In 2013, UK visitors accounted for seven million overnight stays in Portugal, an increase of 8.6 per cent on the previous year.

Last year proved to be a successful year for tourism in Portugal with visitor numbers increasing from both the UK and global markets.

Guests from the UK market alone reached 1.4 million, up 7.4 per cent from 2012 and generated revenue in the region of €1.5 billion, an increase of 4.2 per cent.

The British market currently ranks first in terms of importance amongst the main inbound markets.

Filipe Silva, UK director of Turismo de Portugal expects that 2014 will be a similarly successful year.

He commented: “TAP Portugal, BA, Jet2.com, Ryanair, easyJet, Monarch, Thomson and FlyBe have added flight capacity to all four of Portugal’s airports, suggesting demand for flights to Portugal is increasing.

“We believe this is due to the diverse product we have on offer, from cities, beaches, golf, nature and culture, to world-renowned gastronomy and wine.

“Throughout this year we will continue to work closely with tour operators and travel agents within the industry to promote the country’s latest developments and products, and hopefully in turn, attract more visitors.”