This increase was seen across both domestic and international travel. Domestic travel continues to dominate, accounting for 85.2% of the total, with 22.192 million trips, while international travel totaled 3.858 million, also a record high.
The main reason for travel was leisure, recreation, or vacation, accounting for 50.2% of trips, equivalent to 13.1 million trips. This was followed by visits to family or friends, accounting for 37.5% of the total, and trips for professional or business reasons, which, despite representing only 7.0% of the total, stood out for recording the highest annual growth rate of 23.9%, signaling a significant recovery in this segment.
In terms of accommodation, free private lodging remained predominant, accounting for 58.4% of overnight stays, although its relative share decreased slightly. Hotels and similar establishments gained some ground, accounting for 25.3% of overnight stays, while paid private lodging represented 12.2%.
The average trip duration stood at 3.9 nights, the lowest figure since 2016, reflecting a trend toward shorter stays, but possibly more frequent trips throughout the year.
In terms of international destinations, Spain remained the top destination country, accounting for 38.8% of trips abroad, followed by France and Italy. Taken together, European Union countries accounted for approximately 69.7% of international travel. Within Portugal, the North region remained the top destination, followed by the Center, while the West and Tagus Valley region saw the largest increase in its share. In total, half of the resident population took at least one tourist trip in 2025.
In the first quarter, the sector showed moderate growth, with mixed signals, including an increase in the number of guests but a slight decrease in overnight stays, influenced in part by the calendar effect of Easter. Nevertheless, overnight stays by residents increased, contrasting with a decline in those by non-residents, and the sector’s revenues continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace than at the end of 2024.
In the second quarter, there was a significant acceleration in tourism activity, with a 22.1% increase in the number of trips, totaling approximately six million. Both domestic and international travel grew at a similar rate, with this performance strongly influenced by the fact that Easter fell in April. Leisure and visits to family continued to be the main reasons for travel, and free private accommodation remained the dominant option, although hotels accounted for a significant share, particularly for leisure and business travel.
In the third quarter, corresponding to the summer period, growth continued but slowed to 8%, with a total of 8.9 million trips. Domestic travel continued to account for the vast majority, about 85%, while international travel grew more moderately. Leisure was clearly the dominant motivation, accounting for over 60% of trips, followed by visits to family. The average length of stay was longer during this period, reaching 5.42 nights, with a peak in August. Nevertheless, compared to the previous year, there was a slight decrease in the average length of stay.
In the fourth quarter, tourism regained momentum, recording 13.2% growth and surpassing the six-million-trip mark for the first time in a year-end quarter. This increase resulted from growth in both domestic and international travel, with the latter being particularly notable. The main motivation shifted to visiting family or friends, reflecting the typical seasonality of the end of the year, while leisure travel also showed positive growth. Free accommodation reinforced its dominance, accounting for 70% of overnight stays, and the average trip duration stood at 3.22 nights. During this period, nearly a quarter of the resident population took at least one trip, highlighting a particularly strong end to the year for resident tourism.
