As we approach the end of January, the festive cheer has well and truly worn off, and you may be looking ahead to your summer holidays.
However, before you book a trip away, take a second to think about what you’ll do on your vacation.
For some holidaymakers, an all inclusive resort with a pool is enough. It doesn’t matter where they are, as long as they are taking in the sun.
However, locals in Lisbon had enough of this, and started a “We Hate Tourism” campaign, that promises to give visitors a taste of the real Portugal, rather than seeing the beautiful city through mass tourism.
The campaign hosts a selection of experiences, including “Lunch in our home”, where Lisbon locals offer up their kitchens so people can truly experience Portuguese culture and cuisine.
Bruno, the founder of “We Hate Tourism”, formed the movement in 2008, after the market crash.
He began by recruiting a collection of his friends that were unemployed at the time, despite the fact that none of them had a background in the tourism industry.
“We don’t like to point fingers,” says Bruno.
“I am not against tourists or saying tour buses are bad, but we need to change. We need to be conscious of how we travel and who we are as travellers. It’s a challenge for many cities.”, he told The Independent.
Bruno’s ingenious tours show the beautiful city through the eyes of locals. He believes that in order to truly see a destination, you must ‘dig deeper’, rather than take what you see on the surface.
The “We Hate Tourism” group see themselves as Lisbon’s unofficial ambassadors, or ‘urban diplomats’. Using their local knowledge, they dedicate their time to showing the real Lisbon to visitors.
They were all in various other positions before, but were made redundant or quit. “We Hate Tourism” promises a sustainable tourism ethos, and gives back to the local community with some of the profits, by taking out children and the elderly for tours, painting houses, and keeping the streets clean.
“Tell your friends and those you love, but please don’t put it on Trip Advisor.” Bruno tells The Independent. “What I say is, travel responsibly or stay home.”
