Overtourism in Lisbon matches Barcelona and Amsterdam // Hundreds of vehicles burn in car park near Lisbon Airport
Portuguese news in English on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
Overtourism in Lisbon matches Barcelona and Amsterdam
Overtourism in Lisbon and the Algarve is at or above the levels seen in European hotspots such as Barcelona and Amsterdam, Público reports. Portugal continues to resist following the lead of some other countries in placing limits on tourism in particular busy areas. While the effects — struggling infrastructure, pollution, economic imbalance and a falling quality of life — are generally agreed upon, the definition of over tourism can change a bit from study to study. But it’s generally based on density, the number of annual visitors per square kilometre; and intensity, the number of tourists per resident, which the newspaper worked out from official national and local statistics.
That leaves Lisbon with 12 tourists per resident and almost 65,000 per square kilometre, with 11 per resident in the Algarve and 1025 per square kilometre. That’s more intense than Barcelona (nine/resident) and Amsterdam (10/resident) although the density in Barcelona is way higher (153,000/km2). Things are even more extreme when it comes to holiday rentals, with six out of every 100 homes in Lisbon dedicated to Alojamento Local 11/100 in the Algarve, compared to 1.5/100 in Barcelona and 1.2/100 in Amsterdam. Locals in Sintra are also feeling the pinch, which you can read about in-depth from the Associated Press, in English.
At the same time, tourism’s powerful force as a driver of economic recovery in Portugal is slowing, Público reports. Portugal’s GDP surged 6.8% in 2022 in a pandemic bounceback, with tourism contributing 4.2 percentage points of this, compared to 1.1 points in a 2.3% GDP increase last year, or closer to half. This year, it’s expected tourism’s impact on economic growth will fall back to just over a third of a 1.8% growth estimate. But local authorities are getting more out of every visitor, with the number of councils charging a tourist tax jumping from 15 in 2023 to 38 by this October, Público reports.
Hundreds of vehicles burn in car park near Lisbon Airport
Police are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed more than 200 vehicles in a parking garage near Lisbon Airport, Lusa reports. The car park in Prior Velho is run by a private company and geared towards drivers who want to leave their car before taking a flight. No one was hurt when the fire broke out on Friday afternoon in one of two levels of the parking lot, with the UPS operation underneath apparently unaffected. Initial reports suggested the fire was started by an electric vehicle parked there but emergency services didn’t confirm that information, Público reports. It took about 140 firefighters and almost 50 vehicles until the early morning to control the fire.
PM promises cheaper rail pass, extra pension payment
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has announced a significant reduction in the cost of the monthly national rail pass and an extra pension payment, Público reports. Taking a break from his holidays to address his Social Democratic Party’s annual summer festival, Festa do Pontal, he touched on the serious problems with staffing hospital birthing units this summer by announcing more spaces for medicine in the universities of Trás-os-Montes and Évora but ignored the issue of getting the national budget passed through the parliament. The rail pass will drop from €49 a month to €20, giving access to all urban, regional, inter-regional and intercity trains. And pensioners with the lowest payments will receive an extra payment in October. In total, about 2.4 million people will receive an extra €100 to €200, which the government expects will cost €400 million, Público reports. Acting prime minister Paulo Rangel didn’t specify where the money would come from.
In brief
Immigrant help groups fear 'chaotic situation' in AIMA strike. With just a few days before the strike is set to begin, the government is yet to call on the union to negotiate. (Público)
Those cheaper eDreams flights can cost more than you think. More than 1500 complaints have rolled in as travellers claim the travel agency doesn’t make it clear discounts come with a yearly subscription of up to €90. (Público)
Salary growth has slowed and looks like staying that way. The real median wage in Portugal is above 2021, meaning the improvement in purchasing power has theoretically recovered from the massive inflation in 2022. But now wage increases are slowing again. (Público)
Public prosecutors allege €18 billion in criminal advantage in Banco Espirito Santo case. They claim that’s what was gained through 669 crimes carried out by dozens of people involved in the failed bank. (Público)
On a lighter note
Costa da Caparica’s famous beach train might be coming back, SIC Nóticias reports. The Transpraia’s carriages have been gathering dust in a warehouse since 2020 but before then they ran along the beaches south of Lisbon’s Tejo River for 60 years. The 9km journey connected Costa da Caparica with Fonte da Telha along almost 20 stops. Moving the terminal from the centre of town a kilometre further south was the beginning of the end in 2007 and the pandemic was the death knell. Now a Frenchman who watched the service’s slow death has bought the business with hopes to bring it back as early as next year with a focus on sustainability and reducing traffic.
Bonus lighter note: I forgot to mention when this came in at the start of the month but residents now have 52 days (any 52, not just Sundays) to visit all the museums and monuments under the control of the Culture Ministry. That includes the Jerónimos Monastery, National Palaces in both Ajuda and Mafra and the Torre de Belem. You can find the full list here. Sintra is free for residents on Sundays and public holidays.