OT: Banning the TikTok Tourism Influencers.

[Alistair]

When we visited Iceland a few years ago in January, I was amazed at the busloads of tourists hitting the most popular spots. Apparently, it's no less popular in January than July.

Anyway, it wasn't the number of tourists that I found annoying. It was their general poor behavior. Crossing chains with "DANGER" signs around Geysir and waterfalls, getting too close to the ocean near the black sands, etc. Just dumb **** that gets people killed (and access for the rest of us limited).

That and selfie sticks. Holy crap. SO MANY SELFIE STICKS. Though I gotta admit watching Gucci-shoe-wearing-Chinese tourists sprint out of their buses across muddy/gravelly terrain to get a selfie without a crowd in the scene was humorous.

Anyways, if you want to visit someplace that's famous (either for real, or just Instagram-famous), go off-hours/off-season. Or just go someplace else. When we did our Italy trip, we just got to the big sites well before opening so we were near first in line. Getting into the Coliseum before organized tours started was worth the early wake-up. Same for Uffizi.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

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

how did you know

[Mr. Pink]

Best thing about Covid was shutting down Chinese tourism.

[Mr. Pink]

Last time I was in Italy, we rented an Airbnb in Siena (guilty as charged) and my girlfriend decided to invite a couple she knows to use the second bedroom for a few days. The female half of the couple was totally disinterested in any sort of cultural sites in Siena or close to there, and the food didn't thrill her. Why the hell did she fly all the way from Denver for this, I thought. Well, she was totally obsessed with traveling to Pisa so she could get a picture of herself holding up the leaning tower. Yup. That was pretty much it. She got it, I hear.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

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

Was that really necessary?

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Best thing about Covid was shutting down Chinese tourism.

Or this?

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Was that really necessary?

Probably not, but he's not wrong either.

I've done a few big international trips in the past 10 years and its unfortunately the same everywhere I've been.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Or this?

If you spent a lot of time in Europe pre Covid, our western national parks, or New York City, where I used to live close to and spend some time in, you would understand. It was a clown show at times. And, it's not just me. The party, or, the Chinese government, actually sent out messages to the people trying to change the bad manners.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

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

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Best thing about Covid was shutting down Chinese tourism.

Not everyone who is ethnically Asian is a national of an Asian country. For that matter, even if they were (which clearly isn't the case), Asian =/= Chinese.

I doubt either you or @.RJ can differentiate with >90% accuracy a Mainland Chinese national vs a Taiwanese national vs a second generation American or Canadian of ethnic Han descent vs a Singaporean of ethnic Han descent.

I will grant that Mainland Chinese tourists do exhibit higher than average boorish tendencies. But if that's the level of boorish behavior needed to allow stereotype, there's also a reason why the "Ugly (Caucasian) American" tourist stereotype exists in Europe.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by echappist

Not everyone who is ethnically Asian is a national of an Asian country. For that matter, even if they were (which clearly isn't the case), Asian =/= Chinese.

I doubt either you or @.RJ can differentiate with >90% accuracy a Mainland Chinese national vs a Taiwanese national vs a second generation American or Canadian of ethnic Han descent vs a Singaporean of ethnic Han descent.

I will grant that Mainland Chinese tourists do exhibit higher than average boorish tendencies. But if that's the level of boorish behavior needed to allow stereotype, there's also a reason why the "Ugly (Caucasian) American" tourist stereotype exists in Europe.

Oh sure, we should talk. Still applies. I was appalled at some behavior Americans displayed at times, but, they were rare. But, I'm pretty sure it's been well documented that it was the mainland Chinese that flooded the tourist market. Not Taiwanese (they've been fairly middle class for decades) or other Asian countries. And the Euros welcomed it with open arms. Money! Sorry, but I experienced it first hand many times. Like, there's a line here, lady, and being totally ignored. Sometimes stepped on. It's an ambitious, driven people, as we have watched for forty years. They don't mess around. And they're winning. But, you don't want to be hiking up from the depths of Bryce with a bus load or two of Chinese just parking at the top.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Oh sure, we should talk. Still applies. I was appalled at some behavior Americans displayed at times, but, they were rare. But, I'm pretty sure it's been well documented that it was the mainland Chinese that flooded the tourist market. Not Taiwanese (they've been fairly middle class for decades) or other Asian countries. And the Euros welcomed it with open arms. Money! Sorry, but I experienced it first hand many times. Like, there's a line here, lady, and being totally ignored. Sometimes stepped on. It's an ambitious, driven people, as we have watched for forty years. They don't mess around. And they're winning. But, you don't want to be hiking up from the depths of Bryce with a bus load or two of Chinese just parking at the top.

Digging deeper.


Jeff

[FastCanon]

I also witnessed this phenomenon in Vietnam of last year. We were there for some time and thought this was crazy. Like all the young generations were flocking to any wonders and restaurants/cafes that were "exciting". They couldn't have done this not too long ago so I'm not going to judge them.

We live in a comfortable life for a long time and sometimes, we take freedom for granted.

[earlfoss]

During my visit to Mont Saint Michel last week I saw a waiter yell at a table of Chinese tourists in a full restaurant. There was some crazy behavior happening throughout that trip.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Oh sure, we should talk. Still applies. I was appalled at some behavior Americans displayed at times, but, they were rare. But, I'm pretty sure it's been well documented that it was the mainland Chinese that flooded the tourist market. Not Taiwanese (they've been fairly middle class for decades) or other Asian countries. And the Euros welcomed it with open arms. Money! Sorry, but I experienced it first hand many times. Like, there's a line here, lady, and being totally ignored. Sometimes stepped on. It's an ambitious, driven people, as we have watched for forty years. They don't mess around. And they're winning. But, you don't want to be hiking up from the depths of Bryce with a bus load or two of Chinese just parking at the top.

if you are going to stereotype, at least narrow your focus to those who are truly deserving (Mainland China tourists). And for the record, I don't disagree with the characterization that in many locales, Mainland Chinese tourists took the title of worst-behaving tourists from Americans (although if you were to ask Amsterdamers, Ibizans, or Majorcan, they'd probably list Brits on stag dos as the most ill-behaved).

However, your original post cast a wide net that literally conflated people from all over the world (that is to say, "Asians") with people from a particular country. Even then, you still haven't demonstrated how you can tell tourists from Mainland China apart from say someone Taiwanese or Han Singaporean.

Some of us with enough proficiency in Mandarin and well-attuned enough to subtle cultural practices can make the distinction, but I have serious doubts as to whether you (or for that matter, most people here) can, unless we are talking rather monolithic tourists streaming off a tour bus.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Best thing about Covid was shutting down Chinese tourism.

Is there a direct correlation to the TikTok discussion? I don’t get it. If not, why bring it up?