Portugal attended ITB China, the largest tourism fair in the largest source market for tourists, with a delegation of 20 Portuguese companies. Led by the President of Turismo de Portugal, Carlos Abade, the Portuguese delegation sought to explore opportunities for cooperation between the tourism entities of the two countries, foster cooperation in the area of student training and the training of tourism professionals and encourage local companies to invest in the tourism industry in Portugal.
The agenda for the event, which took place on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and China, included the signing of contracts with local companies for the launch of marketing campaigns to promote Portugal throughout China, as well as other initiatives. The ITB China event in Shanghai was followed by a roadshow with stops in Beijing, Guangzhou and Macau, bringing together more than 200 Chinese companies and enabling meetings with CEOs of the main partners of the tourism operation.
China is the largest outbound tourism market in the world, which is why it is viewed strategically. It will therefore continue to be a tourist market of enormous potential and interest for Portugal in the short, medium and long term. In the cumulative period from January to February 2024, China was positioned as the 17th tourist market in terms of external demand for Portugal, as measured by the overnight stays indicator (1.3% share) and ranked 14th in the guest indicator (2.1% share), totalling 37,100.
