🌍 Tourism on the rise: Lisbon and Portugal enter in 2026 on the global radar of travellers

Patrícia Rosas
1 day ago
3 min read

Those who follow tourism news in recent days have probably noticed: Portugal is in evidence, and Lisbon, of course, continues as one of the great protagonists. In the latest reports, international portals and search trend data, the feeling is almost unanimous: Portuguese tourism remains strong, diverse and increasingly strategic.

While reading some of these news (and yes, there were several 👀), I decided to gather the main points and comment on what all this means, especially for those who travel, live or work with tourism in Lisbon and Portugal.

Tourism in Lisbon and Portugal is still on the rise in 2026

One of the news that drew the most attention came from international tourism portals: Portugal projects a growth of about 12% in the sector in 2026, driven both by the increase in the number of visitors and the revenues generated.

Just to get an idea of the weight of this: in 2025, the country had already closed the year with record revenues in tourism, exceeding 29 billion euros, consolidating the sector as one of the pillars of the national economy.

👉 Curiosity: even with a more controlled (and healthier) growth, Portugal continues to attract travellers who seek quality of experience, not just quantity.

Lisbon maintains the position of favourite urban destination

Another recurring news in the readings was the performance of Lisbon. The city recorded millions of guests throughout 2025, remaining among the most sought-after urban destinations in Europe.

In addition to the volume, there is an important factor: Lisbon often appears in rankings of safe cities to travel in 2026, something that weighs heavily on the decision of international tourists, especially families, solo travellers and more mature tourists.

💡 Practical tip: security, mobility and cultural offer are today as strong arguments as climate and gastronomy, and Lisbon delivers well in all three.

🛫 Full airports, active tourism

Another data that appeared in several sources: Portuguese airports exceeded 72 million passengers in 2025, showing that the tourist flow remains intense, especially in hubs such as Lisbon.

This explains why topics such as:

" flights to Lisbon"
"Best time to visit Portugal"
"Is Lisbon worth it in 2026?"

They are still on the rise in Google Trends.

Tourism with more awareness: clear trend for 2026

Something that appears both in the news and in searches is the change of the traveller's profile. Portugal has been cited as an ideal destination for:

Calmer tourism
Authentic experiences
Nature, well-being and gastronomy
Sustainable travel

Lisbon, although urban, enters this conversation by betting on:

bairros menos óbvios
experiências culturais locais
mobilidade elétrica e turismo responsável

👉 Personal comment: It is interesting to see how the country begins to communicate less "quantity" and more travel purpose.

Lisbon at the centre of tourism decisions

Reading news from the sector, another highlight was the realisation of major strategic events in Lisbon, such as BTL - Better Tourism Lisbon, one of the largest tourism fairs in the Iberian Peninsula.

These meetings put Portugal at the centre of global decisions in the sector and help to anticipate trends, investments and new ways of travelling.

⚠️ Not everything is flowers: the challenges of growth

Some more critical analyses also appeared in the readings, especially about:

Real estate pressure
Excessive dependence on tourism
Need for better territorial distribution of visitors

These points show that growth exists, but the debate is now about balance and sustainability, something increasingly valued also by the tourists themselves.