A leading tourism organization recently named the country of Portugal as the “Best Destination in the World” for tourism and travel. The same group also recognized the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Porto as the cities that are expected to attract the most first-time visitors during the coming year.

The World Travel Awards, which are considered by many to be the Oscars of the travel industry, recognized Portugal as the leading place for travel, with the best cities to visit, as well as the best overall safety record. And Portugal’s popular “Passadiços do Paiva” hiking trail was named the best tourist attraction on Earth.

13 International Awards

Portugal won 13 awards in total from eDreams ODIGEO, the international organization that awards the tourism prizes each year. In addition to Best Destination and Best Tourist Attraction, Portugal also was recognized for its hotels, airlines, and resorts.

The recognition comes as no surprise for veteran European travelers, who have been enjoying the unique mixture of cosmopolitan modernity and historic culturalism in Portuguese destinations like Lisbon, Porto, and The Algarve for years. Once one of the leading world powers, in recent decades Portugal has been Europe’s “best-kept secret” for travelers, as well as for people looking for a safe yet fascinating place to relocate or retire.

Welcoming and Friendly

While many European countries have a reputation for being insular, clannish, and even resentful of tourists, Portugal is known for being warm and inviting to outsiders. It’s friendly and welcoming people make visitors feel comfortable from the moment of their arrival.

Portugal has even made it easy for people from other countries to live there permanently. Relocating or retiring in Portugal is not only simple but also affordable and relatively fast.

To learn more about why Portugal may be the ideal destination for you and your family for retirement or relocation, contact the visa experts at BRINT Portugal.