Lisbon, Sept. 17, 2026 (Lusa) - Most Portuguese people who travelled abroad did so outside the months of July, August and September, according to an analysis by ANAV – the National Association of Travel Agencies – which also highlighted a sharp rise in costs.
The organisation noted that Portuguese outbound tourism reached a new all-time high last year, with 3.858 million trips abroad by residents of Portugal, an increase of 12.5% compared with 2024.
ANAV analysed data based on information from 2016 to 2025 provided by Turismo de Portugal/TravelBI, Statistics Portugal (INE), Eurostat and the Bank of Portugal, which indicated that, in addition to the record number of trips abroad, «travel and tourism outflows recorded by the Bank of Portugal reached €7.154 billion, more than double the figure recorded in 2016».
The association noted that one of the most striking findings in this analysis «is the increasing spread of travel throughout the year».
Thus, «65.6% of overseas trips taken in 2025 took place outside the months of July, August and September», although, even so, «August was the month with the highest individual share, accounting for 16.3% of all overseas trips».
For ANAV, this situation demonstrates that «Portuguese outbound tourism is no longer a phenomenon exclusively associated with the summer months» and that «demand during the low season represents a growing opportunity for consumers and businesses», as it allows for «greater flexibility in the choice of dates and destinations and creates the conditions for a more balanced distribution of tourist activity throughout the year».
According to the association, the growth in the number of trips has also led to an increase in total expenditure; last year, «the average expenditure per trip was €803, a 4.8% decrease compared with 2024, but the rise in the number of trips pushed the estimated total expenditure up to approximately €3.10 billion».
At the same time, «travelling abroad has become significantly more expensive over the last decade. Between 2016 and 2025, airfares rose by 31.0% and prices for international package holidays by 29.6%, exceeding the general inflation rate of 24.9% over the same period», it pointed out.
ANAV stated that Spain remained «the main destination for residents of Portugal, accounting for 38.8% of outbound trips in 2025», with France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany rounding off the top five individual markets, «whilst Cabo Verde edged closer to the top five, increasing its share by 1.9 percentage points».
The organisation also revealed that, last year, «26.7% of outbound trips were booked through a travel agency or tour operator, a proportion some 4.1 times higher than the share of agency-booked trips in the total number of trips», noting that «although the share fell by 0.9 percentage points, the implied volume of organised trips increased by around 8.8% to approximately 1.03 million trips".
According to ANAV, the «growth trend is set to continue in 2026», with «Portuguese residents making 923,800 trips abroad in the first quarter of the year, 30% more than in the same period of 2025».
Meanwhile, travel expenditure recorded by the Bank of Portugal in the first half of the year «reached €3.159 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 5.3%».
ALN/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
