Foreigners spend more than 160 million to get married in Portugal
The charms of Portugal continue to foreigners and not just for traditional tourism. There are more and more couples of other nationalities who choose the country to tie the knot, taking advantage of the mild temperatures and the wide range of idyllic landscapes from North to South. With the end of those imposed by the pandemic, the numbers of weddings in the country photographed 9% in the first half of 2019, with 904 ceremonies held. Of these, 3,294 concern couples or couples in which at least one of the members is of another nationality, the Ministry of Justice told DN/Dinheiro Vivo.
The number of wedding photography weddings has dropped by 43% when compared to the same period in 2021, although it is still 16% from 2019. Tourists from the UK and Ireland are the main markets in this segment, followed by Brazil and India. The Swedes, Australians, Spaniards and French are also pointed out by entrepreneurs in the sector as growing customers.
Although there is still no data on the number of tourists traveling to Portugal, the duration of their stay or the costs, it is estimated that couples of other nationalities associated with tourists will have around 158 million euros in 2019, considering a study cited by Portugal, which points to an average expenditure of 25 thousand euros, tourism and travel of all independent associate employees as accommodation.
“The movement will be much higher, taking into account this increase in investment the amount invested by the amount requested”, ress. president of Turismo de Portugal Araújo. Tourists who choose the country to say “yes” end up combining their holidays with their wedding. A party of this type includes at least one week of stay in hotel units, for the bride and groom and guests, as well as the entire celebration service, which includes farms, wedding planner, catering and entertainment.
The costs of each wedding can be much higher and higher than all the extras, and considering that it is a market with a high economic power.
“This is a very high market and this is the great advantage of the country’s bet on these. Foreigners spend money when they come to Portugal because they bring many people, often in more than a hotel segment, and extend their stay for many days.” . They spend a lot and request high quality services”, framing Carina Monteiro, one of the founders of Portugal In Love, an international wedding forum held in Portugal to capture these markets and publish an offer available in the national territory. The official explains that the objective is to position the country as a wedding destination and compete with major competitors such as Italy or Greece.
Turismo de Portugal has focused on promoting this segment of doors, confirming that the economy weddings market “begins to assume a leading role in the national market”. “The climate, the competitive prices, the gastronomic wealth, the diverse landscape and cultural security, the quality of the service and the places available, along with the art of hospitality, the ability to speak, the variety of different languages. legal requirements, meticulous and thorough preparation of the agents involved in the organization of the are availability, factors of presentation of Portugal waiting for the event when it comes to choosing a destination to get married”, explains Luís Araújo.
Demand grows and Algarve continues to grow
The increasing demand from couples of other nationalities is already weighing on the accounts of companies in the sector. The Convento do Espinheiro hotel, in Évora, reveals that requests continue to increase and that, currently, foreigners already account for 30% of the total weddings performed at the unit, when in 2019 this percentage was only 10%. One of the most sought after advantages is the possibility of concentrating all services in the same space: ceremony, accommodation and party.
The Pestana group confirms the trend. “Foreigners continue to look for our hotels as a comfortable option. Those who had a view stopped at historic buildings such as castles or palaces”, describes the group.
The Algarve continues to be one of the favorite destinations, already with a long tradition in the celebration of these links, also for being, for years, a long-distance holiday destination for mainly British people. The Algarve Tourism Association (ATA) reveals that the level of foreign marriages in 2019 in the region has already increased and that reservations for 2023 have already been added. The number of specialized companies of international companies is also increasing. This segment, which ATA has not made a strong comeback in recent years, focusing on promoting the region in events specializing in international or national events, such as Portugal In Love, which is taking place in Porto in Braga, or Amour Forum, which takes place in October in Cascais.
“Promotes the Algarve as a destination fully prepared to welcome the diocese, which will have a team dedicated to foreigners of weddings created for everyone, with the tourism sector to publicize, with the tourism sector to publicize all the procedures that ATA does with suppliers, companies and means of this. As regional authorities they are also prepared to deal with all the procedural part of the bride and groom who do not speak Portuguese”, explains the ATA segment. João Fernandes believes that the Algarve is capable of “responding to all challenges”, due to the vast offer available.