Foreign arrivals in Portugal rose 54 percent to 7.7 million, the National Statistics Institute figures showed, while hotel revenues slipped just over 2 percent to 1.86 billion euros.
Τhe number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal hit a record high last year, but hotels took less money as the economic crisis forced them to cut prices to attract custom, data showed on Thursday.
Foreign arrivals rose 54 percent to 7.7 million, the National Statistics Institute figures showed, while hotel revenues slipped just over 2 percent to 1.86 billion euros – within touching distance of the record of 1.96 billion euros set in 2008.
According to Reuters, οverall revenues from tourism account for around 10 percent of Portugal’s gross domestic product.
Portugal is mired in its worst recession since the 1970s, with the country’s economic growth prospects damaged by tough austerity measures the government has had to enforce under its 78 billion euro EU/IMF bailout.
GDP shrank 3.2 percent last year and is expected to contract at least another 1 percent this year.
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