Did the context of economic crisis affect the image of Portugal as a tourist destination? The airlines’ perspective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to offer a response to the general proposed questions “Did the context of economic crisis affect the image of Portugal as a tourist destination? What were the answers and lessons learned?” from TAP Portugal perspective and what were, for the airline, the answers and lessons learned for the future.

Design/methodology/approach

Major economic indicators in Portugal and Europe were compared with TAP numbers and Portuguese Travel and Tourism balance of payments.

Findings

The image of Portugal as a tourist destination was not affected. Portugal managed to use the increase in international exposure to publicise itself for the right reasons. The key to future success lies on markets intelligence.

Originality/value

This article constitutes an original viewpoint based on TAP market experience and may be useful for tourism and travel industry professionals, students and research community.

Citation

de Serpa Soares, A. (2014), "Did the context of economic crisis affect the image of Portugal as a tourist destination? The airlines’ perspective", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 6 No. 5, pp. 470-474. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-09-2014-0031