Portugal is the most sought-after destination for those who live here. From north to south of the country, there is much to visit and the Portuguese love to get to know the country where they live. However, holidays are synonymous with travel.

According to Sapo news, Nuno Mateus, the director of Solférias, the top three are made up of Cape Verde, Paris, and Senegal. The latter joined the list recently but has had great expression, especially in the last two or three years, due to the opening of Riu Baobab. “We launched charters and from then on, Senegal grew exponentially. There was a revolution in a good way in terms of demand from Portugal due to the opening of this hotel”, because, in his opinion, “it completely changes the concept”.

Next comes Tunisia, Egypt, then Portugal as a whole – which is clearly divided between mainland Portugal, Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores, Brazil, Zanzibar, Morocco, São Tomé, and other “long-distance idyllics”, such as the Maldives, Cuba, and Thailand.

Nuno Mateus argues that there is a “very important factor”. “For a destination to be in demand there must be good air connections. A destination that does not have good air connections may have some demand but it ends up being marginal, not significant. When there is an operator with a good charter and the price-quality ratio becomes affordable, it’s different”. And gives an example “We offer Zanzibar nine hours from Lisbon. With a layover, it takes around 15 hours or 16 hours. It's a completely different concept. It is true that flights have other advantages that charters do not have. It depends on what the client wants to do”, he assures.

In Lusanova, the trend goes to other countries. “Within the range of destinations that Lusanova has presented to the market in recent years, the most sought after have been national destinations, with emphasis on the Portuguese archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, as well as European destinations, in which Italy, France, Benelux, and Germany stand out. In terms of long-haul destinations, we have observed a strong appetite for Southeast Asia, India, and South America (Brazil and Argentina)”, Tiago Encarnação, operational director of Lusanova, has said.

Asked if there had been any reversal in the trend over the years, the person in charge said that it had been noticed “that travellers are more aware of the choices they make for their trips, opting for higher quality destinations and products”. And there was also “a growth in tailor-made trips, that is, adjusted to their needs”.

However, Tiago Encarnação adds that “we still see a lot of demand for circuits with predefined itineraries, which include transport, accommodation, visits, guide, some meals, among other experiences. Always with guaranteed departures and guides in Portuguese”. Adding that “little by little, long-haul destinations have seen greater demand at the expense of short - and medium-haul destinations. All this demand from the public will increase the number of days spent travelling as well as the value of the trips”.