According to the Economic Impact Research Report (EIR) by the WTTC, the sector is expected to create around 30,000 jobs this year, reaching 950,000 workers and leaving only 68,000 jobs below the 2019 level of just over a million.

The global tourism entity predicts that the sector will increase its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 56,400 million euros by 2033, representing more than a fifth (21.1%) of the Portuguese economy.

In the next decade, travel and tourism could employ more than 1.2 million people across the country, with one in four people working in the sector.

Last year, the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP grew by 61.6%, reaching almost 38,000 euros, representing 15.8% of the Portuguese economy, with the sector creating 83,000 more jobs compared to the previous year.

According to the latest WTTC report, the sector has already recovered more than 90% of the pre-pandemic level of jobs.

Last year saw the return of international tourists to Portugal, with Spain (16%), France (12%), the United Kingdom (11%) and Germany and the USA (both with 8%) leading the ranking of the main origin markets of international arrivals.

According to the report, in 2022, international tourist spending contributed €21,700 million to the national economy, registering "impressive year-on-year growth" of 80.4% and remaining just 7.7% below 2019 levels.

Quoted in the document, the executive president of the WTTC, Julia Simpson, says that "the travel and tourism sector in Portugal is recovering strongly, with high demand from visitors".

"The sector's future is very optimistic. By the end of this year, the sector's contribution will exceed 2019 levels, and over the next decade, growth will exceed that of the national GDP and 248,000 new jobs will be created, representing one in every four jobs".