Have We Loved Portugal Too Much?

I have spent the last two months living in Portugal, experiencing both the wonders of this remarkable country and some of the challenges that accompany its success.

I've had the opportunity to travel too, from the coast to Lisbon and throughout the Alentejo—and witnessing the impact of overtourism firsthand has been both a lesson and an opportunity for reflection.

More than twenty years ago, my firm partnered with Miguel Carvalho and Turismo de Portugal to help reintroduce Portugal to the American market. At the time, Portugal welcomed roughly 200,000 American visitors annually. Today that number exceeds 2 million.

Back then, our strategy was simple. We told local stories. We highlighted authenticity. We celebrated a country that was unlike its neighbors. Portugal was not Spain. It was not Italy. It was not France. It was Portugal, proudly, uniquely, and unapologetically Portugal.

By 2017, we reached a high point. Major coverage on NBC's Today Show, CBS This Morning, and dozens of influential publications helped propel Portugal into the international spotlight. Travel + Leisure named Portugal Destination of the Year. The country had arrived!

What happened next exceeded everyone's expectations.

Over the past decade, the number of North Americans visiting Portugal just exploded. That growth has brought enormous benefits: jobs, investment, restored buildings, thriving hotels and restaurants, and renewed international attention. But it has also brought challenges.

A recent visit to Lisbon revealed a city transformed by tourism. The downtown was crowded with visitors. Shops and restaurants increasingly seemed designed for tourists rather than residents. What surprised me most was not the volume of visitors but what many of them appeared to be seeking: Not authenticity or sustainability. Many were just looking for what they already had at home: Starbucks, McDonald's, sushi, brunch. So many international chains, familiar world brands not filled the palces where once generations old shops and eateries had been.

There is nothing inherently wrong with any of that, t it raises a question: Why travel thousands of miles to experience the same things available in almost every city in North America?

The irony is hard to miss. Tourism, in some places, seemed to be replacing the very culture people had come to experience. It felt, at times, as though tourism had colonized parts of the city, creating a new culture where an indigenous one once thrived.

The list of "must-sees" has become remarkably predictable. Lisbon. Sintra. Porto. The Douro. Benagil. Lagos. See and repeat.

Meanwhile, some of the most extraordinary parts of Portugal remain largely undiscovered.

That is what I find in the Alentejo. Here, local festivals still feel local. Food is still rooted in tradition. Wines reflect the landscape. Villages have not become theme parks. You can spend days exploring without encountering a single chain coffee shop or souvenir store.

Instead, you find something far more valuable: the Portugal that attracted visitors in the first place, connected to its history and culture.

The culinary traditions are local. The cultural traditions are local. The pace of life is local. And perhaps most importantly, tourism still feels like a guest rather than an invading force reshaping daily life.

I understand the appeal of social media. I understand the power of bucket lists. I understand why visitors flock to the places they see online. But somewhere along the way, too many travelers have confused consumption with experience. Tuk-tuks are not traditional Lisbon transport. Eggs Benedict is not Portuguese treat. A city is not a backdrop for Instagram, but a living community.

We cannot place all the blame on visitors. Portugal also bears responsibility. We must do a better job protecting what makes this country special and ensuring that the mistakes visible in the Alfama are not repeated elsewhere. Tourism should be educational rather than purely consumptive. It should encourage visitors to learn, to understand, and to engage with a place on its own terms. Travel should broaden horizons, not recreate home in a different location.

I remain optimistic. Portugal has survived dictatorships, economic crises, wars, earthquakes, and emigration. It has reinvented itself many times over. It will survive overtourism as well.

Recovering lost ground is never easy. Once authenticity becomes a marketing slogan rather than a lived reality, restoring it takes time. The challenge facing Portugal today is not whether to welcome visitors. It is how to welcome them without losing itself in the process.

Because what made Portugal special was never the crowds, it was Portugal.