Short answer: it’s hurting the country but it’s making a few people very rich.
We always welcomed visitors and we had a reputation as an hospitable people but we saw that change drastically in the last years.
Some people will criticize my complaints, that tourism brough development to degradated city centers. The fact is those city centers were renovated but not for us. We are not welcome in our own city centers. The traditional neighborhoods of Lisbon and Porto and its culture that attracted so many tourists? Dead. Those people are long gone. Dead or pushed out of the city. Those traditional neighborhoods were Fado was born? Gone. Every last house is an Airbn’b now.
Lisbon is pretty much a Portuguese Theme Park. If you want to experience its culture you won’t find it there. Save your money. Porto is well on its way to be as bad. Braga will get there too.
Portugal, unlike most of Europe, used to be a 100% homogeneous country. There were no national minorities. We have Roma people but they’re considered just as Portuguese as the others. Right now, 20% of the population are foreigners from digital nomads to third world immigrants. I wouldn’t care much if they weren’t taking the place of nationals who are being driven out. And it’s increasing. Some would call it colonisation but I guess we’re in the wrong continent.
Open Facebook and it’s full of ads trying to sell retirement in Portugal to Americans. And they’re coming in droves, some attracted by our universal Healthcare that we pay for while they barely pay taxes. Those ads selling paradise and completely ignoring the fact there are people already living here is so reminiscent of the old ads convincing white settlers to come to African colonies, it’s disgusting.
Short answer: it’s hurting the country but it’s making a few people very rich.
We always welcomed visitors and we had a reputation as an hospitable people but we saw that change drastically in the last years.
Some people will criticize my complaints, that tourism brough development to degradated city centers. The fact is those city centers were renovated but not for us. We are not welcome in our own city centers. The traditional neighborhoods of Lisbon and Porto and its culture that attracted so many tourists? Dead. Those people are long gone. Dead or pushed out of the city. Those traditional neighborhoods were Fado was born? Gone. Every last house is an Airbn’b now.
Lisbon is pretty much a Portuguese Theme Park. If you want to experience its culture you won’t find it there. Save your money. Porto is well on its way to be as bad. Braga will get there too.
Portugal, unlike most of Europe, used to be a 100% homogeneous country. There were no national minorities. We have Roma people but they’re considered just as Portuguese as the others. Right now, 20% of the population are foreigners from digital nomads to third world immigrants. I wouldn’t care much if they weren’t taking the place of nationals who are being driven out. And it’s increasing. Some would call it colonisation but I guess we’re in the wrong continent.
Open Facebook and it’s full of ads trying to sell retirement in Portugal to Americans. And they’re coming in droves, some attracted by our universal Healthcare that we pay for while they barely pay taxes. Those ads selling paradise and completely ignoring the fact there are people already living here is so reminiscent of the old ads convincing white settlers to come to African colonies, it’s disgusting.