In May 2026, tourist accommodation establishments recorded 3.3 million guests (+3.7%) and 8 million overnight stays (+2.7%). Among the main source markets, Poland (+10.2%), Brazil (+9.0%), and Germany (+8.7%) stood out with the highest year-over-year monthly growth in overnight stays. By NUTS II region, Alentejo (+9.3%), Norte (+7.0%), and Algarve (+4.6%) saw the largest increases in this indicator.
From January through May 2026, Portugal received 12 million guests who generated 28.7 million overnight stays, primarily from the United Kingdom (share: 12.8%), the U.S. (11.6%), and Spain (10.7%).
Flash Estimates
According to the Bank of Portugal, the following trends are projected for the travel and tourism item of the balance of payments for May 2026 and for the cumulative period from January through May 2026:
In May 2026, the preliminary indicator for travel and tourism points to a 5.2% increase in exports compared to May 2025, totaling 2,739.77 million € (following a 5.3% change in April 2026) and a 6.6% increase in imports (€683.20 million), following a 3.8% change in April 2026.
For the cumulative period from January through May 2026, tourism revenue (€10,325.04 million) exceeded the figure recorded for the same period in 2025 (€9,878.82 million), representing a 4.5% increase.
Tourism expenditures reported for the cumulative period from January through May 2026 (€2,461.28 million) will be higher than the figure recorded in the same period of the previous year (€2,343.63 million), representing an increase of 5.0%.
