Tourists Go Home!
Chronic overcrowding in some of Europe's beloved tourism hotspots is fuelling an angry backlash, from polite protest to "Go Home" graffiti and even physical intimidation.
Across southern Europe, from the choked boulevards of Gaudi's Barcelona to the swarms of cruise liners disgorging passengers into Croatia's medieval Dubrovnik, residents are complaining that a sharp rise in tourism is making life intolerable.
The backlash has sparked concerns for one of the region's biggest economic drivers and prompted authorities to act.
Rome is considering limiting visitor numbers to parts of the eternal city, such as the Trevi fountain. Dubrovnik plans to limit cruise ships. Barcelona is planning a new tourism tax.
Comments
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I think this problem has been bubbling up for years. Venice often has more visitors than residents! It seems to have become a problem with the increase in large cruise liners. There was an interesting programme of the BBC about cruises visiting Orkney, see here Unless they are really punitive I can't see tourist taxes making a lot of difference. I have read that places like Venice want to limit the number of visitors, perhaps using a prearranged entrance permit?
David
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We were in Venice recently (End May/earlyJune) and the initial area around St Marks Sq and the Doges Palace was absolutely appalling - it was a shuffle around sideways and forget joining the queues - I've got better things to do with my life. Similarly the area around the Rialto Bridge, so I can see why there may be visitors 'permits' or the like.
However, get off the beaten track, and it is possible, and it is an amazing place to see and explore. A beautiful and certainly unique place.
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Like David I saw the Orkney cruise ship programme. I watched with interest as we were there one year when a huge cruise ship came in and nearly four thousand people descended on Kirkwall, it was like a tidal wave. I think the money they spend brings so much to the locals and boosts an otherwise poor economy. However people move to Orkney because it has a good quality of life, so it would be sad to see that change if there is future pressure from larger retailers set up there. Places like Venice, Dubrovnik etc are now being spoilt by overcrowded tourism which can't be good. Mind you that's always been said about the Lake District but some of us are still going there, me included and you can get off the beaten track there as you can on Orkney and no doubt Venice.
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Some strange attitudes coming out in all this about all sorts of places.
How many of the "locals" first arrived as tourists themselves, liked the place so much they moved there, and now hate to see tourists "spoiling" it for them?
Interesting comment from a young chap in Catalonia protesting about tourism. He claimed that it was because of tourists they had to work for low wages. Methinks without the tourists there probably would be no job to pay any wages.
In my own country we know the expensive bridge (and the many miles of 20th century road to go with it) to Skye would never have been built if it had not been to serve the tourist traffic.
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In my own country we know the expensive bridge (and the many miles of 20th century road to go with it) to Skye would never have been built if it had not been to serve the tourist traffic.
On another forum they are calling for something to be done about the amount of tourists on Skye, some suggest a Tourist Tax, while others say put the toll back on the bridge, charge more for the parking etc etc. It seems they like the money the tourists bring in but don't like them actually being there as they take all the parking spaces up, spoil local beauty spots (by visiting them) and drive prices up in cafes/restaurants. Cake and eat it springs to mind.
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When we were in Bourton on the Water a couple of years ago, OH got talking to a born and bred local lady about how it must be horrible in the village nearly all year with the "tourists", her answer was "my dear if we did not have the tourists we would not have such good local services and the village would die"
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Tammy, Completely agree with you. It is a very difficult and an almost impossible thing for the local authorities to get right. The income from the tourist trade in popular places must be immense, but you can understand the locals getting a bit fed up.
But I'd bet that they'd be even more fed up if we all stopped coming!!
Look at that resort in Turkey, where the terrorists committed a dreadful massacre of UK & European visitors. It also killed the tourist trade totally, and hotels have had to close etc. The area is becoming bankrupt.
That is why these relatively peaceful demonstrators against tourism need to be careful, because what they are asking for, might be much worse than what they've got.
TF
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Skye is lovely, but the facilities for tourists are almost non-existant, no decent public toilets for a start. If they spent a little on some decent toilets at strategic intervals, and better parking plus more stopping places along the roads, the tourists would be much less of a nuisance to the locals!
There does seem to be a lot of "incomers" in some of the tourist areas of Scotland, and as Nav said, they came a while back because they liked it, often having sold homes down south for huge amounts, then they want everything to stay the same forever. What do they expect the locals to live on if there were no tourists?
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Its the same here in Gwynedd.The local authority is run by tourist haters. The close the public toilets, make parking impossible and use Gest tapo style enforcers and the latest is to charge 150% rates on second homes. There is no other industry but the hugely subsidised farming ( most of the councillors of course are farmers).
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Some time ago I was reading that Venice was considering having a visitor permit system so they could control the the numbers. Not sure how it would work but I imagine you would have to apply before you went.
Whilst I have very much enjoyed the two cruises I have been on I can understand that suddenly disgorging up to 4000 people in a small port could cause problems. Whilst I might buy a coffee I am unlikely to buy a lunch as I can go back on board and make use of what I have already paid for.
David
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I've visited Venice as a day-tripper by coach, a cruise tripper and twice for a hotel stay. Really only the hotel visits have contributed meaningfully to the city's economy. Equally turning the place into a giant hotel/B&B means that the locals have only tourism as an industry and prevents it functioning as a "normal" place.
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Whilst I would never resort to a protest of any kind, having been born and brought up in one of the busiest towns in the Lake District, I do have some empathy for people who live in places where they feel completely overwhelmed by tourists.
The towns and villages in the central Lake District are full of cafes, outdoor clothing, and general tat shops. There are very few 'normal' shops. So, locals have to travel several miles in order to buy 'normal' stuff.
Because of the number of second, or holiday homes, house prices have risen to the point where people born and brought up in the area can't afford to buy, so are being forced out of their own area.
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Exactly lynnruby. It's been a problem over here for a very long time in certain areas. Having holidayed in one gorgeous North Norfolk honey spot slightly out of season, it was a real eye opener. The small town had absolutely no heart or soul, because all the quaint cottages were holiday lets, empty at that time. Two weeks later, you couldn't move or park. And the prices in the shops soared, catering for the influx of easy money burning holes in tourist pockets. It's a never ending cycle, great if you are in it and making a mint, but not if you are locked out because of unaffordable housing, poor wages, short seasons. London is another extreme example.
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This is a very challenging conundrum! 'Tourons' mean income and jobs in some areas desperately needing these. You can't please everyone, including the locals, but what we should expect is some limitations and assistance to reduce the pressures where needed. More Park and Ride with sensible last buses which allow proper evenings out. More encouragement to visit areas not on the tourist radar but, in my opinion, just as appealing. The hills and dales of the Lincolnshire Wolds being an area not known to the masses but lovely villages and countryside walks make it one of those hidden gems. There are other similar areas in our green and pleasant land!
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Has any Town/City any where in the UK now got "proper" shops, they are now filled with charity shops (at cheap rates) or coffee shops most of normal/food shops are now on large out of town retail parks,and that cannot be blamed on tourists
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Big topic of discussion on both radio and TV up here today......"campervan" users seem to be getting a lot of stick, along with wild campers, foreigners driving on the wrong side of the road, and tourists dawdling along and not pulling in to let others pass.
Where I come from, in the north of Norway, there are similar problems over summer. The MH drivers drive slowly to admire the views and the locals get frustrated. My sister was complaining about it just recently.
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Some interesting comments, and observations.
I was lucky enough to leave the town I grew up in when I got married 35 years ago, but I still have family there, so need to visit regularly, although I dread every visit! Nowhere to park .... can't walk on the pavement .....it is just so crowded!
As mickysf said, it is a challenging conundrum, but it seems that business owners in the central Lakes are having to 'import' staff as there aren't enough locals to fill the minimum wage jobs.
JVB66, yes there are still towns with "proper" shops, even in Cumbria
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There is an interesting article in the Guardian today about Skye tourist problems. One of the things mentioned was the situation on public toilets mentioned by Kj further up the thread. The local council are pleading poverty. I just wonder if it's time for the introduction of a tourist tax of say 50p a night per person to be ring fenced just to improve tourist facilities?
David
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Good point David.
The lack of public toilets is also an issue in the Lake District (and I'm sure it's the same in many other 'honeypot' areas) Public waste bins are not emptied anywhere near often enough, resulting in littered streets. The councils here say they can't afford to keep toilets open or empty bins more regularly.
We visit other countries with far better facilities, but we do pay a tourist tax. It may well be time to introduce a tourist tax here in the UK.
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I think Skye used to attract outdoorsy types and climbers. They obviously need a rethink for those who want home comforts without doing anything too strenuous. I'm not a great fan of Skye due to some rather bleak bits in between the better bits.
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I lived on The Lizard when I worked at Falmouth docks for a couple of years and since I had the docking list I used to phone some pubs, shops and cafes to alert them to the arrival of cruise ships.
When they discharged their thousands of passengers they were like a soccer crowd flooding up Arwenack Street, the main shopping street, and packing in the retail businesses.
It was the depressingly claggy grey winters, deserted holiday homes and shut village shops that drove me back to Sussex.
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Councils have been charging business rates for decades Fisherman.
I think this is largely to pay for services associated with individual businesses (such as extra rubbish/recycling etc) rather than services available to the general public.
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We visited Skye on Tuesday, the first time in about 35 years and the change in the number of people was unbelievable. When we were there last time I don't think we saw more than 20 cars on leaving the ferry. What a difference on Tuesday, like a constant traffic jam. I can see why MH got some stick, just hundreds of them wild camping both on Skye and the mainland.
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Toilets are essential, they should be kept open as a priority, a small charge, even up to £1 per use if necessary, would help to pay for them.
Charging for the use of public toilets is common abroad.
Recently, driving to and from Ullapool for the ferry to Lewis, we stopped on the way there early morning in Aviemore....a very popular tourist destination....and the facilities were shut till 8am. Fortunately Tesco have toilets available to the public and opened at 7am.
Coming back we stopped in Pitlochry at 7pm, only to find the public toilets closed at 6pm. We had to sneak into a pub and use theirs!
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