Destination Award win, Miguel Moraes, head of trade relations at Turismo de Portugal, said: “It’s a recognition of our efforts over the last 10 years in building strong relationships with airlines. We have been working very hard and it’s very rewarding to receive this award.”

Turismo de Portugal attributes much of its success to its strategy of creating lasting relationships. By collaborating with airports to identify market gaps, meeting with airlines to update performance, and launching dedicated marketing campaigns, the destination welcomed 18 new airline partners in 2024 and achieved a record-breaking passenger recovery in 2023.

In addition to its triumph at Routes Europe, Turismo de Portugal is widely recognized by the industry, earning numerous accolades from the World Travel Awards.