Portugal’s means of support for Tourism: what are they and how do they work?
The visible part of tourism is composed by hotels, trips, and tourist experiences. But that’s just a small part.
There are hundreds of business opportunities in tourism that go beyond that. They relate to digitization, sustainability, the valorization of the territory and human resources of this industry.
And the support for tourism in Portugal reflects that.
To be aware of this is to be one step ahead of the competition and to be more prepared to apply for one of the many means of supports we will mention below. But for now, let’s start with the general requirements.
1# To apply for support, first be aware of these 2 subjects.
1.1# The “Tourism Strategy 2027”
Portugal’s tourism support is outlined according to the current “Tourism Strategy 2027”.
Thus, it is important that your business idea is aligned with this strategy. If so, you’ll access a helpline more easily. If not, it is very likely that the acceptance of your application will be difficult.
The “Tourism Strategy 2027” is based on a three-dimensional sustainability concept: economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Thus, 5 strategic axes were defined for the future of Tourism in Portugal:
1. Valuing the territory: the sea, the natural, historical, and cultural heritage.
2. Boosting the economy: business competitiveness, entrepreneurship, innovation and reducing context costs.
3. Enhancing knowledge: empowering entrepreneurs and managers and valuing tourism professionals.
4. Generating networks and connectivity: promoting air accessibility, mobility in the territory and creating affordable tourism for all.
5. Design Portugal: increase the country’s notoriety in international markets and increase domestic tourism.
1.2# The agenda of Portugal 2030
State support for tourism or other industries comes frequently from this program: Portugal 2030.
Once again, like the “Tourism Strategy 2027” it is important that your project aligns with the Portugal 2030 agenda to be able to apply for its support.
This agenda is divided among 4 themes:
1. People First: a better demographic balance, greater inclusion, less inequality.
2. Innovation, Digitization and Qualifications as engines of development.
3. Climate transition and sustainability of resources.
4. An externally competitive and internally cohesive country.
Explore in detail the agenda and various programs of Portugal 2030 here.
2# The different types of tourism support in Portugal
Let’s start with the government agency of Tourism of Portugal. This agency has several helplines that are in line with the axes mentioned above, such as:
2.1 Transform Tourism Program
It is divided into 2 support lines: the Intelligent Territories Line and the Regenerate Territories Line.
It has 20 million euros to invest in the creation of an increasingly sustainable, responsible, and intelligent tourism, through the development of innovative products, services and businesses that qualify the territory.
Applications are already open and ongoing. You can learn more here.
2.2 Offer Qualification Support Line 2021-2022
This line supports tourism companies that want to make investments in the areas of environmental management and accessibility and who want to undertake in areas of low population density.
As it addresses the aspects of tourism in general, it is one of the most interesting helplines.
Applications are already open and will remain so until all funds run out. Learn more here.
2.3 Portugal Events
It is directed to support the holding of events of international relevance in Portugal, events of medium relevance and even corporate events or conferences.
Applications are already open and run until 31 December 2023. Learn more here.
After these government lines, we can still consider other types of support. Both on the form of private investment and on the form of competitions and acceleration programs.
# Contests and Startup Acceleration Programs
In Portugal, your startup can enter competitions such as Aceler@Tech, which promotes innovation and digitization in the tourism sector in Portugal. This program will both give startups the opportunity to count on experienced mentors, of which Lisboa Investments is part, as well as putting the startup in direct contact with potential customers.
#Capital and other forms of private investment
Finally, any startup or company can resort to sources of private financing, such as venture capital or angel investors. But then everything is different from what we’ve mentioned so far.
If you are considering this form of financing, we put at your disposal the services of Lisboa Investments, to bridge the gap between your company and investors.
3# How these different supports work and how you can apply
The application requirements and the amount and form of the support differs from line to line, from contest to contest, and depending on the type of private investment.
For example, on the Offer Qualification Helpline there is a minimum score of 40 points that an application must achieve before you can access the credit line. This score is defined by the parameters of the line that you can consult in your regulation.
In a startup acceleration contest, such as Aceler@Tech, everything will depend on the briefings prepared by the management of these contests, the seeds partners that are part, and the investors or prizes that may be associated with them. In these contests it makes all the difference to know how to prepare a winning pitch.
In the case of the support of a venture capital or other forms of private investment, at the outset, you will always need a very solid business plan for it to be analyzed. From there, everything varies depending on the availability of the fund, the characteristics of investors and their objectives.
A final tip
There’s a lot of information and red tape to navigate to when you apply for a helpline. In these scenarios, the adequacy of the application and the fulfillment of all requirements correctly, is decisive for its approval.
Therefore, consider having the support of an independent consultant such as Lisboa Investments. In our case, we specialize in tourism and in its lines of support.
