The WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2025 generated an estimated total economic impact of €193 million and attracted close to one million spectators over the four days of competition, reaffirming the event’s stature as one of the largest sporting occasions held in Portugal.
The results were presented on Wednesday at the Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa, during the official launch of the 2026 edition of the WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal. The session brought together several partner entities, including the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), organiser of the rally.
From an economic perspective, the 2025 edition produced €103 million in direct impact, reflecting expenditure across the host regions, alongside €89 million in indirect impact, measured through the media value generated by the event’s national and international exposure. These figures consolidate the Vodafone Rally de Portugal’s role as a significant driver of economic activity, with tangible benefits for tourism, hospitality, catering and services.
Additionally, spending by resident and non-resident fans (tourists), teams and the organisation yielded an estimated gross tax revenue exceeding €22.5 million for the Portuguese State, derived from VAT and fuel tax receipts. According to the study “Impact of WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2025 on the Tourism Economy and Destination Image: Portugal”, conducted by the University of Algarve, the State may capture approximately 23.7% of the total direct economic impact through this potential tax revenue.
Of the total number of tourists, 64.5% were domestic visitors, while 36.5% were international, originating from countries such as Spain, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and the United States, among others. Notably, 32.7% of foreign visitors were making their first trip to Portugal, highlighting the rally’s ability to attract new audiences and enhance the country’s global visibility. The average stay among both domestic and international tourists stood at 2.26 nights.
International media exposure also remained substantial, with 900 hours of global television broadcast, further strengthening Portugal’s visibility as a tourism destination and host of major sporting events.
The study also underscores the rally’s contribution to fostering a highly positive perception of Portugal. The country is viewed as an attractive and welcoming destination, closely associated with nature and gastronomy, while the event itself is described as spectacular, well organised and defined by adrenaline, excitement and conviviality. High satisfaction levels translate into strong intentions to return, ranging between 79.1% and 81.3% in summer and between 56.3% and 80.6% in winter.
For the Automóvel Club de Portugal, these results reinforce the strategic importance of the WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal in enhancing host regions, generating wealth and strengthening Portugal’s international profile.