OT: Banning the TikTok Tourism Influencers.

[FriarQuade]

I say this as someone that's spent nearly 20 years living in a tourist town.


Come and visit, just don't forget to go home.



The pandemic did weird things to our town that won't go back to normal unless we shut off the internet....

[rice rocket]

This is really just shrouded social commentary by the NIMBYs about the growth of the middle class, not TikTok influencers.

[KJMUNC]

Yup, just find another place that's not so popular/crowded. They exist, just takes a bit more planning to sort out trips there. Are you going for the 'gram pictures or the experience/memories? Once you get outside the major cities in Italy it's just a country full of small towns (I suppose that applies to most though). Go find a spot to explore and make your own adventure....you'll have way better stories.

[verticaldoug]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

This is really just shrouded social commentary by the NIMBYs about the growth of the middle class, not TikTok influencers.

^This

It's also about bad manners and treated the tourist destination like a toilet.

I think the issue for the Vermont Town was people parking and clogging the roads and destroying the very scenery they came to see.

I know hiking/camping in the UK has become more popular. But the newbies don't really get the idea of pack it in, pack it out. In the highlands, some newbie campers just abandon stuff because it is too heavy to carry out.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

This is really just shrouded social commentary by the NIMBYs about the growth of the middle class, not TikTok influencers.

Not necessarily - do you think tourists would want done to their back yard what they so often do to other people's back yards?

Clearly there's a feeling that "when you're on vacation the rules are different," otherwise, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" wouldn't be such a common saying.

[JSL]

It takes a lot for cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona and Venice to say "sorry, please don't visit". Yes, they live off turism and they need your money. The issue is that it's just not sustainable on a few different levels with the post-covid influx of extra travellers.

Right now it comes down to 3 main issues in Europe.

Housing - in-city housing is being converted to AirBNB property and forcing the local work force to commute from outside the cites. Many places are working on legislation to address this.

In a related sense, many of these areas are no longer a home for the remaining "locals". It becomes simply too crowed to get around and live a normal life.

The 3rd issue mentioned locally is infrastructure. Municipalities can't keep up with the increased demand for waste management, local transport and related services. Local hotel/AirBNB taxes are being initiated to address the increased revenue needed to improve capacity here.

But as others mentioned, there are many wonderful places to visit in Europe outside of the "hotspots", and they're generally very glad to have you.

[kiwisimon]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

I see why Europeans are protesting the overabundance of tourists.

Jeff

Here in Japan too as more and more influencers try and find that one spot for that one photo.. Be careful what you wish for, nothing is free.

[harryschwartzma]

You all sound like a bunch of New Yorkers

[lorenbike]

Originally Posted by 9tubes

This^^ I have discovered that I don't have to go off the path very far in Italy before I see a local giving me a quizzical look of "I don't recognize you, what are you doing here?" It's not a negative look, but a mixture of pleased curiosity. That's when I know I'm in the right place. A polite "buon giorno" or "buona sera" is my only price of admission.

Same as the US national parks…drive in and stop at any of the scenic view pullouts and it’s packed with tour buses, but walk half a mile in a trail and it’s empty.

[Mr. Pink]

Or visit a state park nearby, which can be just as beautiful, without the humans.

[sg8357]

Originally Posted by harryschwartzma

You all sound like a bunch of New Yorkers

Take a star, anyway this is cycle forum, use your bike to ride thru
rural France, Luxembourg, Germany etc etc.
You won't see many tourists and you'll have fine time.

"Coney Island?, no one goes there anymore,
it's too crowded" Y. Berra.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by fourflys

I think the easy button is to blame the "tick-tockers", but, really, isn't it possible that there are just more people in the world now and it's a decent time to travel the last couple of years?

Tourists have always gone to iconic areas and been in the way taking pictures.. really not a new thing.. as far as spending money in the local economy, I assume they might come in for a day, eat some food, maybe buy a nicknack and move on.. is that much different than any other day tourist?

I was talking to someone in a class I was teaching the other week.. they were from Sitka, AK and were talking about how there are groups that protest the cruise ships/tourists that come into Sitka.. I've been to Sitka and, from what I can remember, tourism is one of the main economies there.. protesting kind of sounds like cutting your nose off to spite your face..

If you have an attraction in your area, there is bound to be folks coming to see it.. and I can't imagine those folks aren't a big part of your economy..

Gotta agree..lots of 'nimby'-ing sounding like. Maybe do some research and see what chunk of the local economy comes from visitors and then decide if you should slam them 'damn tousitas'....

Yup, Boulder gets crowded too, all year..particularly with them 'darn students' who are nothing more than extended stay tourists...BUT, Boulder and Colorado is healthy, healthy...because of the $$ that comes in so...a little longer drive up 28th St or tougher to get a table on the Paerl St Mall??..oh well....I'll live...

[Fat Cat]

get off my lawn ! ! !

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by harryschwartzma

You all sound like a bunch of New Yorkers

Whats funny about this is that its the new yorkers are part of the crowd that overruns vermont and drive the prices up

[goonster]

Originally Posted by fourflys

Tourists have always gone to iconic areas and been in the way taking pictures.. really not a new thing..

Monetized, real-time sharing from your phone is new. The image takes precedence over the experience. Heck, it is the experience.

The bus tours that race tourists from selfie spot to selfie spot, those are new.

Gone are the days when you bored your friends with vacation slides.

It was the influencer complaining about Amalfi Coast access that sent me over the edge. She was miffed that reality didn't match the social media image. FOMO 'gram culture, influencers, flattened discourse . . . into the sea with all of it.

No Sir, I don't like it.