Tag: portugal tourism

Portugal’s national tourism body Turismo de Portugal has launched a new travel insurance product for foreign tourists travelling to the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The insurance product has been introduced with the aim of showcasing that the country is safe for travellers and covers a range of different expenses including medical, surgical, pharmaceutical, and hospital charges associated with coronavirus. It also covers additional expenses that may occur from cancellation, interruption, or the extension of trips. According to reports, the insurance is valid for mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores. It is also ... Read more

Lisbon City Council is taking steps to turn Airbnb-style homes into affordable housing. But with many short-term rental owners holding out for tourism to return, the city’s new program has yet to attract many owners, Bloomberg reports. Under the so-called “Safe Rent” program, Lisbon is offering to pay as much as three years of rent up front to lure property owners—many of whom have seen their rental income evaporate due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions—to switch their short-term rental units into long-term lets for locals. Property owners may earn a maximum of 1,000 euros a month ($1,170) for a four-bedroom apartment in the ... Read more

Neighbours Spain and Portugal reopened their border on Wednesday to all travellers after a three-month closure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, bringing relief to local business owners who have struggled to make ends meet without tourism. “It has been miserable since we reopened in May. There are no customers,” Jose Valentim, a restaurant owner in the Portuguese border town of Elvas, told Reuters. “We hope that from today onwards some Spaniards will be able to come.” For Luis Pinheiro, a 53-year old construction supervisor who commutes across the border every day from the Spanish city of Badajoz to his ... Read more

They’ve both got beaches, food, history and sunshine, but two leading tourist destinations are now selling themselves as Europe’s safest as they try to lure the visitors they need to prop up economies fried by the coronavirus. Both Portugal and Greece, which this week opened their doors wider to international visitors, are trumpeting relatively low infection rates and widespread measures to keep the virus in check. And both face financial peril unless they can persuade the tourists to come, CNN says in a detailed report. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa believes his country remains as attractive as ever, but has ... Read more

Portugal has said that it’s ready to welcome tourists, expressing confidence that its public health care system can take care of the tourists. Portugal’s foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva has said no quarantine will be imposed on people arriving by plane. He said that “minimal health controls,” which he did not specify, will be enforced at airports. Other European countries, including Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, have preferred a 14-day self-isolation rule for arrivals. Santos Silva said in an interview with Observador radio station that Portugal’s public health system has coped well with the new coronavirus outbreak, though doctors ... Read more

Portugal is a country of strong wine tradition, and the excellent quality of its wines is recognized across the world, with numerous awards and distinctions won in international competitions. And to appreciate and know them, nothing like visiting the regions where they are produced, and wine is an excellent excuse to also discover the landscapes, heritage, culture and the people who live here. The country offers excellent opportunities for wine tourism, often associated with rural tourism and boutique hotels in prime locations. Besides the wines, you can also enjoy other farm-produced products, such as fruits and jams, cheeses, olive oils, ... Read more

The Madeira Carnival in Portugal officially begins on the Friday before Lent (February 26, 2019) and ends on Shrove Tuesday (March 10, 2019), with the whole island being caught up in the intense and contagious liveliness. The Carnival festival in Madeira is one of the region’s liveliest festivals. Funchal city wakes up on the Friday morning to the sound of brass bands and carnival parades bringing their good humour to the whole of the downtown area, which is then continued at night with concerts and shows in the Praça do Município for five consecutive days. On Saturday night, it’s time ... Read more

Historical villages in Portugal are made of granite and schist that preserve memories of ancient conquests and traditions and are remarkable for their landscapes, their heritage and for the friendliness of the people who live there. Perched on the top of mountains, these villages can be spotted from afar by the tall towers of their medieval castles. That is why they were strategically aligned along the border. The kings and lords of the land knew this would mean they could sleep more restfully. But they were sometimes mistaken. Moors and Christians, Spaniards and Portuguese, all tried to take them for ... Read more

Ideal weather, Christmas decorations, street entertainment, festive atmosphere and spectacular fireworks will let you celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays in the most spectacular way in Portugal. Go Ho! Ho! Ho! and all merry in absolutely amazing Lisbon. The churches and streets are so wonderfully decorated that gets you going all Christmas-y. Plenty to shop for in the amazing Christmas markets of Lisbon. Climb to the castle of Sao George and take a stroll through festally decorated Alfama and if you are lucky, you may get to treat your ears with Fado. Explore the festive beauty of nearby Belem district, ... Read more

Turismo de Portugal (TdP) has conducted roadshows combined with B2B sessions, in New Delhi and Mumbai. The roadshow was aimed to educate and motivate the focused invitee list of preferred travel agents, tour operators and trade partners and update their knowledge about Portugal, the products it has to offer, USP’s of the destination, exchange rate, visas and how it caters to different segments of the Indian travellers. The event was divided into 2 different sessions – one was the focused B2B sessions where the invitees held business meetings with the Portugal DMCs. The DMCs and their top management attend the Roadshow; ... Read more

Portugal’s tourism industry is in a positive swing as per the statistics revealed by the department of tourism. As per the records Portugal’s tourism revenues shows an increase of 13.9 per cent during the first six months of year compared with the same period last year. The total revenue from tourism was 6.9 billion euros during this period. March recorded the highest increase in tourism revenue with 20.3 per cent.  May has 19.5 per cent and February shows 16.1 per cent increase, during the first half of the year. “Tourist revenues in Portugal are growing 5 times more than the ... Read more

Sun and sea, radical sports, natural parks, festivals and concerts – there’s a bit of everything in Portugal for a great holiday for the young… The white sandy beaches are full of possibilities for fun-filled days, with calm or rough seas and countless activities to indulge in; or for sunbathing, being with friends and dancing the night away. Inland, there are mountains and valleys to explore, observing nature or taking part in radical sports. There are also villages here that will take you back in time, where you can breathe clean air and discover ancient customs. And for the more ... Read more