According to a statement, this is the second year that Turismo de Portugal has joined this initiative, which will take place under the theme “Where Curious Minds Meet”, in the gardens of Kenwood House and broadcast online.

“This festival is an opportunity to promote the destination of Portugal among opinion leaders, artists, cultural agents, businesspeople and top executives from various areas, and stimulate curiosity regarding new travel proposals and experiences that respond to the aspirations and interests of the British tourist”, reads the statement released by Turismo de Portugal.

At FT Weekend London, Turismo de Portugal will showcase the national gastronomy and wine offerings, as well as wine tourism and literary tourism, in order to encourage the visit of British tourists, as well as tourist activity throughout the year.

“This approach is aligned with the Destination promotion strategy that aims to improve tourism growth, by contributing to cultural preservation and the sustainability of resources from a responsible, multicultural and transformative perspective”, explains Turismo de Portugal.

At FT Weekend London, Portugal will be presented as a “destination that has a diverse, talented and authentic tourist offer”, through initiatives that include the participation of chefs Henrique Sá Pessoa and José Avilez, as well as writer José Luís Peixoto, and also by Danilo Cerqueira, CEO of DMC Tempo-Vip, and Rachel O'Reilly, from KUONI.

Main tourist market

According to the Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services, Nuno Fazenda, “the United Kingdom has historically been Portugal's main tourist market”, as shown by the results for the first half of 2023, which indicate growth of 10% in guests and 15 % in revenue compared to 2019, which justifies Portuguese participation in this event.

“Portugal is the only destination to be present at the FT Weekend Festival. It is a stage to reinforce the notoriety of the country and its regions among a demanding public. Through differentiated tourist experiences, we are achieving the objective of growing better throughout the year and throughout the territory”, highlights the government official.

At FT Weekend London, four sessions dedicated to Portugal are planned, specifically from 1pm, on the Literature and Life stage, with José Luís Peixoto and on the theme “Literary pilgrimages: going to the source”; at 2pm, on the FT Kitchen stage, chef Henrique Sá Pessoa teaches how to make cod; at 3:15 pm, on the Food & Drink stage, there is a wine tasting with Julia Harding and Alice Lascelles; as well as at 4pm, on the Travel stage, the topic “Portugal’s culinary journey – from field to table” will be debated, with Chef José Avillez, Danilo Cerqueira​ and Rachel O’Reilly.