According to data released by the INE, which shows a 4.5% growth in tourism in the first half of the year, between January and June tourism registered more than one million tourists from the United States, which represents a growth of 15% compared to the same period in 2023.

Apart from the USA, only the United Kingdom, which continues to lead the ranking with the most tourists in Portugal, registered more than one million guests to Portugal by the end of June. The USA thus appears as the second country of origin of non-resident tourists, tied with the United Kingdom, the main market for the national tourism sector.

In the first half of the year, the INE recorded around 1.2 million British tourists, 119 thousand more tourists than the United States and an increase of 6% compared to the same period in the previous year.

The United Kingdom has historically been the main contributor to national tourism activity, with a weight of 13% in foreign tourists and 18% in overnight stays – 4.7 million of the 25 million overnight stays by non-resident guests were generated by British tourists – however, the United States has been gaining relevance in recent years and has surpassed countries such as Spain and Germany.

The number of North American tourists has been increasing in recent years, with Portugal's popularity as a holiday destination growing in the United States. The number of American tourists has almost doubled in the space of two years, rising from 584.7 thousand in the first half of 2022, to 902 thousand by June 2023 and more than one million in the last half of the year. Foreigners account for almost two-thirds of guests

Tourism activity, which has maintained a positive growth dynamic, has been helped by the contribution of foreigners. In the first half of the year, the INE reveals that 14.4 million tourists were registered, 5.6% more than in the same period of the previous year. Of these, 8.8 million, or 62%, were foreigners.

In terms of overnight stays, the USA is the fifth largest market, with 2.35 million overnight stays in the first half of the year, behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and France. As with the number of guests, foreigners also account for the largest share of overnight stays.

Of the total overnight stays, 25.5 million, or 71.5%, were generated by foreign guests. The five main markets – the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France and the USA – generated 14.4 million overnight stays, more than half of the total overnight stays by foreigners.

Overall, overnight stays grew by 4.5%, reaching 35.5 million, giving rise to increases of 12.3% in total revenue and 12.1% in accommodation, an increase determined by the contribution of foreigners.