"It stands out above all for its positive impact on the promotion of international tourism to Portugal and on the strengthening of air connectivity with a very important region that lacks connections to Portugal", maintains Turismo de Portugal in a statement.

Referring to the new route as "the culmination of intense collaborative work" with ANA Aeroportos and Korean Air, Turismo de Portugal highlights that "it represents the second direct connection from Asia to Portugal and should boost new market opportunities not only in Korea, but also in Japan, where Korean Air has a strong consolidated presence and could capture a significant share of the Japanese market through its connections via Seoul".

With three weekly flights, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the new direct connection between Seoul and Lisbon will be inaugurated next September.

"This route is a milestone in air connectivity and in the strengthening of relations between Portugal and Asia", states the president of Turismo de Portugal, Carlos Abade, quoted in the statement, adding that this organisation "is focused on identifying and seizing opportunities in promising markets to meet the needs of tourism."

According to Turismo de Portugal, South Korea is "one of the most promising Asian markets" for the sector, having stood out in 2023 as the 25th tourist market in terms of external demand measured by the overnight stays indicator and the 19th in the guests indicator.

Compared to 2022, the number of guests in 2023 increased by around 189%, reaching 170.1 thousand, while overnight stays increased by 136.2%, with 264.7 thousand overnight stays by South Koreans in Portugal.

"These numbers reflect a significant growth potential for Portugal in the coming years with the implementation of this new route", maintains Turismo de Portugal, reaffirming its "commitment to promoting connectivity and expanding into new markets, [...] through a clear focus on attracting new routes and strategic marketing partnerships involving national destinations".

South Korean flag carrier Korean Air announced on Tuesday the launch of direct charter flights between the South Korean capital, Seoul, and Lisbon from 11 September.

In a statement, Korean Air said it will use Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with a capacity for 290 passengers, to operate three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon Airport and Lisbon.

The airline said the flights will run for almost two months, at least until 25 October, but admitted that it "also has plans to extend the operation of this route during the winter season".

Korean Air stressed that the new connection from Incheon will offer "the only direct flights between Lisbon and Northeast Asia", a region that includes Japan, Mongolia and the far east of Russia.

"The new direct flights will facilitate travel, making trips to Lisbon and neighbouring cities more accessible", said the airline, which gave the example of Porto.

This connection could also be used by passengers who want to fly between Macau and Lisbon, said CAM, the management company for the airport in the Chinese special administrative region, in a statement on Monday.

Read Also: Korean Air launches direct flights between Seoul and Lisbon from September (Portuguese version)