Racetrack welcomed more events and visitors than ever
2023 was another “record-breaking year” for the Algarve International Circuit (AIA). According to Parkalgar, the company that manages the racetrack, an unprecedented number of events and visitors was registered at the venue throughout 2023.
“With a wide range of races held at the complex in the last 12 months, along with competitions held at the Algarve International Karting Circuit, the entire complex once again demonstrated its importance not only as a means of promoting the Algarve and Portugal worldwide but also to the region’s and the country’s entire economy due to the high number of foreigners who attended the live events,” the company said.
While the racetrack hosted a wide range of races throughout 2023, Parkalgar says the highlight of the year was the opening of the MotoGP World Championship, which it says generated nearly €80 million in “direct economic returns” for the country and over €200 million in “media returns”.
With over 123,000 fans in the stands between March 24-26, the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix was the most attended event at the circuit in 2023, followed by the World Superbike Championship held in October, which brought over 40,000 spectators to the circuit.
Parkalgar CEO, Paulo Pinheiro, said the events held at the Algarve circuit were widely praised and have significantly bolstered the local and national economies.
“The MotoGP Grand Prix, in particular, achieved record-breaking figures according to a study, once again proving that the Algarve International Circuit is a crucial economic asset for the country and a promotional vehicle for the Algarve and Portugal,” he added.
The racetrack’s Driving School also celebrated a record-breaking 2023, having welcomed nearly 5,000 people and hosted 2,687 experiences and over 500 courses.
Parkalgar says 103 corporate events were also held in 2023, while brands such as BMW, McLaren, Michelin, Mercedes, Bimby, and Repsol chose the racetrack to host events of their own.
Also highlighted were the “illustrious visits” welcomed by the racetrack, with the list of guests featuring some world-famous names such as Valentino Rossi and Max Verstappen, the former a nine-time motorcycle world champion, and the latter a three-time Formula 1 world champion, who spent two days at the track in December preparing his GT team at the wheel of several cars.
2024 is promising to be another great year for the racetrack, which will host the return of the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix between March 22-24. Tickets are already for sale.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
