How to Help Preserve Lisbon's Portuguese Culture

Is simply being present in another city enough to ensure we receive unique cultural experiences? Lisbon, Portugal is the perfect case study for this question.

Most new businesses in Lisbon were designed to lure tourists in with the power of general aesthetics instead of the strength of Portuguese tradition and culture. Thus the tourist is left with a responsibility to help preserve the city’s culture by spending money at businesses with Portuguese roots. A look at Lisbon’s current situation shows how sustainable tourism can teach us to value and strengthen the cultures we visit.

Lisbon has recently seen a spike in tourism, landing on many must-see travel lists in 2018. And for good reason. The city emanates a level of cuteness that is hard to believe. Classic cobblestone sidewalks are lined with ornate azulejo houses that draw your eye up and down Lisbon’s hilly terrain. The pastries are sublime, the nightlife is inclusive and the sights are stunning-it’s everything you could ask for in a destination city.

This sudden popularity comes at the perfect time. As a country, Portugal was in financial ruin. In 2010 Portugal’s national debt was about £415 billion. However, since then, Portugal has made major economic strides and experts say that tourism accelerated the country’s comeback.

With a healthier economy and high tourist interest, large international clothing stores and fast-food chains began to set up shop. Coffee shops designed for the perfect Instagram shot of your macchiato sprinkle every neighborhood of Lisbon. While businesses like these thrive, shops passed down through generations compete for tourist attention.

Families are being priced out of their homes to make way for short-term room rental services. Lisbon’s tiny tram cars are so packed with tourists that locals can’t access public transportation. So many of the longtime residents do not benefit from the recent boom in business; denying tourists the opportunity to really experience Portugal.

Gentrification coupled with overtourism created a pretty potent recipe for cultural erasure in Lisbon. The city council caught on to the problem and swiftly began thinking of solutions. In 2015 the Lisbon City Council founded Lojas Com Historia, or Historic Shops, an organization that supports some of Lisbon’s oldest businesses.

Lojas Com Historia has a set of criteria to determine which businesses qualify as historic. Once selected, businesses receive a plaque to display outside of their storefronts. In addition, the city provides historical businesses with financial aid and specialized media services. These services include an extremely interactive website featuring the stories behind the businesses and an engaging documentary series.

Very few tourists, and even locals, know about Lojas Com Historia. Lisbon’s city council has given tourists an indispensable tool for planning their trips. Every business on the list is adorable, tells a story, offers quality service and feeds the country’s economy through local culture.

Tourists can take certain measures to ensure their presence leaves a positive impact on any city they visit. Do a little digging on places where you plan to spend money: search how long this business has been around, whether this business had any impact on the surrounding area and if the experience is culturally authentic. If you have a great time in a local historic business ask someone who works there for recommendations. If you happen to make friends with longtime residents ask them where their favorite businesses are and go there.

Sustainable tourism is necessary to preserve the cities we visit. Building up local cultures keeps a city flourishing for years to come. Today’s tourist has all the incentive they need to practice these methods; the very authenticity of their vacations hangs in the balance. Although Lisbon is making it easy to find their historic businesses other destination cities around the world don’t have these tools. Therefore, it’s up to the tourist. The tourist must come to realize that even if their time in a city is fleeting they have the power to leave a long-lasting impression.

You can find the Lojas Com Historia website by clicking here. And check out the video below where I visit some of the businesses featured on the Lojas website.