At a recent tourism promotion meeting held in Beijing, Bernardo Trindade, the Portuguese secretary of state for tourism, said that China is seen as a newly emerging tourist source market with a stable growth and a great potential for development by Turismo de Portugal, I.P., the national tourist board of Portugal.

Trindade said that the number of inbound tourists from the U.K. and the USA that are the largest source market for Portugal, have gone down sharply due to the global financial crisis.

At the meeting, Trindade introduced Portugal's rich tourism resources, such as sunshine, beaches, golf, cultural relics, and natural scenery. Currently, Portugal has about 70 golf courses, — increasing to a total of 100 by 2010 — making it a suitable destination for Chinese golf lovers.

Portugal also has rich tourism resources for holding MICE events since both its capital Lisbon and Porto are focusing on the development of the MICE sector, offering a series of options including golf, fishing, surfing, and diving, as well as spas.

(China Hospitality News November 28, 2008)