In 2021, the Portuguese made a total of 17.5 million trips at home and abroad, more than half (9.2 million) of which were for leisure. Of the total number of trips made last year, 4.6 million took place between September and December.
These figures, released by the National Institute of Statistics on Wednesday, reflect a “significant increase” of 21.6% in the number of trips made last year compared to 2020. However, Portuguese travel within and outside the country is still 28.4% below the 28.4% trips made in 2019. , the best year for tourism in Portugal ever.
In total for 2021, according to provisional figures from the National Institute of Statistics, Portuguese trips abroad represent 5.8% of the total 17.5 million trips, having increased by 48.8%, but remained 67.4% lower than the figure for 2019. Almost half (49.7%) ) of trips abroad were for “leisure, leisure or vacation.”
Portuguese travel in the country grew, in 2021, by 20.2%, despite a 22.7% decrease compared to 2019. More than half (52.7%) were leisure trips, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics.
“Visiting family or friends” was the reason behind 36.8% of trips (6.4 million) last year. Less than 30.3% compared to 2019.
“Professional or business” reasons made up only 5.6% (1 million) of all travel in 2021, 50.9% lower than the 2019 figures, according to provisional figures for the National Institute of Statistics.
The data also reveals that in 2021 each tourist stayed on average 6.62 nights, a decrease of 1.5% compared to 6.72 nights in 2020. But in this area there was an increase in the average stay in 2019, when overnight stays were 5.45.
The National Statistics Institute also says that the average overnight stay of Portuguese tourists recorded “very high values in the epidemic months of January and February 2021 (9.70 nights and 6.64 nights, respectively)” compared to the same months of 2019 and 2020 when “the epidemic has not yet begun.” in Portugal “.
Portuguese outbound trips increased by 547.3% between September and December
INS data also shows that in the fourth quarter of 2021, between September and December, the total number of trips made by the Portuguese reached 4.6 million, which is a 96.1% increase compared to the same period last year. But the figure is 16.5% lower than the number of flights made in the last four months of 2019, when 5.5 million flights were made.
In this period, data show that the Portuguese traveled more in the country. Between September and December 2021, travel within the country accounted for the vast majority (91.3%) of the total trips made during these months, reaching 4.2 million trips.
But Portuguese trips abroad, between September and December 2021, grew by 547.3%, with a total of 398,900 trips, “the highest percentage since the first quarter of 2020,” according to the National Institute of Statistics.
The center of the country was the region most chosen by Portuguese tourists
In 2021, the central region of the country was the most preferred destination for Portuguese travel in Portugal, with 29.2% of all trips made throughout the year concentrated.
It was followed by the North, which collected 22.2% of all national tourist travel last year, and the Algarve came third with 17.4%.
Among foreign trips, the two destinations most chosen by the Portuguese continued, in 2021, in Spain and France, with 43.7% and 11.6%, respectively, of the total trips.
Italy climbed to third place with 5.6%, which is the place occupied by the United Kingdom in 2020, which fell to sixth place in 2021 by 2.9%.
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