"It is the most important market for Portugal. We want to strengthen and continue to grow in this market, which is crucial," the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado, told Lusa on the sidelines of the World Travel Market (WTM) tourism fair.

The United Kingdom is currently the main source market for tourists to Portugal, with 2.5 million visitors and more than 10 million overnight stays in 2024.

Last year, revenue from British tourists reached €4.13 billion, 15% of the national total, and this year, it was revealed, it continued to grow.

In this sense, the Government increased the promotional budget in the United Kingdom by about 13% compared to last year and invested in space at WTM, considered one of the most important in the tourism sector.

The €5 million invested in 2025 includes campaigns by regional agencies and external promotion in capacity-building actions, press trips, presentations and advertising.

Airport waiting times

Pedro Machado stated to Lusa that Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, "is the Achilles' heel," where waiting times on arrivals are exceeding targets.

"The information I had last week [is that the waiting time] can vary between 60 and 120 minutes" between arrival and departure from the airport, he said.

The government's goal is for the maximum waiting time on arrival at Portuguese airports not to exceed 55 minutes.

In statements to Lusa, Pedro Machado admitted that the current situation, regularly reported in British media, "is not a good image of Portugal at the moment."

"We are aware that this is indeed a constraint that is not currently contributing positively to Portugal's image in the world," he stressed.

The situation worsened after the entry into operation of the European Entry/Exit System (EES) on October 12 in Portugal and other countries of the Schengen area.

The new European border control system began electronically registering the entries and exits of travellers from third countries, replacing the traditional stamps in passports.

At the first entry point, the system requires the collection of biometric data, namely, facial images and fingerprints.

The Secretary of State said that a 'task force' has been formed by the government, between the Ministry of Internal Administration, AIMA (Agency for International Motor Transport) and the Ministry of Infrastructure, to reinforce the number of eGates and personnel handling passport control.