Rural tourism recovery between two COVID-19 waves: the case of Portugal

During the summer of 2020 intra-national mobility restrictions were lifted in most European countries, and domestic tourism partially cushioned the negative impacts of plunging international arrivals. Considering the perceived risk of crowding, low tourist density destinations were expected to benefit from shifts in tourists' preferences. This paper shows that, in the case of Portugal, preference for tourism in rural areas increased substantially and those regions best positioned to offer rural accommodation experienced a stronger and lasting recovery of domestic demand.

Automated summary

During the summer of 2020, most European countries lifted intra-national mobility restrictions, and domestic tourism partially offset the negative impacts of plunging international arrivals. In Portugal, there was a substantial increase in preference for tourism in rural areas, leading to a stronger and lasting recovery of domestic demand in regions best positioned to offer rural accommodation.