The front page of the “Jornal de Notícias” from Saturday, March 21, 2026.
[This article was first published on our site on March 23, 2026, and republished on May 3.]
“The war in the Middle East turns 300,000 British tourists to Portugal,” headlined the Saturday, March 21 edition of the Jornal de Notícias (JN). The newspaper relies on forecasts from major operators and specialists in the sector, who designate the Portuguese territory as one of the main alternative destinations, instead of Spain or Italy, to escape the instability that has been affecting the Middle East since the beginning of the American-Israeli war against Iran on February 28.
“It is estimated that only from the UK, around 300,000 people will choose Portugal instead of destinations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, or even Jordan, which have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones and whose airspace is heavily disrupted,” announced the JN.
“This represents about 10% of the usual market in this region of the globe, which is close to three million visitors. These are tourists who prioritize safety during their vacations and have already started to change their originally planned itineraries,” explained Miguel Quintas, president of the National Association of Travel Agencies (Anav).
“Clear signs of a redistribution of demand”
In the newspaper columns, tourism specialist António Lopes de Almeida, an associate professor at the Higher Institute of Administration and Management in Porto, confirms that vacationers are changing their plans.
“We are witnessing a clear reshaping of tourist flows, which involves a repositioning of Portugal, now considered a safe haven due to its security.”
The profile of tourists heading to Portuguese land will also change, with more and more people from middle and upper classes, with higher purchasing power. This high demand is expected to lead to an increase in accommodation prices, especially in summer.
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