Markets
India

Market Characterization for Portugal

In 2024, India ranked as the 27th largest tourist market for Portugal in terms of overnight stays (share: 0.4%) and 25th in terms of guests (0.5%). In 2024, the Indian market registered around 99,300 guests (var.24/23: +14.3%), who generated 223,500 overnight stays (var.24/23: +10.1%). It stands out as the 35th market in tourism revenues with €57.3 million (share: 0.2%), up 13.2% compared to 2023.

In terms of overnight stays, Greater Lisbon was the main destination for Indian tourists visiting Portugal (56.1%), followed by the North (17.4%) and the Algarve (13.0%). In terms of type, hotel stays predominated (68.0%), followed by local accommodation (20.1%) and apartment hotels (5.6%).

Portugal ranks 54th in total outbound air traffic in the market. During this period, the airlines that transported Indian tourists to Portugal were: Emirates Airline (share: 30.0%), Etihad Airways (23.3%), Lufthansa (19.1%), Swiss (7.5%), Turkish Airlines (5.3%) and TAP (3.6%). Most operations originate in the cities of Mumbai (share: 36.9%), followed by Delhi (35.8%), Mumbai (32.3%), Bengaluru (16.5%), and Chennai (5.5%).

It should be noted that Indian tourists stay an average of 15.2 nights in Portugal (ForwardKeys); most purchase airline tickets through indirect channels (share: 80.0%); and travel alone (29.1%).

According to SIBS data, Greater Lisbon accounts for 64.7% of the €7.7 million in card purchases originating in India in 2024. The North ranks second (share: 16.6%), followed by the Algarve (8.9%).

2025 Position | Year-over-Year Change
Guests 0.1M 26º | 8.8%
Overnight stays 0.2M 26º | 11.0%
Tourism revenue 64.7M€ 34º | 12.7%

Market Profile

Change 24/23
1450.9 M Population
0.9 %
10123.0 USD GDP per Capita
8.4 %
4.6 % Inflation Rate
-0.8 pp
30.3 % Savings Rate
0.0 pp

India is an Asian country with a population of 1,450.94 million in 2024 and was the 5th largest economy in the world.

According to Globaldata, in 2024, India was the 11th largest source market for tourists worldwide, accounting for 2.0% of total global tourist demand.  The four main regions sending Indian tourists abroad were: New Delhi (share: 27%), Mumbai (17%), Kochi (11%), and Calicut (8%).

In turn, 98.1% of trips abroad made by Indian tourists in 2024 were by air, 1.6% reported traveling by land, and 0.3% by sea.

Team

claudia.matias@turismodeportugal.pt

Perspectives

The latest IMF data show that India's economy grew by 8.2% in 2023, despite the current unfavorable international situation, conflict in Ukraine, and rising costs of energy and other raw materials and intermediate goods.

For 2024 and 2025, growth of 7.0% and 6.5% is expected, respectively. According to GlobalData estimates, between 2025 and 2028, international departures by Indian tourists abroad are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6%, reaching a total of 39.0 million departures in 2028. Spending by tourists from this country abroad is expected to increase at a CAGR of 9.2% for the same period.

According to estimates by OAG Scheludes Analyser, based on the 2024 summer season compared to 2023 for the period between April 1 and September 30, 2024, the following number of airline seats are expected to be available from India to major European destinations: United Kingdom: 890,000 seats (+3.7%); Germany: 500,000 (+25.3%); France: 245,000 (+0.7%), Turkey 220,000 (+5.8%) and Italy: 95,000 (+49.8%).

Portugal and Spain do not have direct connections with India, all flights to these countries have at least one stopover in Europe: Turkey and the Middle East. According to Forwardkeys data, flight forecasts in terms of passengers originating in the Indian market to Portugal via other airports of origin reported for the period from March to August 2025 point to a decrease of 5.9% compared to the same period last year.

TOP 10 Destinations | 2024: The United Arab Emirates ranks first with a 13.2% share, followed by Saudi Arabia (12.0%), Thailand (8.3%), the US (7.4%), Kuwait (6.9%), Singapore (5.5%), China (5.2%), Malaysia (3.6%), the United Kingdom (3.0%), and Indonesia (2.6%). Portugal ranked 39th worldwide (share: 0.3%) and 10th in Europe (2.2%).

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