How to solve Europe's anti-tourist backlash

In the town of Sintra, a suburb of Lisbon, some strongly-worded graffiti greets travellers like me. It reads: ‘F**k you tourist scum’. Locals have mounted a campaign fighting against the scourge of ‘mass tourism’. According to residents’ group QSintra, ‘Enough is enough!’ The time has apparently come for the state to intervene and bring about: ‘A revitalisation of the community and quality of life for residents; greater care and discretion in urban planning and management; quality tourism, not quantity’.

Alienating millions of travellers who boost your prosperity each year seems like economic seppuku

This kind of sentiment isn’t only amusing fodder for a photo-op, or limited to Portugal; it’s part of an anti-tourist backlash sweeping the continent. In a number of European states, tourist-bashing is all the rage.

In Barcelona, anti-tourist sentiment has been particularly robust. Earlier this month, hordes of angry Spaniards marched through the city carrying banners reading ‘Tourism kills the city’; a few particularly sadistic locals encouraged some visitors to jump from their balconies.