"Lisbon went from welcoming Americans with open arms to spray-painting "Yankee Go Home" on Airbnb buildings in less than five years. The same locals who helped lost tourists in 2015 now refuse to speak English to anyone who looks American. The golden visa gold rush turned into genuine resentment, and Americans walking around Príncipe Real with their MacBooks and loud voices are finding out exactly how much damage their dollars did."
"The transformation is jarring. Restaurant menus that were proudly bilingual are back to Portuguese only. Landlords who courted American tenants now specify "locals only." The friendly café owner who practiced English with customers speaks only Portuguese, even when he knows you don't understand. The backlash isn't subtle anymore - it's deliberate, visible, and getting worse. Portuguese people aren't naturally hostile. They're some of Europe's warmest, most welcoming people."
Rapid arrival of American remote workers and golden-visa buyers sharply increased housing demand and prices in Lisbon. Bilingual services and English-friendly hospitality retreated as residents expressed anger through actions like spray-painting 'Yankee Go Home' and refusing to speak English to Americans. Average rent rose from €500 in 2015 to €1,500 by 2024 while minimum wage rose only from €505 to €760, creating a severe affordability gap. American tenants paying €1,500 often earn about $4,000 monthly, making those rents impossible for many Portuguese. Longtime residents were displaced to distant towns and neighborhood character and accessibility declined.
Read at Gamintraveler
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