Tourism has long been one of the pillars of the Portuguese economy. But to reduce it to numbers and percentages of GDP would be to ignore its true nature. Tourism is life — it is the pulse of each village, city and landscape that makes up our territory. It is a living network of people who, with dedication and talent, make Portugal welcoming, memorable and unique.
Tourism is made up of people, workers who welcome you with a smile, businesspeople who innovate, artisans who preserve traditions and communities who share what is most authentic about them. It is identity, culture and collective self-esteem. When a visitor tastes our wine, takes Portuguese olive oil home or is enchanted by a piece of cork, they are taking with them a piece of Portugal. Tourism projects us into the world, gives a stage to our roots and multiplies the value of everything we are and produce.
But this engine only truly fulfills its role if it is also an instrument of territorial and social cohesion. Portugal is diverse, rich in landscapes and heritage, but still very unequal. Large urban centers concentrate attention and visitors, while vast low-density regions remain on the margins. This is where the challenge — and the opportunity — for 2035 arises: redistribute tourist flows, settle populations, generate jobs and attract investment, transforming potential into prosperity.
There are encouraging signs. Turismo de Portugal recently signed financing contracts for 37 projects in the interior, involving an investment of almost 26 million euros — of which around 17 million are non-refundable incentives from Linha +Interior Turismo. These are initiatives that range from the valorization of the Caminhos de Santiago to the creation of museums, from the requalification of river beaches and biological parks to gastronomic and creative tourism, thermal spas or even astrotourism. They are seeds of the future that show how tourism can be regenerative and transformative.
Today, the objective is no longer just to grow the number of guests. This milestone was reached ahead of schedule. The national strategy now points to something deeper: adding value. Value for tourists, yes — but also for the farmer who cultivates the flavors of the land, the fisherman who challenges the sea at dawn, the artisan who shapes tradition with his hands, the winegrower who keeps stories in each bottle and the factory that transforms fabrics into hospitality. Tourism is a value chain that only fulfills its mission if it is shared by everyone.
However, we cannot talk about prosperity as long as tight margins for businesspeople and low wages for workers persist. The shortage of people to work in tourism is a clear warning: it is not enough to attract tourists — tourism must generate real value for people and territories. Value that translates into better living conditions, decent wages and concrete opportunities where they are most needed.
To do this, we need more than good intentions. We need infrastructures that unlock the future, less bureaucracy, fairer taxation and housing and mobility policies suited to the needs of families and workers. There is no “too much tourism” in Portugal — there is, yes, space for better distributed and more humane tourism.
Because tourism is also democracy. It was he who, in the 60s, helped open Portugal to the world. Today, it continues to be an engine of freedom, development and inclusion. It’s time to start opening paths within the country too — towards new destinations, new opportunities, more balance and more territorial justice.
Because tourism, when lived with purpose, transforms destinations into happy communities. “Tourism is Portugal” is not just a slogan. It is a commitment to the future. And it is, above all, an opportunity to build a more cohesive, fairer and happier country.
General Secretary of AHRESP