Tourism Economy: Portugal’s tourism contributed €36.2bn to GDP in 2025, about 11.8% of the total, with INE also noting tourism’s share of real growth has been easing. Travel Safety: A new European road-safety ranking flags Portugal among the higher fatality-rate countries for drivers, a reminder for road trips beyond the usual tourist routes. Digital Travel Convenience: Santander is rolling out “Santander eSIM” inside its app, starting in Spain and then Portugal, letting frequent travelers buy and renew data plans in 160+ countries without swapping SIM cards. Coastal Security: Portugal’s Maritime Police released details of a 2.1-tonne cocaine seizure off the Alentejo coast near Tróia, with an investigation ongoing and no arrests reported yet. Wildfire Reality Check: Wildfires continue to disrupt summer travel across southern Europe, with Greece seeing evacuations and deaths among firefighters, while Portugal has also been affected. Cruise Planning: Holland America opened bookings for its 2028 Europe season, touting its highest Europe port calls in nearly a decade, including Spain and Portugal. Local Culture & Events: Algarve singer Beto Kalulu plans a major comeback concert in Lagoa on Sept 26 after recovering from a serious fall.