So I went to Lisbon for the Web Summit event. I was there to promote a business on behalf of my dad. I didn't really feel like I fit in too well since I'm not a "techbro." I don't like crypto, web3, or care for the blockchain (although the "blockchain" selling point seems to have been replaced by AI). I also don't really care about GenAI and might even have a bit of disdain for it. Thankfully, there were a few people like me who were just there to sell a product without being interested in investor-bait tech.
It was a busy week overall, as I had to be there every day, especially on the last day, when we had a stand in the "Alpha" section of businesses. My dad and I probably won't be coming here again. The attendance was over 71k, and among them, there were probably about 2,000 investors, all hiding their badges as desperate businesses and start-ups preyed on them.
I don't want to go on about Web Summit all day, though; I've had enough of that. I wanted to vent my frustration about actually doing tourism in Lisbon. If you're from Lisbon or love the city, please don't get angry. I did only have one day available for tourism, so take this criticism with a grain of salt, as your experience may be better than mine.
The Bad
The city feels unclean. I can't quite put my finger on it—perhaps it's the number of abandoned buildings or the many buildings with peeling paint. Seriously, there are SO many buildings with peeling paint. The craziest thing is hearing it being sold as a touristic or historic feature. I can only imagine this is being marketed as part of the "Lisbon Vibe" to justify not repainting the façades.