On World Tourism Day, the president of the Association of Travel Agencies and the Hotel Industry of Portugal praises the sector’s contribution to economic growth in a year that, in balance terms, is “happy.”
“Tourism is again (this year) driving the country’s growth and helping the old world, characterized by fear of difference, to modernize and bring people together. It has been a happy year,” said the President of the Portuguese Travel and Tourism Association. Agencies (APAVT) Pedro Costa Ferreira in Luzú on the occasion of World Tourism Day, which is celebrated this Wednesday.
A celebration that, according to the President of the Portuguese Hotel Association (AHP), is celebrated with everyone who works in this growing sector.
“The celebration of World Tourism Day is a celebration of more than five hundred thousand Portuguese who have decided to make a career in this activity. Bernardo Trinidad said to Lusa.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that Portugal’s travel and tourism sector will contribute €40,400 million to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, surpassing the record of €40,100 million in 2019.
According to the WTTC’s Economic Impact Research (EIR) released on July 18, the sector is expected to add about 30,000 jobs this year, reaching 950,000 jobs and leaving just 68,000 jobs below just over a million in 2019 .
The global tourism organization predicts that by 2033 the sector will increase its contribution to GDP to 56,400 million euros, representing more than a fifth (21.1%) of the Portuguese economy.
They predict that travel and tourism could employ more than 1.2 million people across the country over the next decade, with one in four people working in the sector.
Last year, the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP grew by 61.6%, reaching almost 38,000 euros, representing 15.8% of the Portuguese economy, while the sector created 83,000 more jobs compared to the previous year, reaching 921 000 jobs.
Thus, according to the latest WTTC report, the sector has already recovered more than 90% of pre-pandemic employment levels.
The National Institute of Statistics (INE) announced on September 14 that tourism generated revenue of €3,200 million between January and July, up 26.1% from the same period in 2022, recording 42.8 million overnight stays plus 14.8%.
However, for Bernardo Trindade, celebrating this activity this Wednesday “is also an acknowledgment of the negative externalities” of the sector.
“We never hide this, this is a reality, but the organizations and associations themselves must regulate and regulate these activities for the benefit of citizens and for the benefit of Portugal,” he said.
On September 21 in Macau, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services said the commitment to sustainable tourism also meant that the sector’s “benefits” “should be for everyone.”
In the future, “only tourism destinations that invest in sustainable development will be competitive,” Nuno Fazenda said on the first day of the Global Economy and Tourism Forum (GTEF).
But to “establish Portugal as a sustainable tourism destination,” “we need to see tourism beyond tourism. There is much more to it than just hotels, travel agencies and tourist entertainment,” the government official added, also keeping in mind that the industry has a ripple effect. in areas such as “transport, sustainable building, agriculture, coastal protection, forests, biodiversity.”
On September 19, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said international tourism continues to recover from the pandemic crisis, with arrivals expected to reach 84% of pre-Covid-19 levels by July.
Year to date, 700 million tourists have taken international trips, up 43% on the same period in 2022, and July was the busiest month with 145 million international travelers, about 20% of the total.
The outlook for the rest of the year points to a continued recovery, but at a more moderate pace following the peak tourist season.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.