Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho says the number of Chinese tourists visiting Portugal rose to about 257,000 last year, 40 percent more than the year before, Diário de Notícias reports.

The Portuguese newspaper quotes Ms Godinho as saying the flow of Chinese tourists was steady throughout the year, only about 71,000 coming during the busy summer months.

Ms Godinho said the growth was due to the introduction of direct flights between Beijing and Lisbon and to joint advertising by the Portuguese government and Chinese private enterprises.

Official figures indicate that the Chinese were the highest spenders among the tourists that visited Portugal last year, each spending, on average, €642 (US$792) a day, Diário de Notícias says.