The literature review shows that the touristization of the Portuguese territory (meaning the geographical expansion of tourist places) in the 1930s and 1940s resulted mainly from the policy of expanding the railway network and from the improvements introduced in the road network. What this paper seeks to demonstrate is that the tourist press, through a persistent “propaganda” of cities and towns, mountains and villages, beaches and spas in Portugal, disseminated through an exaggerated rhetoric of exaltation of their touristic values, was a supporting vehicle for this geographical expansion of places. Starting with a review of the specialized magazines that emerged during this period of time, the paper then focuses on the advertising strategies used by the Turismo magazine (1936-1953) to stimulate the progressive expansion of these places, aiming to present them as desirable destinations and thus contributing to the aforementioned touristization of the territory.
