- Madeira is becoming one of the world’s favourite destinations for golf lovers.
- The Portuguese archipelago attended FITUR 2026, strengthening its image as a booming destination in the European market.
The Macaronesia archipelago ended 2025 with positive growth in key tourism indicators, confirming the strength of its offering and establishing itself as a leading European destination.
Throughout the year up to November, Madeira received 2,551,825 visitors, in a context marked by the diversification of markets and products. International tourism, which accounts for 77.9% of arrivals, continued to grow, with an increase of 6.7% compared to previous years. Spain currently ranks seventh among the regions that most visit the islands, with 64,379 visitors in the period from January to November 2025, positioning itself as a market that is showing increasing interest in the region and also presents a wide margin for development for the destination.
Occupancy data also supports this positive trend. Traditional hotels continue to be the preferred option for visitors, followed by rural accommodation and local accommodation. The highest concentration of occupancy is maintained during the spring and summer months, generating total revenues of €883,125.37 million, an increase of 18.3% compared to the previous year.
One of the trends that is strengthening tourism in the region on the world stage is golf. Portugal was recognised as a World Golf Destination at the 2025 World Golf Awards, a distinction that is supported by the activity data recorded this year. Madeira is not far behind, with the archipelago receiving several awards: Best Emerging Golf Destination in the world, the Santo da Serra Golf Club won the award for ‘Best Par 3 Hole in the World in 2025’ and Funchal, the capital, had the honour of hosting the Golf Business Conference in 2025 and the European Golf Course Congress (GCAE). These accolades are also reflected in the demand profile, which is markedly international, with players from abroad accounting for around 81.2% of the total, particularly from the Nordic countries, but with growing demand from Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France and Italy.
In total, the number of rounds of golf played in Madeira from January to November 2025 increased by 9.5% compared to 2024, reaching almost 80,000. This increase in golf-related tourism has contributed to greater diversification of the offer in Madeira, which translates into higher hotel occupancy and higher average spending per visitor, causing a 14% increase in the economic performance attributed to this sport compared to last year, generating 4.1 million euros in the region.
With these results, Madeira reaffirms its position as a diversified, competitive and rapidly expanding tourist destination, offering a solid proposal at FITUR 2026 based on the quality, sustainability and specialisation of its offering.
Source: THE BLUEROOM