Markets
Belgium

Market Characterization for Portugal

In 2025, Belgium ranked as the 12th largest source market for international tourism to Portugal based on the number of overnight stays (2.0% share) and the 13th largest based on the number of guests (1.9% share). In 2025, the Belgian market recorded approximately 370,800 guests (year-over-year change: +3.3%), who generated 1,157,800 overnight stays (year-over-year change: +1.6%). It stands out as the 12th-largest market in terms of tourism receipts with €533.9 million (share: 1.9%), up 3.4% compared to 2024.

In terms of overnight stays, the Algarve was the top destination for Belgian tourists visiting Portugal (30.1%), followed by Lisboa (23.4%), Madeira (16.3%), and the Norte (15.0%). By accommodation type, hotel stays predominated (55.8%), followed by alojamento local (17.0%) and hotéis-apartamentos (10.0%).

According to Amadeus, in 2025, available air capacity grew to 1.9 million seats (year-over-year change: +12.7%); with 5 airlines accounting for 99.8% of total capacity: Ryanair (market share: 41.5%), Brussels Airlines (28.0%), TAP Air Portugal (23.1%), Transavia (4.2%), and TUI Belgium (3.0%). Most flights originate in the city of Brussels (99.9%).

According to SIBS data, Lisboa accounts for 27.1% of the €160.3 million in card spending originating in Belgium in 2025, recording the highest volume of card transactions, followed by the Algarve (25.5%) and the Norte (18.5%).

2025 Position | Year-over-Year Change
Guests 0.4M 13º | 3.3%
Overnight stays 1.2M 12º | 1.9%
Tourism receipts 533.9M€ 12º | 3.4%
Disembarked passengers 0.8M 11º | 11.8%

Market Profile

Change 25/24
11.9 M Population
0.7 %
69885.7 USD GDP per Capita
2.7 %
2 % Inflation Rate
-1.6 pp
23.7 % Savings Rate
0.0 pp

With a population of 11.9 million, Belgium ranks as the 23rd largest economy in the world and the 7th largest in the European Union. It accounted for 2.5% of the EU’s population and generated 3.4% of its GDP.

According to Globaldata, in 2025, Belgium ranked as the 12th largest source market for tourists worldwide, generating 29.9 million trips, which represents a 1.8% share of total global tourism demand. Approximately 91.2% of these trips are concentrated on the European continent. Data from the Travel Survey indicate that of the total trips taken by Belgian tourists abroad, about 58% originated in the Flanders region, the source area with the highest number of trips, followed by the Wallonia region (27%) and the capital Brussels (15%).

In turn, 60.0% of trips abroad in 2025 made by Belgian tourists were by land, 38.8% were by air, and 1.2% were by sea.

Team

Market Team Coordinator
Susana Cardoso
Info.Netherlands@turismodeportugal.pt
0031703111002

Outlook

The latest IMF data indicate that the Belgian economy grew by 1.0% in 2025, despite the unfavorable global economic environment, the conflict in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, and rising costs for energy, raw materials, and intermediate goods. Growth of 0.7% and 1.1% is projected for 2026 and 2027, respectively.

According to GlobalData, between 2026 and 2029, international departures from Belgium are expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.3% to reach a total of 34.0 million departures in 2029. Meanwhile, spending by Belgian tourists abroad is expected to increase at a CAGR of 6.9% over the same period.

According to estimates from OAG Schedules Analyser, based on the 2025 winter season compared to 2024 for the period from October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026 (+4.6%), the number of scheduled available seats is led by Spain with 1.8 million seats (+3.1%), Italy: 1.3 million seats (+16.5%), Portugal: 400,000 seats (+8.2%), Turkey: 400,000 seats (+15.2%), Greece: 250,000 seats (+1.4%), and Croatia: 100,000 seats (+35.9%).

Amadeus data on bookings indicate that passenger forecasts from the Belgian market to Portugal, covering the period from April 2026 to March 2027, are expected to increase by 5.0% compared to the same period the previous year.

News

Smaller destinations gain ground, holiday budget remains stable

Smaller destinations gain ground, holiday budget remains stable

06 July 2026