All Lisbon Needs Now Is for Locals to Spend Like Tourists
- Portugal has the third-highest debt ratio in the euro region
- Sluggish consumer spending holds back economic recovery
Portugal, Lisbon, souvenir shop, magnet
Photographer: Bruno Morandi/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
For Sandra Silveira, who runs a mattress store in central Lisbon, 2017 has been been a let-down. Sitting in a deserted showroom, the 44-year-old said the nascent signs of a recovery last year have evaporated.
“Nothing is happening, nothing,” said Silveira. “If this is how it’s going to be, 2017 will be a very bad year. And that wasn’t the expectation.”