OT: Banning the TikTok Tourism Influencers.

[RWL2222]

Originally Posted by eddief

I hear it's not so crowded...yet.

I didn't post this at the time, but this Aug 21 NYT article points the way for cycling in Albania (no paywall):

Cycling the Western Balkans: A Wild, Yet Welcoming, Mountain Tour

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/travel/cycling-balkans-trans-dinarica.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QU4.9Cp_.ivc 8Z4NVQdGS&smid=url-share

[benb]

I saw this out west in 2023.

You'd get to some of the spots and you literally couldn't get a picture because the entire view was blocked by women in skimpy outfits with a photographer shooting them.

It was definitely weird. No matter how beautiful you think you are people don't go to these sites to look at you.

But this VT thing is a whole extra level of stupidity. Being from VT and always living in NE no one I really know has ever gone leaf peeping because you always see it wherever you are without going anywhere. If you're going to ride/drive through those areas you know not to do it during peak season.

The best leaf viewing for me is always hiking or mountain biking through a forest with the sun filtering through and getting colored by the leaves. Amazing. My favorite is forests heavy in beech trees with the leaves totally yellow.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by benb

But this VT thing is a whole extra level of stupidity. Being from VT and always living in NE no one I really know has ever gone leaf peeping because you always see it wherever you are without going anywhere.

This.

The whole state is amazing in fall, every direction on nearly every road. But then again, if the "influencers" want to all crowd around one spot thats fine it leaves the rest of the place empty. I spent a month there in 2020 (Mt Holly) and it was so nice.

I also see this nonsense living near DC with the cherry blossoms. Last year there was a woman with an entire crew (video, photos, lights, who knows what else) following her around for hours.

[Elefantino]

I don't get "Tik Tok influencers" but then I don't have Tik Tok and I have very little influence these days.

[prototoast]

In my mind, this is a symptom of broad prosperity, more than it's a symptom of social media.

Tourism has always been a popular activity, whose volume has largely been tempered by resource constraints. As the world becomes more prosperous, more and more people have the resources for leisure travel.

This has outpaced the supply almost everywhere. Certain types of vacation destinations, like tropical resorts, are fairly easy to manufacture and the supply should increase over time. Destinations with historical significance are much more limited.

I think it's natural for people to want all the amenities of a major tourist destination but without the crowds, but that's not really a viable option. The best thing that could happen is if popular destinations invest in infrastructure to help better serve the existing demand, rather than trying to fight the progress and prosperity of humanity.

[HenryA]

Originally Posted by prototoast

In my mind, this is a symptom of broad prosperity, ..........

This part, for sure ^^^^^.
Combine the ability to travel with letting 'em see it and there they go.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by benb

I saw this out west in 2023.

You'd get to some of the spots and you literally couldn't get a picture because the entire view was blocked by women in skimpy outfits with a photographer shooting them.

It was definitely weird. No matter how beautiful you think you are people don't go to these sites to look at you.

But this VT thing is a whole extra level of stupidity. Being from VT and always living in NE no one I really know has ever gone leaf peeping because you always see it wherever you are without going anywhere. If you're going to ride/drive through those areas you know not to do it during peak season.

The best leaf viewing for me is always hiking or mountain biking through a forest with the sun filtering through and getting colored by the leaves. Amazing. My favorite is forests heavy in beech trees with the leaves totally yellow.

That’s the problem in a nutshell. What do you do in those circumstances? I’m not much of a “here’s a famous spot…let’s snap a photo” person, but is everyone supposed to just twiddle their thumbs while some influencer sets up their perfect shot? Time for a photo bomb.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

but is everyone supposed to just twiddle their thumbs while some influencer sets up their perfect shot? Time for a photo bomb.

People that think the world revolves around them dont have the self awareness to think that all the way through.

[jlwdm]

In addition to small of the photos showing photos of beautiful places around the world smart phones have been a huge factor in increased travel. Tourists are much more comfortable getting around with mapping apps for directions. Translation apps can also make travel easier in some locations.

Jeff

[Fat Cat]

Originally Posted by prototoast

In my mind, this is a symptom of broad prosperity, more than it's a symptom of social media.

Tourism has always been a popular activity, whose volume has largely been tempered by resource constraints. As the world becomes more prosperous, more and more people have the resources for leisure travel.

This has outpaced the supply almost everywhere. Certain types of vacation destinations, like tropical resorts, are fairly easy to manufacture and the supply should increase over time. Destinations with historical significance are much more limited.

I think it's natural for people to want all the amenities of a major tourist destination but without the crowds, but that's not really a viable option. The best thing that could happen is if popular destinations invest in infrastructure to help better serve the existing demand, rather than trying to fight the progress and prosperity of humanity.

If you build it, they will come. If you don't build it, they will come anyway.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by br0qn

…



well, those are top 5 cities in a top 5 country/destination at the height of tourism season, it's to be expected.

i lived in italy from '17-'18, and was in venice 5 days/week and can speak to the horrors of over-tourism in the city itself. it's a fkn drag. that said, if you make the slightest effort to get off of the beaten path you're rewarded immensely. i'm talking like 5 blocks in any direction beyond the path linking the most visited sites within venice. if you're just walking from rialto to st marks well, it's disney land. make an effort to get lost and walk to the furthest neighborhood from any main attraction and you'll consider yourself fortunate to experience the real venice, as much as one can today. i imagine the same is true for near any city or place that could be considered a destination.

i visited the amalfi coast ~10 years ago in the middle of summer and can say that it was crowded even then, but if you make your base in one of the smaller towns as opposed to amalfi/positano you'll avoid the worst of it. that said, italy has no shortage of incredible seaside towns and beaches. go 1 town east of "amalfi coast" and you'll probably have a better time and still have access to seeing the famed coastline and towns. if you can stomach it, rent a scooter and ride the coast.

Her preference is a smaller town as a base. She was going with a friend who previously lived in Italy and it was going to be a relaxed pace. Then the friend invited 3 other women and it became a trip with a daily planned itinerary.

Jeff

[br0qn]

you'd have to be rather dense to make light of social media's influence, in a significant way, on how and where people spend their money, or, to where they allocate their travel budget.

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.

by nearly all accounts the middle class has been in decline for the past 50 years in the US and also more recently in europe. china however has had a middle class boom. what is changing is what people are doing with their money.

Originally Posted by prototoast

In my mind, this is a symptom of broad prosperity, more than it's a symptom of social media.

Tourism has always been a popular activity, whose volume has largely been tempered by resource constraints. As the world becomes more prosperous, more and more people have the resources for leisure travel.

This has outpaced the supply almost everywhere. Certain types of vacation destinations, like tropical resorts, are fairly easy to manufacture and the supply should increase over time. Destinations with historical significance are much more limited.

I think it's natural for people to want all the amenities of a major tourist destination but without the crowds, but that's not really a viable option. The best thing that could happen is if popular destinations invest in infrastructure to help better serve the existing demand, rather than trying to fight the progress and prosperity of humanity.

i don't know, you'd think if people were broadly more prosperous then homeownership (in the US) would be on the rise rather decline. (ok, this gets complicated when you consider where jobs are located and more people moving to urban areas which means more will rent than buy but if you simply look at median income vs CPI over the past 30 years, well, it's clear as day**.)

interesting take on the supply of historical destinations vs easily manufactured resorts i think you're right about that. though still, the impact of social media is obvious when you see a place like tulum explode. i think it also helps to consider other areas affected by social media, food for instance. people create for the 'gram. i mean, how else did, several years ago out of nowhere, $15+ avocado toast become a thing across the nation? this article briefly touches a bit on that point and others in discussion here. the author concludes by proposing we travel without posting on social media. sounds fantastic to me. imagine going somewhere and being awed by reality rather than trying to capture it and end up experiencing it through a 5" screen all while be low key disappointed it wasn't as amazing as it was made out to be by the over produced SM posts and find yourself applying thick filters to every photo making them beyond real.

** if you're a geek for this stuff here is another graph showing mean vs median and some explanation.

[vav]

Originally Posted by br0qn

you'd have to be rather dense to make light of social media's influence, in a significant way, on how and where people spend their money, or, to where they allocate their travel budget.



by nearly all accounts the middle class has been in decline for the past 50 years in the US and also more recently in europe. china however has had a middle class boom. what is changing is what people are doing with their money.




i don't know, you'd think if people were broadly more prosperous then homeownership (in the US) would be on the rise rather decline. (ok, this gets complicated when you consider where jobs are located and more people moving to urban areas which means more will rent than buy but if you simply look at median income vs CPI over the past 30 years, well, it's clear as day**.)

interesting take on the supply of historical destinations vs easily manufactured resorts i think you're right about that. though still, the impact of social media is obvious when you see a place like tulum explode. i think it also helps to consider other areas affected by social media, food for instance. people create for the 'gram. i mean, how else did, several years ago out of nowhere, $15+ avocado toast become a thing across the nation? this article briefly touches a bit on that point and others in discussion here. the author concludes by proposing we travel without posting on social media. sounds fantastic to me. imagine going somewhere and being awed by reality rather than trying to capture it and end up experiencing it through a 5" screen all while be low key disappointed it wasn't as amazing as it was made out to be by the over produced SM posts and find yourself applying thick filters to every photo making them beyond real.

** if you're a geek for this stuff here is another graph showing mean vs median and some explanation.

Prototoast is more than a geek my friend. He could probably school more than a few of us

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by br0qn

i don't know, you'd think if people were broadly more prosperous then homeownership (in the US) would be on the rise rather decline.

this is a big assumption that people who travel, etc are doing so with money they've saved (that could be used on a house) vs running up their credit cards and only paying the min amount due.. I think Visa and MasterCard would say the latter (based on usage and late fees assessed).. not everyone for sure, but many..

I tell my kid all the time when they see how "rich" someone is living that it's not about what you can buy in the moment, but about what debt you carry..

* yes, yes, I know wealthy people use debt, etc, but I'm not talking about the 1%..

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by .RJ

This.

The whole state is amazing in fall, every direction on nearly every road. But then again, if the "influencers" want to all crowd around one spot thats fine it leaves the rest of the place empty. I spent a month there in 2020 (Mt Holly) and it was so nice.

I also see this nonsense living near DC with the cherry blossoms. Last year there was a woman with an entire crew (video, photos, lights, who knows what else) following her around for hours.

Don't tell me. She was Asian, right?