Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Travel: The Case of the Central Region of Portugal

ABSTRACT

In the last decade, the tourism sector in Portugal registered a strong growth, with sustained and con-tinuous rises in tourism arrivals and receipts. However, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly stopped the travel sector in Portugal, immobilizing the movement of people, resulting in significant changes in tou-rists’ behavior, decisions and planning. A sample of more than 300 tourists in Central Portugal, one of the most diverse tourism destination, allowed to conclude that the current pandemic had a significant impact on travel plans, decisions and tourist consumption. On the other hand, it was also possible to assess the change in behavior and the acceptance of the new safety measures imposed in the context of the pandemic. The results of the study allowed the indication of strategies for destination managers to recover tourist attractiveness in a Post-COVID scenario. © 2022,Revista Portuguesa de Estudos Regionais.All Rights Reserved