In March 2026, tourist accommodation establishments recorded 2.3 million guests (+0.9%) and 5.6 million overnight stays (+1.4%). Among the main source markets, Ireland (+16.2%) and Spain stood out with the highest year-on-year growth in overnight stays. By NUTS II region, the North (+8.5%) and the Alentejo (+7.2%) saw the largest increases in this indicator.
In the first quarter of 2026, Portugal received 5.8 million guests who generated 13.6 million overnight stays, mainly from the United Kingdom (share: 15.6%), Germany (12.6%), and the United States (8.3%).
Balance of Payments: Travel and Tourism Account
According to the Bank of Portugal, the following trends are projected for the travel and tourism account of the balance of payments for March 2026 and the first quarter of 2026:
In March 2026, the preliminary indicator for travel and tourism points to a 6.7% increase in exports compared to March 2025, totaling €2,056.91 million (following a 0.9% change in February 2026) and a 4.4% increase in imports (€375.62 million), following a 4.3% change in February 2026.
Regarding the first quarter of 2026, tourism revenues (€5,155.62 million) exceed the figure recorded in the first quarter of 2025 (€4,966.46 million), corresponding to a 3.8% increase.
Tourism expenditures reported for the cumulative period from January to March 2026 (€1,098.44 million) will be higher than the figure recorded in the same period of the previous year (€1,047.78 million), representing an increase of 4.8%.
