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Real Estate News Releases
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(EMAILWIRE.COM, September 25, 2008 ) Portugal - TheMoveChannel.com, the leading international property portal, announces a number of new Portugal property developments:
- Fuseta Ria Resort (from £152,860, 2 beds+, Ria Formosa Natural Park, Algarve)
- Jardins De Salir (from £229,290, 3 bed, Silver Coast)
A great climate and wonderful beaches makes Portugal a popular tourist destination, but with alternative locations more obtainable and tourism trends taking a turn, we ask, has Portugal lost its appeal?
Tourist Performance
Portugal is one of the worldÂ’s top 20 destinations but has recently slipped in the pecking order and has been overtaken by countries such as Turkey, Hungary, Thailand and Malaysia.
Tourism is one of the main sectors of the Portuguese economy, responsible for about 8% of the national product and around 10% of the total employment.
In addition, the receipts from tourism contribute substantially in financing the current account deficit of the balance of payments in Portugal. Current revenues from tourism represent €6.3 billion Euros, equivalent to 11% of the nations GDP.
Although tourism figures have grown over recent years, Portugal has lost market share at international level and is currently highly dependent on four international markets - the UK, Spain, Germany and France - which make up 60% of international visitors and 67% of revenues.
The number of international tourists has grown at a slower rate than the growth rate of domestic tourism.
In 2005 2.4 million national residents went on holiday in Portugal, representing a growth of 7.1% in comparison with the previous year. In the same period, a total of around 12 million tourist visited Portugal, recording a 3% growth in comparison with the previous year.
Types of Tourism
The coastal areas of Portugal, such as the Algarve and Estoril, attract tourists with the lure of glorious sunshine, inviting beaches and numerous leisure options, such as great golf courses, healing health and wellness facilities and wonderful water-sport activities.
These types of locations tend to suffer from seasonality, where they are extremely busy during the summer months, but quiet during the winter periods. Conversely, cites such as Lisbon and Porto appeal more to the visitor who is looking for a short city break and more interested in the history, culture and architecture of a place.
Tourism Initiatives
Consumer trends suggest that tourism will enjoy future growth, fostered by developments of short breaks, an increase in the number of adults and senior citizens that travel and the desire of tourists for diversified experiences.
The Portuguese government have plans in place to increase the countryÂ’s appeal by focusing on the key factors that differentiate Portugal from other competing destinations.
These four factors are ‘climate and light,’ ‘history, culture and tradition,’ ‘hospitality’ and ‘concentrated diversity.’ Also in development is an initiative to develop the country’s infrastructure, transport links and air access, as well as modernizing hotels and similar accommodations and improving the service skills of the staff, making it far more amenable and accessible to visit Portugal
Main Tourist Regions
Portugal relies heavily on the tourism performance of three main regions, the Algarve, Lisboa and Madeira, who combined are responsible for more than 85% of international overnight stays in hotels and similar establishments.
Dan Johnson, Managing Director, comments:
“For so long a country that took for granted the influx of tourists, but now the choice for travel destinations has grown and Portugal knows it needs to improve its approach. It has the necessary ‘raw materials’ – climate, natural and cultural resources – to consolidate and improve upon its tourist trade and with a strategic tourism plan in place, it shouldn’t be long before Portugal is back up there where it belongs, as one of the main tourist destinations in the world.”
For more information on Portugal Properties in general please visit http://portugal.themovechannel.com/
- ENDS –
Notes to editors:
TheMoveChannel.com is a property website that was founded in 1999 as an online resource for buying, selling and learning about property. It now receives as many as 300,000 visits per month and advertises over 50,000 properties in nearly 90 countries, which are listed by over 500 partner organisations.
For further information as well as images and interview possibilities, please contact:
Dan Johnson
Managing Director
www.TheMoveChannel.com
0207 952 7650
TheMoveChannel.com
Jon Moore
Jon Moore
j.moore@themovechannel.com 
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