Gondomar and Tarouca Lead National Tourism Growth Metrics
The municipalities of Gondomar in the Porto district and Tarouca in the Viseu district have registered the most significant growth in tourist overnight stays and accommodation capacity, respectively, in the five-year period from 2019 to 2024. The data, released by the statistical portal Pordata, provides a detailed view of the evolving tourism landscape across Portugal, highlighting several municipalities that are emerging as new areas of interest for visitors.
According to the official statistics, Gondomar has seen an explosive increase in its volume of tourist overnight stays. The municipality's numbers grew from 14,320 in 2019 to 106,503 in 2024, marking it as the location with the highest growth rate in this specific metric nationwide. This surge indicates a significant expansion of tourist activity in the greater Porto metropolitan area. Concurrently, the municipality of Tarouca distinguished itself by achieving the largest percentage increase in tourist accommodation capacity, with the number of available beds rising from 70 to 262 over the same period.
The Pordata analysis also shed light on seasonal tourism patterns and occupancy rates. The municipality of Mira, located in the Coimbra district, was identified as having the highest concentration of overnight stays during the summer months, with 58.1% of its annual total occurring in that season. This points to a strong seasonal market in the region. In the Lisbon district, the municipality of Alenquer recorded the most substantial increase in its summer occupancy rate. The rate climbed from 17.6% in 2019 to 48.4% in 2024, demonstrating a rapidly growing appeal as a summer destination.
The report from Pordata further detailed performance within the local accommodation sector, commonly known as 'Alojamento Local'. Among the 119 municipalities for which confidential data could be disclosed, three stood out for the largest increase in tourist overnight stays within this category. These were Lagoa in the Faro district, São Vicente in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and Anadia in the Aveiro district. The strong performance of Lagoa highlights continued and growing demand for short-term rental properties in the Algarve region.
These figures from Pordata offer a quantitative look at the shifting dynamics of tourism in Portugal. While major cities and coastal areas remain popular, the data confirms a trend of diversification, with significant growth occurring in municipalities that are adjacent to major urban centers or located in the country's interior. The growth in both demand, as measured by overnight stays, and supply, as measured by accommodation capacity, points to a dynamic and expanding market. The data reflects a period of significant development in the national tourism sector, with new destinations gaining prominence and contributing to the overall growth of the industry.
The statistics provided are based on official records and are subject to confidentiality criteria, which limits the release of data for some municipalities. The available information, however, confirms a broad trend of growth and geographic diversification in Portugal's tourism industry between 2019 and 2024.
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