The President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, has declared golf as Porto Santo's main anchor, "without a shadow of a doubt," contrasting with the beach, which for decades was the island's primary attraction.
While acknowledging golf's importance in combating seasonality, with significant revenues and demand concentrated outside the bathing season, recent data indicates that tourist accommodation generated substantially higher revenues. In 2023, tourist accommodation yielded over 36 million euros, compared to approximately 1.5 million euros in direct revenue from the golf course in 2025.
Official island promotion, however, continues to highlight its famous nine-kilometer beach, internationally recognized. This discrepancy raises questions about Porto Santo's tourism marketing strategy, especially considering that the majority of overnight stays in 2025 were by residents of Portugal, who traditionally seek the island for its beaches.