Tourism Free areas.

JohnnyFlash

I’m down in Galway for the weekend. The place is still overrun with tourists (and crusties, but that’s for another thread). It got me thinking - should we create tourist free zones in cities?

The Italian government have admitted that Rome, Venice, and Florence have reached bursting point due to mass tourism. Dublin is becoming a city of hotels, and we have had to implement controls on short term apartment lets. Galleries and public spaces are inundated with hoards of Asian tourists bumping into people as they follow a person waving a flag. The whole thing has become a bit of a rat race to be honest.

Would local only pubs, streets, areas be a good idea? I can see the merit to be honest.

mathie

I’m down in Galway for the weekend. The place is still overrun with tourists

Who ordered the pint of Irony?

Galway for the weekend...peasant.

JohnnyFlash

mathie wrote: »

Who ordered the pint of Irony?

I’m a proud Galwegian, Mattie. As local as Warty Nora drinking buck fast down the Spanish Arch and fighting Knacker Dwarf in Supermacs afterwards.

Hector Savage

It's a joke alright, I find that though if you walk a bit in a scenic area you will soon leave all the fat morons (usually American) that need to follow someone waving a flag - behind.

I was down in Wexford last week and had a marvellous time, we rented a car and went to Hook head lighthouse.
Took a walk along the coast there and met zero tourists - gorgeous weather and scenery too.

Stopped by the tourist shop at the end out of curiosity and it was full of coach loads of old english people, all queing at the "restaurant" where for €12.50 you could get a crappy sandwich and a cup of coffee.

They are really pushing this "Irelands ancient east" bollocks.
It's a cod, there is another park they are charging €30 entry for - wonder when they'll start charging that for St Annes in Dublin tbh.

I am scared to go to the South West .

Del2005

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m down in Galway for the weekend. The place is still overrun with tourists (and crusties, but that’s for another thread). It got me thinking - should we create tourist free zones in cities?

The Italian government have admitted that Rome, Venice, and Florence have reached bursting point due to mass tourism. Dublin is becoming a city of hotels, and we have had to implement controls on short term apartment lets. Galleries and public spaces are inundated with hoards of Asian tourists bumping into people as they follow a person waving a flag. The whole thing has become a bit of a rat race to be honest.

Would local only pubs, streets, areas be a good idea? I can see the merit to be honest.

Read up our discrimination law and see how that will work.

EmmetSpiceland

Hector Savage wrote: »

It's a joke alright, I find that though if you walk a bit in a scenic area you will soon leave all the fat morons (usually American) that need to follow someone waving a flag behind.

The Americans can get very loud in those “scenic” spots too, H. Proclaiming loudly how it’s “SO QUIET!!!” at some serene monastic type site.

Hector Savage

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

The Americans can get very loud in those “scenic” spots too, H. Proclaiming loudly how it’s “SO QUIET!!!” at some serene monastic type site.

Trust me Emmet, walk a little, anything that requires a little exercise usually has the yanks staying well back.

begsbyOnaTrain

On the one hand, freedom of movement is one of the most important things we have from the EU. The Brits are mad for wanting rid of it.

On the other, carbon emissions are destroying our planet and anyone who files is literally digging our children's grave.

On yet another hand though, going on city min-breaks all over Europe makes us culturally superior to stupid yanks who barely leave their own (continent spanning) country. I feel so educated after a beer-up in Prague with the lads.

But yet one more hand informs that tourism is destroying local communities and should be stopped completely.

But the final hand says that flooding those local communities with non-tourist foreigners is the pinnacle of goodness...

2+2 = 5, I suppose.

whiskeyman

I thought this was a thread about Leitrim.

biko

There are tourism free areas in Galway city, but I'm not telling anyone where they are

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Mass tourism is becoming a problem. I’d have no problem with controls being imposed on tourist numbers even if it meant I have to wait a while to go somewhere I want to visit. Tourism is important to the economy of many countries but there needs to be a balance. If it starts severely impacting the people who live there, something needs to be done. I was in Lisbon a few summers ago and the tourist crowds were overwhelming. And, yes, I’m very aware that I was part of the problem. That holiday really changed my view of tourism. Since then, I feel less entitled or something. I don’t think I should be able to go anywhere at the drop of a hat. I read that in the historic part of Dubrovnik, there are now only 1,000 full-time residents. It’s basically a theme park now.

Since the advent of Instagram, US national parks have become completely overwhelmed with the increase in volume of tourists. It’s a logistical nightmare.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/20/national-parks-america-overcrowding-crisis-tourism-visitation-solutions

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Why's it called "Tourist Season" when ya can' t shoot them?!, as a wise an once said.

TuringBot47

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m a proud Galwegian, Mattie.

They said "irony", not "iron-bru".

TuringBot47

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

The Italian government have admitted that Rome, Venice, and Florence have reached bursting point due to mass tourism.

So they have reached maximum fleecing of the tourists then?
Tourism is an industry, I'd love to see the link where they don't welcome it.

I know they have to put some serious punative local laws in Venice... but they must be raking in the cash in those cities.

Galway is only tolerable in the Summer, so go in the depths of Winter, when a walk along Salthill will require 3 layers of clothes.
At the moment, the cheapies are going on holiday, the first week that kids are back to school and prices dropped last week.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

TuringBot47 wrote: »

So they have reached maximum fleecing of the tourists then?
Tourism is an industry, I'd love to see the link where they don't welcome it.

I know they have to put some serious punative local laws in Venice... but they must be raking in the cash in those cities.

Galway is only tolerable in the Summer, so go in the depths of Winter, when a walk along Salthill will require 3 layers of clothes.
At the moment, the cheapies are going on holiday, the first week that kids are back to school and prices dropped last week.

I think we have finally reached the nadir of “Have you a link for that?” inanity.

Hector Savage

Iceland Ruined.
Namibia Ruined.
Barcelona Ruined.
West of Ireland Ruined.
Lisbon Ruined.
Dubrovnik Ruined.
US national parks Ruined.
.
.
.
.

Humans are cancer

the dark phantom

Its worse the moaning is getting.

TuringBot47

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I think we have finally reached the nadir of “Have you a link for that?” inanity.

Well, I normally hate that sort of post.

But in the case, like here, where it seems like Turkeys voting for Christmas, it seems justified. Rome, Venice etc... thrive on tourism. So the idea that they are publicly criticizing it seems self defeating.

c.p.w.g.w

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Galleries and public spaces are inundated with hoards of Asian tourists bumping into people as they follow a person waving a flag. The whole thing has become a bit of a rat race to be honest.

Was in Paris last year, the amount of Asians in lourve literally walking around with their face in their phones recording everything. Or else watching the world through their camera on the phone.

ArnoldJRimmer

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m a proud Galwegian, Mattie. As local as Warty Nora drinking buck fast down the Spanish Arch and fighting Knacker Dwarf in Supermacs afterwards.

Jesus, are they both still around? Left Galway over fifteen years ago, and they were part of the furniture back then. Poor auld Una is long passed though

Yurt2

Last time I was in Dublin the volume of tourists on the footpath was really getting on my wick.

Part of that is the extremely poor public domain of Dublin, where it should be a world-class compact walking city instead of having to cross the road 59 times in about 100 meters. Part of it is high-volume / low-value tourism that adversely affects quality of life.

Italy is absolutely ridiculous in the summer. Particularly since the Chinese got a taste for the place.

TuringBot47

Yurt! wrote: »

Last time I was in Dublin the volume of tourists on the footpath was really getting on my wick.

Part of that is the extremely poor public domain of Dublin, where it should be a world-class compact walking city instead of having to cross the road 59 times in about 100 meters. Part of it is high-volume / low-value tourism that adversely affects quality of life.

?

It is a compact city and an old city.
It wasn't designed 200 years ago for the high volume of motor traffic or trams.
You can't have it both ways, unless the entire centre of the city is pedestrianized.

Compare Dublin to Washington DC, where it's so spread out you need a car to go between points. There's a certain charm about Dublin being so crammed in that you can walk around it with ease.

So I don't know where your high volume/low volume idea comes from?
Hotels, restaurants and pubs certainly value tourists...

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

begsbyOnaTrain wrote: »

On the one hand, freedom of movement is one of the most important things we have from the EU. The Brits are mad for wanting rid of it.

On the other, carbon emissions are destroying our planet and anyone who files is literally digging our children's grave.

On yet another hand though, going on city min-breaks all over Europe makes us culturally superior to stupid yanks who barely leave their own (continent spanning) country. I feel so educated after a beer-up in Prague with the lads.

But yet one more hand informs that tourism is destroying local communities and should be stopped completely.

But the final hand says that flooding those local communities with non-tourist foreigners is the pinnacle of goodness...

2+2 = 5, I suppose.

The answer to pretty much all your points is: moderation

Your Face

Is there a taxi strike on?

wakka12

And how do you stop tourists from getting into one specific area? A check point on all roads in where they look at your passport? Yes it would be nice though, tourism ****ing sucks

Wompa1

I like having the tourists around. They tend to be happy and positive. It also makes me feel like where I live is pretty special to attract so much interest for such a small town....

Yurt2

TuringBot47 wrote: »

?

It is a compact city and an old city.
It wasn't designed 200 years ago for the high volume of motor traffic or trams.
You can't have it both ways, unless the entire centre of the city is pedestrianized.

Compare Dublin to Washington DC, where it's so spread out you need a car to go between points. There's a certain charm about Dublin being so crammed in that you can walk around it with ease.

So I don't know where your high volume/low volume idea comes from?
Hotels, restaurants and pubs certainly value tourists...

Yes, thats the point. Vast swathes of the city centre should be pedestrianised and privileging cars should be done away with. You can't walk around Dublin at ease - that's also the point. It's not like a Dutch / Danish / Polish city where you aren't stopping at pedestrian crossings every 10 meters.

Low-value Ryanair tourism that stay in AirBnBs, drink pints in Temple Bar, shop in Carroll's gift shops I couldn't give a hoot about. And like Barcelona we could do with far less of it. They clog up the thoroughfares, take away from housing stock, eat drink and visit in limited places, and probably spend less than you'd think.

Wildsurfer

So people on this thread are complaining they can't visit nice places because there are too many tourists there... which gets me wondering what the average IQ on AH is...

handlemaster

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m down in Galway for the weekend. The place is still overrun with tourists (and crusties, but that’s for another thread). It got me thinking - should we create tourist free zones in cities?

The Italian government have admitted that Rome, Venice, and Florence have reached bursting point due to mass tourism. Dublin is becoming a city of hotels, and we have had to implement controls on short term apartment lets. Galleries and public spaces are inundated with hoards of Asian tourists bumping into people as they follow a person waving a flag. The whole thing has become a bit of a rat race to be honest.

Would local only pubs, streets, areas be a good idea? I can see the merit to be honest.

The stupidity of this made me nearly not want to reply. But I relented. This is just such a dumb idea

Yurt2

Wildsurfer wrote: »

So people on this thread are complaining they can't visit nice places because there are too many tourists there... which gets me wondering what the average IQ on AH is...

That's not what's being said btw. They're making the argument (which is being made in many cities across Europe), that a certain type of low-value tourism decreases quality of life instead of improving it.

What's your IQ btw? Are you troubling Mensa or your remedial teacher?

Seamai

Yurt! wrote: »

Last time I was in Dublin the volume of tourists on the footpath was really getting on my wick.

Part of that is the extremely poor public domain of Dublin, where it should be a world-class compact walking city instead of having to cross the road 59 times in about 100 meters. Part of it is high-volume / low-value tourism that adversely affects quality of life.

Italy is absolutely ridiculous in the summer. Particularly since the Chinese got a taste for the place.

Dublin does pedal a particularly cheap and nasty version of tourism with a well worn path between a certain brewery and crappy ballad sessions in the Temple Bar. The last time I was there I felt like a stranger in my own Country.

You're right also about Italy, I'm in Naples at the moment and while there are some tourists, were definitely in a very small minority, the city's reputation puts the masses off but they don't know what they're missing. We took a trip out to the Amalfi coast yesterday and while it is stunning, it's tourist central, particularly with Americans who drive me around the twist (my other half is American and he's even less tolerant of them) and Chinese both who seem to be on box ticking exercises, interested in only the big sights and never getting anything approaching a real experience, the Chinese never interacting with locals and the yanks spouting all the old well work clichés. We decided to give dinner out there's miss and instead stopped in Salerno which was blissfully tourist free before returning to the chaos but local chaos in Naples.

lisasimpson

The thing with many places is pick your timing. May Sept for many places in Europe. Last time i was in Madrid was mid September and there was a noticable differnece in the crowds. Weather was fabulous too still high 20s.
If you go to Iceland avoid the Blue Lagoon. It's crazy there are plenty of other natural hot springs to go to which are just a nice if not nicer.

chosen1

I love how some tourists see themselves as being different to the tourists around them.

Have a friend on Facebook who has put up several rants about tourists over running areas like Barcelona etc, posted from these said areas.

Will always justisy their own visit as being much more meaningful.

HalloweenJack

There are ways to control it.

In Tokyo, there's an area which is a series of alleys and has loads of tiny bars (seating max. Ten people) on it. However, every bar has cover charges for foreigners and some of the bars are 'members only'. Some even flat out say 'no foreigners'. I wasn't paying a tenner to go into that so it worked.in my case.

In Cinque Terre national park they are now controlling the number of tourists that enter it every year. Thank God 'cos when I went there it was bursting at the seams.

It's all down to the human need to do something different which ironically is doing the same as millions of others.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

chosen1 wrote: »

I love how some tourists see themselves as being different to the tourists around them.

Have a friend on Facebook who has put up several rants about tourists over running areas like Barcelona etc, posted from these said areas.

Will always justisy their own visit as being much more meaningful.

I can safely say I don’t think of myself as different or special in this regard. I’m very aware that I’m part of the problem. I am fine with there being some restrictions on where I travel (like a tourist visa system or something). Like I said upthread, I feel less entitled since my Lisbon trip a few years ago.

But you’re right, some people do genuinely think they are a better class of tourist than everyone else.

Pauliedragon

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m down in Galway for the weekend. The place is still overrun with tourists (and crusties, but that’s for another thread). It got me thinking - should we create tourist free zones in cities?

The Italian government have admitted that Rome, Venice, and Florence have reached bursting point due to mass tourism. Dublin is becoming a city of hotels, and we have had to implement controls on short term apartment lets. Galleries and public spaces are inundated with hoards of Asian tourists bumping into people as they follow a person waving a flag. The whole thing has become a bit of a rat race to be honest.

Would local only pubs, streets, areas be a good idea? I can see the merit to be honest.

I'm fairly sure refusing someone from a pub based on nationality is illegal. We're not England in the 1950's

cj maxx

Pauliedragon wrote: »

I'm fairly sure refusing someone from a pub based on nationality is illegal. We're not England in the 1950's

Tell McDonalds that . Seen mcd's in cork and Dublin refuse Spanish students because they don't buy enough

Ush1

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’m a proud Galwegian, Mattie. As local as Warty Nora drinking buck fast down the Spanish Arch and fighting Knacker Dwarf in Supermacs afterwards.

So you're a tourist in Dublin?

TuringBot47

Yurt! wrote: »

Yes, thats the point. Vast swathes of the city centre should be pedestrianised and privileging cars should be done away with. You can't walk around Dublin at ease - that's also the point.

Privileging cars?
Regardless of tourism, Dublin needs people who work and shop there and cars are a large part of that. There's plenty of people that aren't serviced adequately by a quality public transport system and pay extra to commute by car, or want to bring the car on saturday to shop.

It's easy to walk around Dublin, it's compact.
The only thing you're missing is patience.
Saunter around Dublin at leisure, take in the streets, don't worry about the traffic lights. The only change necessary is your state of mind.

rossie1977

??

Tourists usually only congregate in certain areas of a city. In Galway its mostly just the city centre and lower salthill, you won't find many tourists in Rahoon or Upper Newcastle. In NYC it's mostly lower Manhattan and you certainly won't find many in say long Island city even though its a stones throw from midtown Manhattan. in New Orleans its French Quarter, in shanghai its the bund and so on.

If you visit Rome, Venice etc in middle of summer expect it to be packed. Visit in January or February when weather is nicer than our summer and there are barely any tourists or queues for big sites.

Yurt2

TuringBot47 wrote: »

Privileging cars?
Regardless of tourism, Dublin needs people who work and shop there and cars are a large part of that. There's plenty of people that aren't serviced adequately by a quality public transport system and pay extra to commute by car, or want to bring the car on saturday to shop.

It's easy to walk around Dublin, it's compact.
The only thing you're missing is patience.
Saunter around Dublin at leisure, take in the streets, don't worry about the traffic lights. The only change necessary is your state of mind.

Newsflash, Dublin is one of the worst for city centre traffic congestion in THE WORLD. Not Europe, the world.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/dublin-one-of-worst-cities-in-world-for-traffic-congestion-1.3791651?mode=amp

If you think Dublin is a pedestrian friendly city compared to cities like Utrecht or Copenhagen, well, you haven't left your postcode all that often and it's a bit difficult to take you seriously.

And in a city given over to the car, where to the denizens and Ryanair tourists have to go? On narrow footpaths waiting at pedestrian crossings every 20 meters.

wakka12

TuringBot47 wrote: »

Privileging cars?
Regardless of tourism, Dublin needs people who work and shop there and cars are a large part of that. There's plenty of people that aren't serviced adequately by a quality public transport system and pay extra to commute by car, or want to bring the car on saturday to shop.

It's easy to walk around Dublin, it's compact.
The only thing you're missing is patience.
Saunter around Dublin at leisure, take in the streets, don't worry about the traffic lights. The only change necessary is your state of mind.

Everywhere is well serviced in Dublin by bus, especially on saturdays it is completely viable as there isnt as much traffic.You can also cycle, or drive to a train or luas and park beside it. Really youre just trying to justify your own personal preference for driving in and everyone else having to suffer the presence of your enormous loud car dominating the city. if cars were banned from dublin city centre in the morning business and shopping would do just fine, in fact theyd probably flourish further.

Cars are a big problem in Dublin. Have you lived in any other mainland european cities? Dublins not the worst in that regard, thankfully city council are beginning to ban cars more and more from city centre streets, hopefully in a few years the entire city will be completely car free

riclad

I do,nt think we are yet at the point where we are over run with tourist,s
,in some places in spain and italy local people are complaining,
there,s so many tourists people can hardly go for a walk or go shopping .
Air travel is cheaper than 10 years ago,
china is booming, millions of chinese tourist,s want to travel to europe ,
and they like to spend money.i cannot see car,s being banned from the city centre , the council need,s to collect business rates ,shops need customers .
IF people with cars cannot drive to the city centre ,they,ll shop online
or go to local shopping centre,s .
Theres already dozens of empty shops in the city center.
I think the long term plan is switch to electric car,s ,in 10 years time,
petrol or diesel car,s may be banned .

wakka12

riclad wrote: »

I do,nt think we are yet at the point where we are over run with tourist,s
,in some places in spain and italy local people are complaining,
there,s so many tourists people can hardly go for a walk or go shopping .
Air travel is cheaper than 10 years ago,
china is booming, millions of chinese tourist,s want to travel to europe ,
and they like to spend money.i cannot see car,s being banned from the city centre , the council need,s to collect business rates ,shops need customers .
IF people with cars cannot drive to the city centre ,they,ll shop online
or go to local shopping centre,s .
Theres already dozens of empty shops in the city center.
I think the long term plan is switch to electric car,s ,in 10 years time,
petrol or diesel car,s may be banned .

Where? Dublins retail economy is doing extraordinarily well and retail unit letting in the core commercial area is certainly very close to 100%.Even if you literally meant a dozen or so thats obviously a very tiny amount in a city the size of dublin. I guarantee you it would sustain if cars were banned completely and many cafes and bars and resttaurants would get much more service as their patrons could spill onto the streets. Maybe youd have a point in smaller towns, but dublin is a world of its own in this regard, not only does it not need cars, it would thrive without them

Eoinbmw

I think North Korea have the right idea...

Greentopia

Seamai wrote: »

We decided to give dinner out there's miss and instead stopped in Salerno which was blissfully tourist free before returning to the chaos but local chaos in Naples.

Salerno is a little gem and yes thankfully largely overlooked by tourists. Long may it stay that way.

Best pizzas in the world there too.

Greentopia

chosen1 wrote: »

I love how some tourists see themselves as being different to the tourists around them.

Have a friend on Facebook who has put up several rants about tourists over running areas like Barcelona etc, posted from these said areas.

Will always justisy their own visit as being much more meaningful.

"I'm not a tourist, I'm an adventurer/traveller".

riclad

2 examples , on a side street near mountjoy sq, there,s 3 small shops ,boarded up.
There,s a new apartment building 8 minutes walk from o,connell street
,at the ground floor theres a retail space for rent .
It has a large sign ,retail space for rent, phone no, ,... etc
Its been vacant for 12 months since the building was completed .
I,m talking about small shop,s in minor side streets .
i know grafton st, henry st is booming.
i read article in a paper ,has dublin too many cafe,s , restaurants .
it says many small shops are closing , they cannot compete with
online stores or amazon.
Why drive into the city centre to buy books or cd,s ,
just click on a website ,order online.
It says many streets have mostly restaurants, cafe,s , fast food outlets,

Small shops that sell book,s , cds are almost extinct in dublin.
if i cycled around dublin i could find dozen,s of small shops
that are boarded up.

Anyone who travels to a different country distant from their home is a tourist,
unless they are paid to do so like a soldier or a journalist.

Answer where ?, parnell st, side streets near mountjoy sq ,
many streets within a mile of the gpo,
walk or cyle around and see what you find.
An adventurer is a person who goe,s off the beaten track, to places or area,s where there are not 1000,s of tourist,s and doe,s not stay in 4 star hotels .

puppieperson1

the only tourist free spot now is your own land if you are lucky enough to own it you can walk the dogs listen to the birds pick blackberries sit in the field in the sun and no one will bother you but that is only for the privileged few........ like me and i live in the west so beautiful and fresh if you are gregarious and need to be around other folk you have to put up with the crowds and the bullsheet.

TuringBot47

Yurt! wrote: »

If you think Dublin is a pedestrian friendly city compared to cities like Utrecht or Copenhagen, well, you haven't left your postcode all that often and it's a bit difficult to take you seriously

I'm well traveled and have been in Utrecht, a lovely university town with cafes along the sunken/recessed canal that goes through it.
So your presumption of me is way off.
I would've said Prague or Leuven were more pedestrianised.

But you're hardly comparing like for like. Comparing an old town with a capital city which also happens to be a major port and financial centre.

I've used public transport for 10 years, it sucks.
Long queues, pushing and shoving to get on, delays, strikes, anti social behaviour.
Then add to that if you have kids and a load of shopping in tow.

I didn't say Dublin was pedestrian friendly, but if you have an impatient state of mind it will feel worse.

Depends on where you go.
Henry st and Grafton st are pedestrianised.