Portuguese residents cut travel for first time in two years
Residents in Portugal made fewer trips in the second quarter, as a drop in domestic travel outweighed continued growth in trips abroad.
Residents in Portugal made 5.9 million tourist trips in the second quarter, down 1.5% from a year earlier, the first decline in two years, according to data released by the national statistics office INE. The drop reflects weaker domestic travel, even as outbound trips continued to grow.
The reversal was driven by a 3.8% fall in trips within Portugal, which totaled 4.8 million and accounted for 81.8% of all resident travel. By contrast, trips abroad rose 10% to 1.1 million, or 18.2% of the total, partly offsetting the overall decline.
Leisure, recreation or holidays remained the main reason for travel, accounting for 2.9 million trips, or 49.9% of the total. Visits to family or friends came next, motivating about 2.1 million trips, or 36.2%.
Pre-booked services were used in 45.2% of trips in the quarter, with a much higher share for travel abroad than for domestic trips. Free private accommodation remained the main lodging option, representing 53% of overnight stays, followed by hotels and similar establishments with 34%.
Originally published at Eco.pt
