The impact of innovation on tourism: tax benefits as catalysts for Portuguese companies

The tourism sector in Portugal has demonstrated notable resilience, asserting itself as a structuring pillar of the national economy. However, maintaining leadership in an increasingly demanding global market forces companies to look beyond traditional hospitality. Innovation, in whatever form, is today a differentiating factor. In this context, tax benefits emerge not just as cash flow relief, but as true strategic catalysts that allow tourism companies to finance their own transformation.

The reinvention of the tourist experience through SIFIDE

There is a persistent myth that Research and Development (R&D) is a domain exclusive to heavy industry, scientific laboratories, or information technologies. In tourism, R&D manifests itself in the creation of new algorithms for personalising the customer experience, in the development of smart flow management platforms, or in the implementation of circular economy solutions that drastically reduce the ecological footprint of hotel units.

SIFIDE allows companies in the sector to recover up to 82.5% of the investment made in these activities. By ignoring this incentive, a hotel or tour operator is, in practice, fully bearing the innovation risk, placing itself at a disadvantage vis-à-vis its competitors, who may already be using the tax credit to accelerate the adoption of new technologies, increasing operational efficiency and guest satisfaction.

RFAI: the necessary impulse for infrastructure modernisation

Competitiveness in tourism requires constant investment in the quality of physical assets. The Tax Regime for Investment Support (RFAI) assumes a critical role here, allowing the deduction from Corporate Income Tax (IRC) of a significant percentage of investments made in tangible assets, such as the deep remodelling of hotel units or the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment that promotes service digitalisation.

In the hotel and catering sector, RFAI becomes a lever for modernisation. The ability to deduct up to 30% of the investment made (depending on geographical location and company size) allows capital to be freed up for new projects, ensuring that Portuguese accommodation continues to feature among the best in the world without compromising the financial health of organisations.

A vision of the future for national tourism

Tax benefits have ceased to be mere accounting details to transform into pillars of strategic resilience in the tourism sector. In a market where differentiation is dictated by service quality and technological efficiency, the ability to recover investment through SIFIDE or modernise infrastructures with RFAI support constitutes the dividing line between sustainable growth and loss of relevance.

"The true competitive leap happens when a company stops looking at taxes only as an inevitable cash outflow and starts viewing them as an opportunity for reinvestment in its own potential."

Maximising available incentives is proof of management maturity and the surest way to guarantee that the excellence of national tourism continues to be recognised, valued, and, above all, profitable for future generations.

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Last update: 13/01/2026