Tag: Mercan Asia

Panama’s retirement system has been layered over time. For decades, the country has operated with a structured discount framework for retirees — one that effectively creates a parallel cost of living. This is not a marginal support scheme. It is a pricing structure embedded into the economy. It is also one of the reasons why […]

Panama is a premier Latin American country for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) Panama as a destination, offers world-class infrastructure like the Amador Convention Center and ATLAPA, combined with high global connectivity.  It blends modern city skyscrapers with coastal and rainforest venues for unique, high-quality corporate events.  Panama business tourism is rising, offering world-class […]

Portugal’s median family dwelling price surged 16.8% in 2025, reaching €2,076/m2, according to INE. Referencing the 164,677 sales made in 2025, the median price was €2,076/m2, up 4.3% from the year ending September 2025, and 16.8% compared to 2024, according to INE. According to the statistical institute, the sub-regions of Greater Lisbon (€3,439/m2), Algarve (€3,139/m2), […]

Greece’s strong reliance on tourism revenues – accounting for more than 20 percent of total tax income – limits the country’s ability to significantly reduce value-added tax (VAT), according to a senior European tax official. Speaking at the 11th Delphi Economic Forum, Gerasimos Thomas, Director-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), said that a […]

In the first quarter of 2026, Greece’s air transport market continued its upward trend. The country’s 39 airports handled 9,282,984 passengers, an increase of 7.6% compared to 8,624,002 passengers in the same period of 2025, indicating a continued recovery in travel and tourism demand. At the same time, flight operations expanded in tandem. During the […]

The Portuguese economy grew 2.3% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year and registered zero variation compared to the last quarter of 2025, estimated the INE (National Institute of Statistics). According to a first provisional estimate of the national accounts presented by the INE, the 2.3% year-on-year growth in Gross Domestic […]

On the same date, the Presidency of the Republic received for enactment Decree No. 48/XVII of the Assembly of the Republic, which amends the Nationality Law, and Decree No. 49/XVII of the Assembly of the Republic, which amends the Penal Code by creating the ancillary penalty of loss of nationality. The latter decree was subject […]

Greece is now the fifth largest short-term rental destination in Europe, recording a total of 52 million overnight stays in 2025. The figures, based on Eurostat data, highlight the strength of the Greek tourism product and were presented at the 11th Delphi Economic Forum. Matteo Sarzana, Airbnb country manager for Italy and Southern Europe, stressed that any […]

Portugal ended 2025 with a budget performance exceeding expectations, registering a surplus of 0.7% of GDP, surpassing the 0.6% achieved in the previous year. This positive result was supported by revenue growth (6.7%), slightly higher than expenditure growth (6.6%), a dynamism that cannot be separated from the labour market’s resilience. The volume collected through taxes […]

Greece’s state budget recorded a primary surplus of 4.4 billion euros in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting stronger-than-expected fiscal performance and exceeding the target by 1.66 billion, according to National Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis. Citing ministry data, Pierrakakis said tax revenues reached 17.28 billion euros, outperforming forecasts, while total net revenues amounted […]

Europeans’ desire to travel in 2026 not only remains strong, but also reaches record levels, despite intense pressures from the rising cost of living and worrying developments in the Middle East. At the same time, however, they plan to limit both the duration of their trips and the amount of their spending. The Greek tourism […]

The real estate market in Portugal reached a historic milestone at the end of 2025, with house prices registering unprecedented growth. According to the housing price index, the fourth quarter of 2025 saw a year-on-year increase of 18.9%, bringing the average annual growth to 17.6%. This value constitutes an absolute record in the series of […]

Sale prices of houses in Greece posted an annual increase of 7.8% last year, per Eurostat Home sale prices in Greece were above the European average, but also lower than in several countries, in 2025. According to comparative data based on the Eurostat and Bank of Greece price index, the Greek housing market ranks 10th […]

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, considered Germany to be “an absolutely central market” for tourism in the Azores and that in 2025 it will assume the leadership as the main foreign source market. According to Berta Cabral, who participated in the opening session of the DRV 2026 Annual Conference, the […]

In the first two months of 2026, Greece’s tourism sector recorded a powerful start. According to the Bank of Greece, tourism receipts exceeded €1 billion, marking a sharp 70.7% increase compared to €589 million during the same period in 2025. This growth was largely driven by a significant rise in international visitors, with inbound arrivals […]