Tourist rush in Lisbon: A nightmare for the residents?

Tourist rush in Lisbon: A nightmare for the residents?

Lissabon, Portugal - Portugal is one of the most popular summer travel destinations for Germans. Every year, the capital Lisbon attracts almost five million tourists. With around 500,000 inhabitants, the city has to deal with the consequences of mass tourism, which leads to tensions between locals and visitors. Residents complain about the crowds of ruthless visitors, the noise of the airport, which operates without a night flight ban, as well as the exhaust gases of cruise ships that emit more pollutants than the entire car traffic in the country. The increasing number of holiday apartments also helps to continuously increase rental prices on the housing market. The question of how many tourists Lisbon can actually cope with remains open.

The tourism industry in Lisbon also shows encouraging statistics. In April 2025, the accommodation companies recorded an average occupancy of 73 percent. The sales per available room (Revpar) was 69 euros, which represents record values ​​in the industry and was recently achieved in summer 2019. The number of overnight stays sold climbed to 58,000, a level that has not been achieved for two years. This upswing also led to sales of 5.8 million euros in the local accommodations in April, one of the highest values ​​since the end of summer 2019.

record numbers in the hospitality industry

The prices for local accommodations in Lisbon achieved an average of 100 euros in April. This happens despite the challenges with which the city is confronted. The situation in the neighboring city of Porto was similar: there the average occupancy in April was 54 percent, above which 50 percent in April 2019, but below the maximum value of 73 percent in September 2019. The Revpar in Porto also reached 44 euros, which is above the level of April 2019, but 12 euros below the record of 56 euros in September 2019.

The average daily price in Porto was 85 euros in April, the highest value ever recorded for this month. The city recorded a total of 39,000 overnight stays, which led to sales of 3.3 million euros. These positive indicators show that the tourism in Portugal is gradually recovering after pandemic, with the signs of a return to previous heights evident.

The challenges of mass tourism remain and raise the question of how to find a balance between the interests of the locals and the needs of tourists. The topic of sustainable travel is more relevant than ever in Lisbon.

For more information about tourism and its effects on Lisbon, visit 3Sat as well href = "https://www.theportugalnews.com/de/nachrichten/2022-06-12/rekordfahlen-im-tourismus-in-lissabon/67819"> The Portugal News .