News

Over a million visitors to Port cellars

The Port Wine Cellars, in Gaia, received more than one million visitors in 2022, a significant increase compared to the previous two years, but below the 1.37 million tourists of 2019. The increase in visitors is attributed to the growing popularity of the country as a tourist destination, as well as the expansion of direct flights to Porto. The Douro region is known for its production of Port wine, and visitors can tour the cellars, taste the wines, and learn about the wine-making process.

Biggest property price increase in 30 years

The sale prices of houses in Portugal (Mainland) rose 18.7% in 2022, the highest annual appreciation of the last 30 years, according to the Residential Price Index of Confidencial Imobiliário.

Local accommodation suspension to “discipline” sector

Vila Nova de Gaia Council, in the district of Porto, has decided to suspend new registrations for local accommodation for six months in order to create new municipal regulations and to “discipline” the sector. The proposal was unanimously approved, and is now being discussed in the Municipal Assembly.

200 digital nomad visas issued in just two and a half months

In just two and a half months 200 people have taken advantage of the Portuguese government’s new ‘digital nomad visa’ – the majority of them citizens of the United Kingdom, United States and Brazil. According to data sent to PÚBLICO by Porto City Hall, a digital nomad stays in the city an average of seven nights (a tourist stays 2.1 nights). The figures are an estimate of the number of visits by digital nomads based on the number of trips registered by members of Nomad List, a paid platform, says city hall.

Portugal ranks 6th in the list of most powerful passports.

The ranking includes 199 passports and 227 different travel destinations, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Alonside France, Ireland, and United Kingdom, Portuguese passport appears in the 6th position with 187 destinations.

Portugal real estate on the radar for US buyers

Investment in Portuguese real estate from the USA is expected to continue to grow throughout 2023. According to Sotheby's International Realty Luxury Outlook 2023, Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, and Madeira) has already ranked among the top destinations for luxury buyers from the US. Safety, quality of life, hospitality of the Portuguese, infrastructure, education, and health are among the most valued qualities in the country.