Brasilia, April 14, 2026 (Lusa) – Portugal's government expects record Brazilian tourist numbers after figures for the first two months of 2026 surpassed the same period last year, Tourism, Trade and Services Secretary of State Pedro Machado has told Lusa.
Speaking at the Atlantic Tourism Forum – Portugal & Brazil (a bilateral tourism cooperation meeting) in Brazil’s São Paulo, on Monday, the official said available data suggests 2026 will break all records for Brazilian tourists. The Luso-Brazilian Foundation, an organisation promoting cultural and economic ties between the two nations, organised the forum.
Data provided by the secretary shows nearly 160,000 Brazil's citizens stayed in Portugal during the first two months of the year, while overnight stays exceeded 358,000.
Representatives from tourism promotion agencies for the North, Centre, Lisbon, Algarve and Alentejo regions confirmed growth, which in some cases exceeded 17%.
"This means demand is not just concentrated in Lisbon, but the whole country is receiving Brazilian citizens, which indicates 2026 will break all previous records," he said.
Brazilians were the fourth-largest group to visit Portugal by February. In that month alone, "demand for Portugal grew by around 16%, a very significant figure," during a month considered difficult due to storms hitting the country.
Unconfirmed March data also shows significant growth. "Compared with 2025, there is a clear upward trend in bookings for summer 2026," he said.
He said the forecast relied on increased flight frequencies from TAP.
"TAP is expanding its flights, so we will have direct flights to 15 Brazilian cities, rather than 13, meaning more than 100 flights a week," he said, noting direct flights to Curitiba should start in July and to São Luís do Maranhão in October.
Brazil’s airline Gol will begin operating flights to Lisbon in October.
The international situation also contributed to the increased demand for Portugal, Machado said.
In 2025, tourist accommodation establishments recorded 32.5 million guests and 82.1 million overnight stays, representing annual growth of 3% and 2.2% respectively.
MIM/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
