[Travel] Tourism Backlash

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Having recently returned from Majorca I was amazed at the aggression and anger put towards tourists. If you look at most towns on the island it's difficult to appreciate how they'd survive without tourism. I had a discussion with a local who was very much opposed to tourism and I thought it'd be directed towards drunken people causing trouble etc, but far from it. This guy was angry that so many private properties had been purchased by families and lay empty most of the year, as only used for 2-4 weeks by the owners. So the local property prices have risen dramatically, and the local businesses and families don't benefit as it actually removes tourists from buying food, beer and using local attractions. I'm sure others were concerned about behaviour and others about Air BnB. I'm against second property ownership anyway, but this angle was new to me and I get it.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Same with Devon and Cornwall, no?

 

[Flounce]

Same with Devon and Cornwall, no?

And areas of France

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Having recently returned from Majorca I was amazed at the aggression and anger put towards tourists. If you look at most towns on the island it's difficult to appreciate how they'd survive without tourism. I had a discussion with a local who was very much opposed to tourism and I thought it'd be directed towards drunken people causing trouble etc, but far from it. This guy was angry that so many private properties had been purchased by families and lay empty most of the year, as only used for 2-4 weeks by the owners. So the local property prices have risen dramatically, and the local businesses and families don't benefit as it actually removes tourists from buying food, beer and using local attractions. I'm sure others were concerned about behaviour and others about Air BnB. I'm against second property ownership anyway, but this angle was new to me and I get it.

Second home ownership is a major problem if not controlled. Ideally there should be limited availability of holiday homes and laws that make it very clear if a property is for locals or visitors. This then creates a two tier property market that doesn’t push locals away. Officials in the Kitzbühel area are working hard to clamp down on second home owners who have bought locals-only homes.

Having said that, locals here love tourists as most people in the Tirol work in farming or tourism (or both). Very few tourists are badly behaved second home owners, and the locals drink more than most tourists!

 

[KZNSeagull]

And areas of France

And the Lake District

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Amsterdam is also turning against tourists but for different reasons….mainly just the sheer volume of them.

 

[Driver8]

And the Lake District

And North Wales.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

And North Wales.

and Swansea ?

 

[Han Solo]

Not really a tourst backlash is it... more of sheep one.

If people had some sort of individuality and were psychologically capable to go somewhere else than where EVERYONE is going, tourists would be greatly appreciated in most places.

If the Svensson family thinks "oh the Hanssons went to Mallorca, lets go to one of the thousands of nice islands available to us" rather than "we have to do the exact same thing because I'm programmed that way", everyone could be happy.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe the answer is to put an end to the stupidly cheap-as-chips budget flights. Whack up the associated taxes til demand falls away. It's pretty insane that you can fly from, say, Gatwick to the Arctic Circle for fifty quid return. Like I've done. Twice.

 

[Whitechapel]

Can he play LB?

 

[vegster]

Tenerife has had similar protests. Although they like the money tourists bring, they get priced out of local housing and restaurants....Air travel is incredibly polluting too so maybe we should cut down on travel?

 

[Fungus]

Same with Devon and Cornwall, no?

Yes, and apart from the second home / Airbnb problem, our main hospital in Cornwall can’t cope financially or physically with all the extra people.

 

[Driver8]

and Swansea ?

Not sure about Swansea but nearby Pembrokeshire has a problem with second home owners.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

So people are saying you shouldn't own a holiday home? Even if you've worked hard your whole life to be able to afford stuff like that?
You can tell the people to do one. Why should some one be sanctioned if the laws allow it
I don't own one by the way

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Maybe the answer is to put an end to the stupidly cheap-as-chips budget flights. Whack up the associated taxes til demand falls away. It's pretty insane that you can fly from, say, Gatwick to the Arctic Circle for fifty quid return. Like I've done. Twice.

The Arctic Circle is overrun with tourists?

 

[BN41Albion]

So people are saying you shouldn't own a holiday home? Even if you've worked hard your whole life to be able to afford stuff like that?
You can tell the people to do one. Why should some one be sanctioned if the laws allow it
I don't own one by the way

But surely there has to be more consideration for thr effect on the locals in the area. I think you're missing the point - locals are protesting that the laws should be changed

 

[Coldeanseagull]

But surely there has to be more consideration for thr effect on the locals in the area. I think you're missing the point - locals are protesting that the laws should be changed

To me, it sounded like people were once again moaning about the haves and have nots in this country

 

[Binney on acid]

Having just returned from Wrome, it must be horrendous living there. Traffic and pollution are off the scale. To get it into some kind of perspective, the Vatican hosts 25,000 visitors a day. Google states 16,000 visit The Colosseum every day. The Spanish Steps were rammed, and The Trevi Fountain hosts 3000 - 4000 visitors per day. It's unlikely that all of the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain visitors are the ones that were included in The Vatican and Colosseum statistics. I never felt any antagonism towards tourists, apart from the contempt that Vueling airline exhibited, when they delayed our return by 24 hours.

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Having just returned from Wrome, it must be horrendous living there. Traffic and pollution are off the scale. To get it into some kind of perspective, the Vatican hosts 25,000 visitors a day. Google states 16,000 visit The Colosseum every day. The Spanish Steps were rammed, and The Trevi Fountain hosts 3000 - 4000 visitors per day. It's unlikely that all of the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain visitors are the ones that were included in The Vatican and Colosseum statistics. I never felt any antagonism towards tourists, apart from the contempt that Vueling airline exhibited, when they delayed our return by 24 hours.

What can you expect when all roads lead to 'Wrome'?