The European Commission announced that vacationers from the US who are fully vaccinated will be able to travel to Europe this summer without restrictions. This comes after more than a year of lockdowns and travel bans in an effort to control the coronavirus global pandemic.,

With vaccines now widely available in every part of the US, numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 are falling practically everywhere there. People who have been forced to stay at home for the past year, many of whom are flush with cash from stimulus payments and savings, are now thinking about summer travel plans.

Portugal to Welcome Tourists

Portugal, one of the hardest-hit European nations during the pandemic, now appears to have turned the corner and is making plans to accommodate the normal flow of tourists from abroad as well as new, first-time visitors who have money to spend and the desire to travel.

Portugal’s biggest cities, including Lisbon and Porto, are preparing for a very busy summer tourist season. Beach resorts, including the Algarve, are similarly getting ready for an onslaught of Americans and other travelers. In fact, government officials are actively promoting Portugal as an affordable yet scenic alternative to some of the bigger and more popular European tourist destinations.

The country’s warm, inviting people, its rich culture and history, and its unending scenery and splendor have made it one of Europe’s best-kept vacation secrets for decades. But now an increasing number of US residents are not only visiting Portugal but also choosing to live there permanently.

Once you visit Portugal for the first time, it’s evident why ex-patriots, retirees, and business owners are choosing to set roots there permanently. Now that Portugal has reopened for the travel business, there is sure to be an influx of applications for residency visas from Americans seeking a new life in beautiful Portugal.