LISBON: Portugal’s tourism boom has made the industry one of the biggest contributors to the national economy and the largest employer, with almost 1 million direct and indirect jobs, the head of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said.
Portugal has long been popular for its beaches, historic sites and golf courses, but tourism has broken records in the past few years after government and businesses looked to the sector as an engine of growth after the 2011-14 debt crisis.
Portugal has been spared the bloody attacks seen in neighbouring European countries and benefited as violence and political unrest deter visitors from parts of the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa.
Portugal won the top destination spot in the 2017 World Travel Awards after the number of foreign tourists jumped 12 per cent to 12.7 million. Including domestic tourists, the total is about 21 million.
Guevara said Portugal’s focus on tourism had ensured that travellers and holiday companies had turned to the country, with many new hotels and frequent flights by low-cost carriers.
“It’s (Portugal) competitive. Do I see it as a cheap destination? No I don’t, but I think price is good, they need to maintain the quality,” said Guevara, who is from Mexico.
She added that “if they (Portugal) continue doing what they are doing, another 100,000 jobs will be created,” expanding what has become the country’s largest economic sector.
Unemployment in Portugal is around 8 per cent but the figure is much higher for younger people.
