# Foreign tourism spending trends in Portugal > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/foreign-tourism-spending-trends-in-portugal > Updated: 2026-08-10T16:34:02.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. During the first half of 2026, foreign tourism spending in Portugal reached over €3.7 billion, driven by a 6% increase in the total volume of card transactions compared to the previous year. Spending was primarily distributed across the retail (€1.4 billion), dining (€1 billion), and accommodation (€735 million) sectors. British tourists were the highest spenders, contributing €518 million through 16 million transactions. While Americans ranked second in importance, their total spending volume was significantly lower at €2.4 million, though they maintained a higher average spend per transaction of €45 compared to the overall average. Geographically, spending was heavily concentrated in Greater Lisbon (35.7%) and the Algarve (21.6%), while Northern Portugal accounted for only 1.9% of total foreign spending. Despite the rise in total volume, the average value of foreign card transactions fell to €35.70, marking the lowest level since 2019. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-10: Portugal tourism spending: Average transaction value hits lowest level since 2019 Average spending per foreign tourist transaction in Portugal hit a post-2019 low in H1 2026, despite a 6% increase in total transaction volume to over €3.7 billion. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portugal-tourism-spending-average-transaction-value-hits-lowest-level-since-2019 ### 2026-08-10: British tourists lead spending in Portugal British tourists led spending in Portugal during the first half of 2026, contributing €518 million. Americans ranked second, while Irish tourists recorded the highest average spend per transaction. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/british-tourists-lead-spending-in-portugal --- Cite as: Foreign tourism spending trends in Portugal. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/foreign-tourism-spending-trends-in-portugal