Porto – Smart Turism Porto

Smart Tourism Capital

Yours Truly,
Porto

A city with open arms and a beating heart.

A proud member of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1996, Porto is a true open-air museum of history, architecture and culture. Endowed with scenic beauty and a unique identity, the city is constantly renewing itself and evolving, anchored in a vision to become a worldwide reference as a smart tourism destination.

From short city breaks to long-stay tourism, from residents to digital nomads, from business trips to leisure, Porto is a city for everyone: to live, visit, work, invest, study.

Authentic

A city full of character and essence made of its people, known as “Tripeiros”, truly genuine and welcoming.

Contemporary

Hometown of artists, writers and architects, whose legacy shaped its personality and inspired generations to experiment and create. From fashion design to ceramics, from illustration to street art, Porto is nowadays a bustling art hub.

Sustainable

Concerned with the well-being of future generations, committed to becoming a worldwide reference as a sustainable destination, actively combating climate change and promoting carbon neutrality.

Accessible and inclusive

A city for everyone, open and inclusive, with an active role in promoting diversity and tolerance.

Innovative and digital

A city designed for the future and connected to the world, leveraging technology as an intelligent management tool to serve people based on digital humanism. Its cutting-edge digital infrastructure fosters a favourable ecosystem for start-ups and innovative entrepreneurship.

This is the DNA of a city in constant renewal that interacts, connects, diversifies, and amplifies—honouring its past while moving forward to address the demands of a world in accelerated change.

Porto has gained prominence over the last decade on the international tourism map, attracting visitors from all over the world and generating significant economic impact. As the destination unveiled itself to the eyes of the world, claiming the top spot in tourism rankings and collecting international awards, it entered a virtuous cycle of evolution and development that permeated all spheres of city life.

The numbers prove it

Porto recorded approximately 5.9 million overnight stays in 2023 (according to INE – National Statistics Institute), exceeding pre-pandemic figures by over 28%. The number of human resources in the tourism sector rose by 54.6% from 2015 to 2021 and the economic impact of accommodation reached 413 million euros (in 2019 hospitality generated revenue of around 292 million euros). Besides the overall growth in visitors and overnight stays, the city is increasingly extending the average stay and balancing the seasonality of tourist flows.

5.9 million

overnight stays in 2023

28%

Growth over pre-pandemic years

54.6%

Human resources growth from 2015 to 2021

413 million €

Economic impact of accommodation in 2021

Globally recognised and awarded

Porto has been globally recognised and awarded as one of the most attractive destinations in Europe and the world. It has topped evaluation and voting rankings, earning acclaim from the most reputable judging panels, public opinion and international media. The prestigious awards it has won include the World Travel Awards: after being voted Europe’s Leading City Break Destination in 2023, Porto was again an award-winner at the World Travel Awards, this time as “Europe’s Leading Seaside Metropolitan Destination 2024”.

New challanges, new vision

Tourism growth and recognition raised new challenges: How can long-term value be ensured while guaranteeing the destination’s quality of life and sustainability?

This question led to the creation of the “Vision for the sustainable future of the destination of Porto”, a macro plan that aims to be a guiding instrument for a collective vision, shared by the entire tourism ecosystem. It shall also be able to generate a multiplier effect of balance, cooperation, and mutual commitment.

The vision is presented as a love letter to the city – “Yours Truly, Porto”. It has more than 20 ongoing projects, strategically thought out and designed to strengthen tourism-generated growth and development, diversifying the destination’s attractiveness, targets and narratives, while preserving the city’s quality of life and ensuring environmental protection.

The main goals are to position Porto as a destination:

Truly qualified

Enhance city tourism experiences by closely collaborating with operators and partners to raise standards of hospitality and service for tourists, thereby improving the perceived quality of the city’s tourism.

Truly decentralised

Promote the decentralisation of tourist flows to alleviate pressure on high-demand areas, by redefining narratives and tourist circuits to diversify audiences and expand opportunities. It is an invitation to discover the multiple cities within the city, the identity of each quarter, the diversity of its offer, the stories and secrets waiting to be unveiled.

Truly sustainable

Ensure the sustainable growth of the Porto destination. It is crucial to develop measures and programmes that safeguard the current and future interests of the city, its residents, its heritage and the environment. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to create a balance of interests which allows for the preservation of the identity, quality of life and well-being of all citizens, whether residents or visitors, while maximising the benefits of an economy energised by responsible and conscious tourism.

In Porto, “Future is Now”. This short film, promoted by Porto City Council, portrays a city where tradition blends with contemporaneity, seen through the eyes of those who live, work, study and come to visit. Now it’s Porto’s time.