Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho has said about 191,000 Chinese stayed in Portuguese in hotels in the first 9 months of this year, 40 percent more than in the equivalent period last year, Portuguese news media report.
They quote Ms Godinho as saying the annual rate of increase in the first nine months of this year is faster than the rate of increase for all of last year.
She said direct air services between China and Portugal, which began in July, may have spurred the acceleration.
Ms Godinho was speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 43rd National Congress of the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies, held in Macao, the news media say.
Over 650 Portuguese working in the tourism business are attending the convention, which lasts until 27 November.
