Portugal has once again been recognised as one of the strongest tourism destinations on the planet. At the 2025 World Travel Awards, the country walked away with 12 global prizes – including the Algarve crowned World’s Best Beach Destination and Madeira named World’s Best Island Destination. Beyond headlines, these awards reinforce a key message for international families and investors: Portugal combines world-class lifestyle with a robust framework for the Golden Visa through regulated private equity funds.
By Explorer Investments • Updated December 8, 2025
Awards 2025
12 Wins
Algarve
#1 Beach
Madeira
11 Years
Investor View
Golden Visa
“Portugal is no longer just a place to spend a summer holiday – it is a structural lifestyle asset. Consistent global awards in tourism support the case for long-term residence, euro diversification and professional investment in regulated funds.”
The World Travel Awards (WTA), often called the “Oscars of the tourism industry”, once again placed Portugal on the global podium. At the 2025 grand final in Bahrain, Portugal secured 12 world-level awards. While this is slightly fewer than the record-breaking edition held in Madeira the previous year, it confirms a powerful trend: Portugal remains one of the most desirable places on earth to visit, live and invest in.
Highlights include the Algarve as World’s Best Beach Destination (for the fourth time, more than any other beach destination worldwide) and Madeira as World’s Best Island Destination for the 11th consecutive year. Major resorts, airlines and sustainable tourism projects also received global recognition, from boutique hotels to adventure attractions and conservation initiatives.
For international families comparing options across Europe and beyond, it is useful to see how Portugal ranks next to other lifestyle hubs. For a broader view of retirement and mobility trends, you can also read our in-depth guide: 5 Trending Retirement & Golden Visa Destinations for Americans (2025).
Year after year, the Algarve proves that it can compete with – and outperform – global beach icons such as Thailand, Cancun or the Caribbean. In 2025, the region was once again crowned World’s Best Beach Destination, making it the only destination ever to win this title four times.
The recognition reflects more than just pretty coastlines. It combines:
Several Algarve resorts also secured individual WTA titles in 2025: Vila Joya was named World’s Leading Boutique Resort, Domes Lake Algarve won World’s Leading Family Resort, and Dunas Douradas Beach Club was recognised as World’s Leading Golf & Villa Resort. Together they position the Algarve as a premium hub for long-stay guests, digital nomads and high-net-worth families looking for a second base in Europe.
“When a region consistently tops global rankings, demand is rarely a problem. The real question for investors is how to access this story in a disciplined, diversified way – which is where regulated funds and professional asset managers come in.”
While the Algarve leads on beaches, Madeira dominates the island category. The Portuguese archipelago once again beat global heavyweights such as Bali, Hawaii, Fiji and Tahiti to win World’s Best Island Destination for the 11th year in a row.
The island’s success is driven by a blend of authenticity and sophistication: levada walks and dramatic cliffs, but also high-quality hotels, restaurants and events. For families, Madeira offers a rare mix of safety, nature and connectivity – increasingly attractive for those considering a European base linked to a Portugal Golden Visa obtained via fund investment.
Beyond classic tourism, Madeira has also been positioning itself as a hub for remote workers and entrepreneurs, which contributes to resilient occupancy patterns and diversified demand.
For many investors, tourism awards can sound like marketing. But the World Travel Awards are also a useful proxy for several fundamentals that matter in a Golden Visa or private equity context:
With recent legal changes, the primary route into the Portugal Golden Visa is now an investment of at least €500,000 into regulated investment funds. For many international families, this is preferable to managing a single property: it offers diversification, professional oversight and the ability to invest in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, residential development and urban regeneration through a structured vehicle.
“Golden Visa capital should remain productive. Investing through a regulated fund allows families to combine residency, diversification and exposure to carefully selected Portuguese assets in sectors like tourism and hospitality.”
Explorer Investments is one of Portugal’s leading private equity and alternative investment managers. The team has navigated multiple economic cycles, focusing on value creation, hands-on governance and disciplined risk management.
In the tourism and hospitality space, Explorer focuses on:
When combined with the visibility created by the World Travel Awards, this strategy supports a compelling long-term thesis: Portugal’s tourism sector is not a short-term trend, but a structural pillar of the economy – and a strategic sector for euro-based wealth diversification.
To compare Portugal with other lifestyle-driven residency options, explore our analysis of emerging retirement hubs and Golden Visa destinations: 5 Trending Retirement & Golden Visa Destinations for Americans (2025).
Awards alone do not remove risk, but they signal strong brand equity and sustained tourism demand. For Golden Visa investors using regulated funds, this backdrop can support revenue growth and long-term asset values in sectors like hospitality and leisure.
The Golden Visa rules are set by law, not by awards. However, Portugal’s visibility as a leading tourism and lifestyle destination increases interest from international families, which in turn supports the underlying investment case for funds focused on real assets and tourism-related strategies.
Under the current framework, the standard minimum commitment is €500,000 into an eligible, regulated investment fund. Investors should always confirm current requirements with legal and tax advisers, as regulations can evolve.
Property can be attractive, but it concentrates risk in a single asset. A regulated fund offers diversification, professional management, independent custody and oversight by the Portuguese securities regulator (CMVM), which many international families prefer.
Many Golden Visa-eligible funds invest in portfolios that may include assets and projects in leading tourism regions such as the Algarve and Madeira. Each fund has its own strategy, so it is important to review the prospectus and speak with the management team.
No. While tourism and real estate are major sectors, eligible funds can also target areas such as innovation, infrastructure, healthcare and sustainable industries. Explorer’s approach focuses on real assets with clear value-creation levers and tangible downside protection.
Timelines depend on documentation, biometrics and administrative processing. As a rule of thumb, families should think in terms of months rather than weeks and plan carefully with legal counsel to sequence investments, applications and travel.
Yes – subject to meeting residency, language and legal requirements, Golden Visa holders can apply for permanent residency or citizenship after the required number of years. This is one of the reasons the programme is so popular with globally mobile families.
The 2025 World Travel Awards confirm what many families already feel when they land in Faro, Lisbon or Funchal: Portugal combines natural beauty, safety, climate and culture in a way that is hard to replicate. For Golden Visa investors, this backdrop supports a long-term thesis for euro-denominated wealth, second residence and multi-generational planning.
Through regulated private equity funds, Explorer aims to turn Portugal’s tourism success into disciplined investment opportunities – with clear strategies, institutional governance and transparent reporting. The key is to align the choice of fund with each family’s risk profile, time horizon and mobility objectives.
If you are exploring options, the logical first step is a focused conversation about structure, timelines and investment fit – so you can move from research to a concrete Golden Visa plan with confidence.
Whether you are exploring the Portugal Golden Visa for EU residency or you simply want to allocate capital to private equity funds in Portugal, our Investor Relations team can help. We will walk you through CMVM-regulated fund options, clarify how they work for residency and for pure investment, and coordinate with trusted immigration and tax advisers. Schedule your confidential, no-obligation strategy call today.
André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.com
Maria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.com
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Get your complete, free guide to the Portuguese Golden Visa. Learn how to invest with confidence through Explorer Investments, the country's largest private equity fund.
André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.comMaria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.comCopyright © 2025 Explorer Investments
It is recommended to consult Chapter V of Decree-Law nº 162/2014, of October 31st, published in the Official Gazette, as well as its revision by Law nº 2/2020, of March 31st. The information included here is of a general nature, and therefore each potential investor should seek independent advice (e.g., legal, financial, tax, etc.)