[Travel] Tourism Backlash

[Spiros]

For 20 odd years me and Mrs S owned a second home on the Costa Blanca. It was in an urbanisation aimed specifically at second home owners. We loved it and used it. We also rented it out though we did notice that the urbanisation was very quiet whenever we went there. I did mention to my local mate my concerns about tourists denying locals homes to live in. His take:
- without tourists/second home owners the area would be desolate
- second home owners drive their local economy, without that they’re dependent on low level farming or very limited tourism
- in his view if you ban second homes then the whole area would be a desert
- anyway most of the second home owners there are actually Spanish
Sometimes locals should be careful what they wish for

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

For what it's worth, my wife, Mrs.Wunt be druv, and I are in Meñorca, she, the wife,is bilingual in Spanish and we have been chatting with the locals down here in Punta Prima, they are sh**ting their collective pants about the loss of tourists, they would have nobody, NOBODY, visiting apart from tourists, they may not particularly like them but they pay their bills....incidentally, for what it's worth, they actually like the Brits over everybody else as we spend more and are, on the whole friendlier and funnier, than the rest of the visitors they have...except when the football is on...however, in a local bar, they took more in one evening when England played Switzerland, than they take in a whole month of mainland Spanish/French/Germans/Italiens who buy one small beer and a coffee which lasts all evening.

Are you enjoying it there?

I was in Punta Prima this time last year and absolutely loved the place. Minorca is an absolute gem of an unspoiled island.

 

[jcdenton08]

Growing up as a child in Brighton during the late 80’s and 90’s, I have some sympathy. Watching a town become a city, prices go through the roof, pavements being dominated by endless streams of French schoolchildren walking 5 abreast… Brighton isn’t the place I grew up in, and I’m glad to be out of there.

The problems IMHO come when places get too big for the infrastructure in place to manage them. It’s a never ending game of trying to keep up, and eventually something’s gotta give.

Trying to enjoy Brighton in the summer, even in term times, is very akin to central London and it didn’t used to be this way.

 

[wunt be druv]

Are you enjoying it there?

I was in Punta Prima this time last year and absolutely loved the place. Minorca is an absolute gem of an unspoiled island.

I do love Punta Prima, Meñorca is by far my favourite of the Spanish Islands, would happily come here every year.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Growing up as a child in Brighton during the late 80’s and 90’s, I have some sympathy. Watching a town become a city, prices go through the roof, pavements being dominated by endless streams of French schoolchildren walking 5 abreast… Brighton isn’t the place I grew up in, and I’m glad to be out of there.

The problems IMHO come when places get too big for the infrastructure in place to manage them. It’s a never ending game of trying to keep up, and eventually something’s gotta give.

Trying to enjoy Brighton in the summer, even in term times, is very akin to central London and it didn’t used to be this way.

I am not sure I totally agree with this as I remember endless streams of EF students standing in the streets looking at maps as a teen in the 80s. Which infrastructure do you think is under pressure?

The bigger issue in Brighton is housing costs, both buying and renting, being distorted by London wages.

 

[Bakero]

For 20 odd years me and Mrs S owned a second home on the Costa Blanca. It was in an urbanisation aimed specifically at second home owners. We loved it and used it. We also rented it out though we did notice that the urbanisation was very quiet whenever we went there. I did mention to my local mate my concerns about tourists denying locals homes to live in. His take:
- without tourists/second home owners the area would be desolate
- second home owners drive their local economy, without that they’re dependent on low level farming or very limited tourism
- in his view if you ban second homes then the whole area would be a desert
- anyway most of the second home owners there are actually Spanish
Sometimes locals should be careful what they wish for

Nobody want to ban all tourists. The issue is overtourism in certain areas. This includes big cities like Barcelona as well as small islands. In the latter case it might be argued that their economy is dependent on tourism. While this is true it is evident that some residents are adversely impacted and don't reap the rewards.

As I said, banning all tourists isn't the aim. But implementing certain controls is needed. Holidaymakers also need to think about where they're headed and whether it's the best option.

 

[Blue3]

I wonder if this backlash of protests at tourists has a secondary point in that now we have left free movement are the Spanish feeling some resentment towards the British people who have moved to Spain while we were in the EU but now unable to reciprocate

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Nobody want to ban all tourists. The issue is overtourism in certain areas. This includes big cities like Barcelona as well as small islands. In the latter case it might be argued that their economy is dependent on tourism. While this is true it is evident that some residents are adversely impacted and don't reap the rewards.

As I said, banning all tourists isn't the aim. But implementing certain controls is needed. Holidaymakers also need to think about where they're headed and whether it's the best option.

Aren't the hotels there to be filled? They are mostly cheap package jobs. Until you get rid of the beds they will come! All residents benefit from the influx of money to an area, directly or indirectly.

 

[Bakero]

Aren't the hotels there to be filled? They are mostly cheap package jobs. Until you get rid of the beds they will come! All residents benefit from the influx of money to an area, directly or indirectly.

Aren't there hotels where?

A big part of the problem is not hotels but tourist flats as well as properties rented by digital nomads. As I mentioned before it has cause rents to spiral, pricing out locals. The influx of tourist/DMs also changes the nature of neighbourhoods due to needs and purchasing power.

Imagine you were earning less than 1000€ in Lisbon and rent is around 2000€. Would you feel like you were indirectly benefiting from the current state of affairs?

Just read an article in El Pais on overtourism in Valencia which highlights some of the issues there, providing a perspective from locals. Worth a read (translation available through your browser)

Vecinos de Valencia se movilizan frente a una presión turística que no amaina

Colectivos ciudadanos convocan acciones en los barrios para recuperar el espacio público y exigir a los políticos medidas eficaces, no cosméticas, contra la turistificación

elpais.com

And here's another about Barcelona: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/a...-protest-against-mass-tourism_6676892_19.html

 

[portlock seagull]

This issue isn’t just overseas. Numerous locations here experiencing same issues. People need to be responsible tourists. Overwhelmingly though government needs to legislate, mainly because the former never works alone.

 

[Bakero]

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Growing up as a child in Brighton during the late 80’s and 90’s, I have some sympathy. Watching a town become a city, prices go through the roof, pavements being dominated by endless streams of French schoolchildren walking 5 abreast… Brighton isn’t the place I grew up in, and I’m glad to be out of there.

The problems IMHO come when places get too big for the infrastructure in place to manage them. It’s a never ending game of trying to keep up, and eventually something’s gotta give.

Trying to enjoy Brighton in the summer, even in term times, is very akin to central London and it didn’t used to be this way.

The schoolchildren were housed with locals, getting £115 a month for hosting them, so no pressure on housing. Local touristy shops did make a mint.

Housing in Brighton has been affected by student housing for the universities. Landlords buy one house and then rent it out to five or more students.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

The schoolchildren were housed with locals, getting £115 a month for hosting them, so no pressure on housing. Local touristy shops did make a mint.

Housing in Brighton has been affected by student housing for the universities. Landlords buy one house and then rent it out to five or more students.

Not to mention DFLs.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

This issue isn’t just overseas. Numerous locations here experiencing same issues. People need to be responsible tourists. Overwhelmingly though government needs to legislate, mainly because the former never works alone.

I wondered this myself when I was in Croyde a couple of years back. I was staying in a cottage in a row of houses that were all clearly being rented out, the local pub was woefully understaffed as there were no locals to staff it and the single track roads were a shitshow of caravans and 4 x 4s.

As I was sat in the jam, it did become clear to me that I was part of the problem.

 

[maltaseagull]

The Arctic Circle is overrun with tourists?

It will be once the cheap flights get noticed

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Aren't the hotels there to be filled? They are mostly cheap package jobs. Until you get rid of the beds they will come! All residents benefit from the influx of money to an area, directly or indirectly.

Air BnB is the issue. Too many beds now.

 

[portlock seagull]

I wondered this myself when I was in Croyde a couple of years back. I was staying in a cottage in a row of houses that were all clearly being rented out, the local pub was woefully understaffed as there were no locals to staff it and the single track roads were a shitshow of caravans and 4 x 4s.

As I was sat in the jam, it did become clear to me that I was part of the problem.

St Mawes the same. We go off season because it’s too busy this time of year and exactly this problem exists. Local infrustructure has almost collapsed. Tourists complain without realising they’ve created. St Mawes is so high end though now that one solution for some is to bring their own chefs and have groceries ordered ahead from likes of Ocado etc.

Time to get back to basics for me. Cool boxes, Tupperware and sand in yer Pilchard sandwiches like in the 70s. Had just as much fun before eating out became the norm on holidays. That or don’t complain when it’s astronomically expensive because there’s only one pub left open and you need to book well in advance. We caused this. Deal with it!

 

[Official Old Man]

Think I mentioned this elsewhere. I was in Cornwall recently, in particular Looe, Polpero and St Ives. There was a lot in the papers about 'second homes' and AirBnB but it wasn't until I looked around that I realised quite how many flats and houses had key locks on the front (those padlock boxes with the key inside to let in tourists). I'd put it at over 75% of the properties.

 

[LamieRobertson]

St Mawes the same. We go off season because it’s too busy this time of year and exactly this problem exists. Local infrustructure has almost collapsed. Tourists complain without realising they’ve created. St Mawes is so high end though now that one solution for some is to bring their own chefs and have groceries ordered ahead from likes of Ocado etc.

Time to get back to basics for me. Cool boxes, Tupperware and sand in yer Pilchard sandwiches like in the 70s. Had just as much fun before eating out became the norm on holidays. That or don’t complain when it’s astronomically expensive because there’s only one pub left open and you need to book well in advance. We caused this. Deal with it!

Always stayed in a caravan when I was a child 60/70’s ….loved every minute of it…..but then that was before or at the start of the lure of package holidays and the competition that brought

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Think I mentioned this elsewhere. I was in Cornwall recently, in particular Looe, Polpero and St Ives. There was a lot in the papers about 'second homes' and AirBnB but it wasn't until I looked around that I realised quite how many flats and houses had key locks on the front (those padlock boxes with the key inside to let in tourists). I'd put it at over 75% of the properties.

I really do think there needs to be legislation against the AirBnB market. It’s happening around the world and Berlin has introduced measures.