In Portugal, tourism comes under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Economy and Maritime Affairs, with a Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services, responsible for defining policies relating to tourism.
Turismo de Portugal is Portugal’s National Tourism Authority, the central technical body operating under the auspices of the Ministry for the Economy and Digital Transition, with jurisdiction throughout Portuguese territory.
At regional level, the main institutional partners operating in the tourism sector are the Comissões de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional (Regional Coordination and Development Commissions – CCDR), the Entidades Regionais de Turismo (Regional Tourism Entities – ERT), the Agências Regionais de Promoção Turística (Regional Tourism Promotion Agencies – ARPT) and the Municipal Councils.
Business associations and other entities operating in tourism, both at national and regional level, such as the Confederação do Turismo de Portugal (Portuguese Tourism Confederation – CTP), play a central role in bringing about policies, strategies and measures.
Insofar as the tourism sector in the Azores and Madeira is concerned, responsibility lies with the respective regional governments:
_ In the Azores, the Regional Secretary for Transports, Tourism and Energy
_ In Madeira, the Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture.
