Travel advisors lead the charge in Portugal's long stay trend + takeaways from the Visit Portugal Travel Trade Marketplace
Ilona Kauremszky
When Inês Almeida Garrett, director of the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Canada, welcomed Toronto’s travel trade to the Visit Portugal Travel Trade Marketplace recently, she dished up an irresistible case for why Portugal—compact, affordable, and culturally rich—is gaining traction as tour operators are increasing products due to Canadian market demand.
Clients will experience Old World charm where traditions are alive and the landscapes and gastronomy so diverse they’ll wish they stayed for a month. They can. Long stays are hot, especially during off-season.
A roadshow reconnecting Portugal and Canada
This fall, Turismo de Portugal has returned to the Canadian market with its first post-pandemic roadshow that started in Toronto, with scheduled stops in Montreal and Vancouver. Twenty Portuguese companies – hotels, DMCs, and regional boards – joined forces with four airlines offering direct service from Canada: Air Canada, Air Transat, TAP Air Portugal, and SATA Azores Airlines.
“We wanted to reconnect,” said Almeida Garrett. “This event is about sharing knowledge, strengthening relationships, and showing our partners how Portugal is ready to welcome Canadians all year round,” she told Travel Courier in a one-on-one interview.
It’s working.
Portugal now sits firmly within Canada’s top ten European destinations. “There’s always warmth when Canadians talk about Portugal,” she added. “I’ve never once met a Canadian who didn’t speak of Portugal with fondness.”
The all-season allure of Portugal
Portugal offers something Canada can’t in February: outdoor living. Winter temperatures hover between 15 and 20°C, and with daylight stretching late into the evening, Canadians can golf, hike, cycle, and sip vinho verde on sun-drenched terraces long after snow has blanketed their driveways back home.
“After three winters in Canada, I understand the appeal,” Almeida Garrett noted, and added, “By December, you just need to feel the sun again. And in Portugal, you can.”
Canadian travellers, she noted, are helping Portugal achieve a long-term goal—spreading visitor flows beyond the summer peak. “We’re moving away from calling it ‘off-season,’” she said. “Canadians travel at a time when locals have more time to engage. That’s sustainable tourism in action.”
Long stays: Portugal’s next big trend
According to Air Canada Vacations’ Diana Rodriguez, long stays have moved from niche to mainstream. “It’s booming everywhere, but Portugal was where our long-stay collection began,” she told Travel Courier. “Three years ago, we tested the idea—and the interest kept growing. Now it’s one of our strongest products.”
This winter, Air Canada Vacations is expanding flight frequencies and offering early-booking bonuses, urging agents to lock in fares before capacity tightens. “Travellers are realizing they can avoid the summer crowds, enjoy better rates, and still get that European cultural fix,” Rodriguez said. “It’s about value—and Portugal delivers that in spades.”
Packages range from three-week cultural immersions to multi-month extended stays, often paired with flexible airfares and curated local experiences. “With remote work, people are blending business with leisure,” said Almeida Garrett. “You can spend a month working from Lisbon or Madeira. It’s that freedom that makes Portugal so appealing now.”
Advisors leading the charge
One travel professional who recognized the long-stay potential early on is Georgia Kourakos, Director of MRG Travel, a Toronto-based full-service agency founded during the pandemic in 2021.
“We started with Portugal—it’s such an easy sell,” Kourakos said. “It has everything: climate, safety, affordability, food, and culture.”
Specializing exclusively in long stays, MRG works with fellow travel advisors to curate extended itineraries for retired clients, especially teachers, who enjoy time to explore local cuisine and history. “Our long-stay travellers want depth, not speed,” she added. “Portugal gives them that—and advisors can build repeat business because clients come back every winter.”
Seven regions, endless variety
Portugal may be small – just 800 kilometres from north to south – but it’s astonishingly diverse. Advisors discovered this firsthand as regional representatives showcased what each area offers to long-stay clients.
Porto and the North
Porto’s storybook riverfront and the Douro Valley vineyards headline itineraries that blend history with gastronomy. “Everyone starts in Porto,” said Cátia Barbosa of the Porto and North Tourism Board. “Then they venture along the Douro, exploring terraced vineyards by boat.”
The region boasts five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Portugal’s only national park, and luxury retreats like Six Senses Douro Valley—perfect for wellness and wine lovers.
Center of Portugal
Lisbon and Porto lies a heartland of castles and cathedrals. António Belo from Visit Center of Portugal highlighted Tomar, a medieval city built by the Knights Templar after they returned from Jerusalem. “Its round church, the Charola, was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” he explained. “For culturally curious clients, Tomar is a revelation.”
Just thirty kilometres away lies Fátima, one of the world’s most visited pilgrimage sites – ideal for religious and heritage tours.
Another idyllic stop is Aveiro, dubbed the Venice of Portugal for its canals lined with pastel Art Nouveau façades. Colourful moliceiro boats, once used to harvest seaweed fertilizer, now glide past elegant townhouses. “We’re blessed by nature,” said Belo. “It’s a perfect day trip from Porto.”
Alentejo
“Sympathy of people, the climate—it never snows,” said António Lacerda, CEO of Visit Alentejo, a 44-year industry veteran who calls Évora home.
Alentejo’s wide horizons of cork forests and whitewashed villages create a haven for slow travel. Among its hidden jewels is Monsaraz, “like Carcassonne without the crowds,” Lacerda said. The hilltop village, home to just 98 residents, offers traditional inns and family-run restaurants ideal for immersive stays.
He also points to Cromeleque dos Almendres, an ancient stone circle older than Stonehenge. “It could be representative of fertility,” he mused. “Locals celebrate solstices here, walking around the stones for good luck.”
Alentejo’s capital, Évora, will shine even brighter in 2027 as it becomes Europe’s Cultural Capital—a perfect anchor for long-stay travellers wanting to combine heritage, archaeology, and gastronomy.
Algarve
The Algarve remains Portugal’s sun magnet with over 300 days of sunshine a year. “It’s ideal for long stays,” said Sara Guerreiro from Visit Algarve. “Winter temperatures average 15–18°C, and every beach is free to access.”
Beyond its 200 kilometres of coastline, the Algarve tempts with national parks, clifftop trails, and culinary tours celebrating the UNESCO-listed Mediterranean diet.
Madeira
Off the African coast, Madeira offers subtropical warmth and lush scenery year-round.
“It’s always springtime here,” said Martim Noronha of the Madeira Promotion Bureau. Funchal, the capital, brims with charm—markets, botanical gardens, and oceanfront promenades.
Madeira’s culinary scene is also drawing international attention. Next year, the island will host the MICHELIN Guide Portugal Ceremonies, underlining its emergence as a high-end food destination.
The Azores
Midway between Canada and Europe, the nine-island Azores archipelago has become a haven for wellness and adventure travellers. “The Azores are about emotion,” said Nuno Martins of Visit Azores. “You don’t just see them—you feel them.”
From geothermal cooking in São Miguel to lava vineyards on Pico, the islands are an eco-paradise that aligns perfectly with the growing trend toward responsible, longer stays.
Selling the long stay
Portugal’s appeal for travel advisors lies in its balance: affordability, access, and authenticity. Tour operators such as Air Canada Vacations, Kensington Tours, Merit Travel, and Exotik Journeys are now curating long-stay programs ranging from three weeks to three months, often bundled with car rentals or small-group experiences.
Almeida Garrett emphasized that Portugal’s short distances and strong rail network make multi-region itineraries easy. “You can land in Lisbon and be in Porto by lunch,” she said. “Or spend a weekend in the Algarve after a week in the Alentejo. Nothing is far.”
Travel advisor takeaway
With Évora 2027 on the horizon, Madeira’s upcoming MICHELIN spotlight, and growing winter airlift from Canada, Portugal’s shoulder season has become a strategic sweet spot—a market travel advisors can own.
So, as your clients crave sunshine, culture and authenticity without the crowds, remind them that Old World charm is a direct flight away.
And in Portugal, they may not just visit—they may stay awhile.
For more information, visit VisitPortugal.com.
