Most Portuguese residents can enjoy complimentary vacation lodging
In the first quarter of 2025, Portugal witnessed a significant increase in travel, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). The data reveals a rise in domestic tourism trips and a sharp increase in business travel, indicating strong internal mobility and professional demand.
The surge in domestic travel saw a 15.6% year-on-year growth, with 4.5 million trips within Portugal. Leisure and personal reasons were the primary motivations behind this trend, as trips for 'leisure, recreation, or vacations' increased by 25.4%. The most common reason for domestic travel was visiting family and friends, accounting for 2.1 million trips, or 40.9% of the total.
Business travel also experienced a notable 48% rise during this period. For trips abroad, 'professional or business' was the second most common reason, accounting for 19.6% of the total, equating to 139,600 trips.
The hospitality sector, retail, and related services are likely to benefit from this travel growth, particularly in second-tier cities where repeated visits boost local economies.
The average length of stay for Portuguese tourists is 2.75 nights, slightly lower than the average for the first quarter of last year (2.84 nights). The longest average stay was recorded in February (2.82 nights), while the shortest was in January (2.67 nights).
For accommodation, 'free private accommodation' was the main option, accounting for 64.7% of overnight stays in the first quarter of 2025. 'Hotels and similar accommodations' accounted for 26.5% of overnight stays.
For travel planning, the internet was used in 27.1% of cases overall, but more frequently for trips abroad (76.2% of cases) compared to trips within Portugal (19.4% of cases).
The data shows that leisure and business purposes are the predominant drivers behind travel by residents in Portugal during Q1 2025, reflecting both personal and professional motivations. However, a detailed breakdown for international travel reasons by Portuguese residents was not explicitly provided in the available data.
Despite a slight decrease in the proportion of residents who made at least one trip in March (-1.3 percentage points), the number of trips increased in every month of the first quarter, with a growth of 36% in January, 15.9% in February, and 0.7% in March.
Overall, the first quarter of 2025 saw a resurgence in travel activity in Portugal, with both domestic and international trips on the rise. This trend is expected to continue to support the growth of various sectors, particularly those linked to tourism and hospitality.
In the surge of domestic travel within Portugal, the lifestyle sector, including home-and-garden and retail, may potentially experience growth, considering the rise in leisure and personal trips. Moreover, the hotel and hospitality industry could benefit from an increase in business travel, given the 48% rise observed during the first quarter of 2025.
