Portugal’s tourism sector reached record levels in 2024, with over 31 million visitors and strong growth in overnight stays and revenues. This sets the stage for travel tech founders to innovate. The article by Tripnly’s Alper Aydın argues that startups in Portugal are in a rare moment where demand, government support, and ecosystem maturity all align.

The author highlights several opportunity areas. First, travel superapps that offer trip planning, bookings, local content and social features under one roof are increasingly needed. Second, sustainable and responsible travel solutions—such as carbon calculators, eco-booking options or off-season travel—stand out as ways to differentiate. Third, experiential and wellness travel is growing: events that combine culture, community and wellbeing are especially appealing. Fourth, the digital nomad market is expanding, and services that combine housing, local immersion and ease of living can tap into that demand.

Strategies recommended for founders include forging partnerships with hotels, transport providers and cultural experience operators; staying user-centric in design, including support for multiple languages and offline functionalities; and ensuring solutions are scalable beyond one city or region. Moreover, leveraging government incentives, grants and startup-friendly policies is seen as crucial.

We recommend reading the full article to see detailed examples and a fuller picture of how these trends and strategies could be applied by travel tech startups in Portugal now.

#Smart destinations #Innovation in tourism #Destination management #Digital nomandism #Virtual tourism #Experimental tourism