China is one of the 15 priority source markets identified by Portugal’s tourism industry, Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho said.

Ms Godinho was speaking at the recent Madrid Tourism Fair (Fitur). Spain, Germany and the United States were other priority markets, she said, online magazine Port.com reported on Thursday.

“We want to take more tourists to Portugal, [and we want them] to stay longer,” Ms Godinho said.

João Cotrim de Figueiredo, President of the Turismo de Portugal institute – under Portugal’s Ministry of Economy –, also attended the fair.

Mr Figueiredo said – quoted by news portal Idealista – that Portugal was now focusing “more on the American and Chinese markets”, hoping they could become as important to the country’s tourism sector as some European markets.

In November, Mr Figueiredo said he expected Portugal to receive 150,000 Chinese tourists in 2015, Portuguese newspaper Público reported at the time.

According to Port.com, Portugal’s tourism sector currently employs around 10 percent of the country’s population. The Portuguese Government wants to increase that percentage, the media outlet added.