Overtourism

munchkin_utd · 07-03-2018 04:45PM

TomSweeney wrote: »

Nah the tax will only be stuffed into corrupt politicians pockets.

not if its ring fenced for tourist projects like happens in other cities, financing museums, tourist info and sometimes even free public transport either locally or regionally. With tourist taxes you can bankroll the setting up of tourist services like greenways, interlinked bike hire depots etc.
In the north of Italy up near the Austrian border they even have certain cable cars covered for free on your tourist tax payment.

And back on topic, that area in Italy, Südtirol / some name in italian that the occupiers gave it, is really touristy and well set up with facilities for tourists, but is still far from overran by tourists.

Anyhow, you lads keep going to places that are uncomfortably full and I'll stick to the other 1000s of towns across 100s of thousands of square kilometres of Europe which arent thronged with zombie tourists following the crowd.

Ipso · 07-03-2018 05:27PM

wakka12 wrote: »

I wonder why those people in barcelona hate tourists. Personally Id be proud so many people come to visit the city Im from

If there weren't tourists they would then complain about the government not doing enough to promote the city, as someone mentioned above they are just students with too much time and always looking for something to complain about.
Reminds me of Fintan d'Toole complaining that Ireland had sold itself to evil corporate over lords at Disney for allowing Star Wars to be finished at Skellig Michael.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 07-03-2018 07:06PM

Rhys Essien wrote: »

Nothing against Dublin but it probably gets 9m out of the 10m and it seems very few traveling around the West of the country.Cork,Kerry and Donegal are undoubtedly the most beautiful parts of the country and should be getting a lot more tourists.That plonker Paschal Donahue was responsible for the whole ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’ when there was no need for it because the ‘Wild Atlantic Way was created to balance up tourism here.

I don’t think so. Sure for weekend trips people go to Dublin but I think the south west is still our most visited region.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 07-03-2018 07:08PM

munchkin_utd wrote: »

not if its ring fenced for tourist projects like happens in other cities, financing museums, tourist info and sometimes even free public transport either locally or regionally. With tourist taxes you can bankroll the setting up of tourist services like greenways, interlinked bike hire depots etc.
In the north of Italy up near the Austrian border they even have certain cable cars covered for free on your tourist tax payment.

And back on topic, that area in Italy, Südtirol / some name in italian that the occupiers gave it, is really touristy and well set up with facilities for tourists, but is still far from overran by tourists.

Anyhow, you lads keep going to places that are uncomfortably full and I'll stick to the other 1000s of towns across 100s of thousands of square kilometres of Europe which arent thronged with zombie tourists following the crowd.

How did you logically get to the last paragraph? I mean why do you assume anybody on this thread is a “zombie” tourist.

Richard Hillman · 07-03-2018 07:34PM

A lot of Italy being mentioned. I went to Rome and Florence in November and it was sensational. Obviously there is always a queue for the Vatican Museum and Coliseum but pre booked tickets pretty much give you a pass, with the attractions not overly packed. Loved Florence and there wasn't even a queue for the likes of Uffizi and Accademia. In fact I was in a room on my own with Botticelli's Venus (and a security guard I obviously).

Went to Venice in June, WOW!!!. It was like a theme park. Actually felt for the locals and felt a fair bit guilty/embarrassed for being there.

wakka12 · 07-03-2018 08:17PM

Richard Hillman wrote: »

A lot of Italy being mentioned. I went to Rome and Florence in November and it was sensational. Obviously there is always a queue for the Vatican Museum and Coliseum but pre booked tickets pretty much give you a pass, with the attractions not overly packed. Loved Florence and there wasn't even a queue for the likes of Uffizi and Accademia. In fact I was in a room on my own with Botticelli's Venus (and a security guard I obviously).

Went to Venice in June, WOW!!!. It was like a theme park. Actually felt for the locals and felt a fair bit guilty/embarrassed for being there.

100% my feelings too. I felt like I was just adding to the desecration and disnyefication of one of the most beautiful and historically well preserved cities on earth

The city is mesmerising but I felt guilty being there the whole time

_Dara_ · 07-03-2018 11:43PM

wakka12 wrote: »

I wonder why those people in barcelona hate tourists. Personally Id be proud so many people come to visit the city Im from

Ipso wrote: »

If there weren't tourists they would then complain about the government not doing enough to promote the city, as someone mentioned above they are just students with too much time and always looking for something to complain about.
Reminds me of Fintan d'Toole complaining that Ireland had sold itself to evil corporate over lords at Disney for allowing Star Wars to be finished at Skellig Michael.

There comes a point where the financial benefits are lost. When the tourism trade starts to impinge on the lives of the locals, the money is no longer worth it.

When that terrorist attack happened in Barcelona last summer, I shuddered at the amount of people there was on that street.

_Dara_ · 07-03-2018 11:53PM

Neyite wrote: »

Years ago we were visiting a Greek island where I picked up a local newspaper. It was in English, and written by visitors to the island. We didn't know it at the time but the island was a haunt of occasional rich yachting types and far more wannabe yachters. The paper was mainly stuff about where you could find foodstuffs from home, articles about charmingly eccentric locals who were so friendly despite their broken English, you could almost understand them perfectly, that sort of thing.

But one article by an American tourist with serious Notions who visited often bemoaned the fact that the island got visited by 'tourists' and that they could all breathe a sigh of relief when 'the daytrippers' finally left 'their' island so they could relax without all the tourists in their face or spoiling their holiday. There were about 50 visitors daily, if that. The irony was utterly lost.

It entertained us the whole evening as we'd missed our ferry back to our base, we were stuck there the night and therefore we were by that happy accident, real tourists, not the daytripping riff raff. :pac: Which we took the piss out of with each other. "I say, Dahling. Isn't it simply wonderful here when those pesky daytrippers have finally buggered orf"

I really wish I'd kept that paper. It was a howl.

This is HILARIOUS! The bit about the eccentric locals almost understanding them especially.

MarkY91 · 08-03-2018 12:06AM

Anyone who's been to Boracay island, Philippines will really know what over tourism is.

I don't even know where to start with it. It's literally paradise on earth that's been obliterated by both locals and tourists. Their president gave them 60 days to change or he's shutting the island down. Rightly so!

drillyeye · 08-03-2018 12:13AM

Just stick a fooking VR helmet on, look at the pictures and videos, have fake pictures and videos made of you crooning in front of every statue.......

Hey presto, everyones happy. Think that's the premise of that Spielberg film, "ready player one". Nobody can travel or do anything anymore, so they all spend time playing VR games in hovels instead.

Film looks ropey as fook

nice_guy80 · 08-03-2018 12:14AM

go to Phi Phi island

and then go onto where the Beach was filmed
its like a zoo with Chinese tourists.

joe40 · 08-03-2018 12:22AM

Tourism really is a great thing for a local economy, but does need to be managed. I live in donegal which has some brilliant scenery but nowhere near the same tourist levels as the likes of kerry, cliffs of moher, aran islands etc. Sometimes I think as a county we should be cashing in more on our resources but after a trip "down the country" last year I kinda liked getting back to a less touristy place. Slieve league for example and malin head are spectacular with reasonable numbers of visitors but nothing like the cliffs of moher, which was very busy

_Dara_ · 08-03-2018 12:40AM

joe40 wrote: »

Tourism really is a great thing for a local economy, but does need to be managed. I live in donegal which has some brilliant scenery but nowhere near the same tourist levels as the likes of kerry, cliffs of moher, aran islands etc.

Oh joe, I'm from one of the other overlooked Western counties (probably less overlooked than Donegal, in fairness) and whilst sometimes I get miffed at Kerry and Galway getting all the praise, it does keep tourist numbers to a nice manageable level. I like tourists actually. But I think there's a tipping point where familiarity starts to breed contempt.

_Dara_ · 08-03-2018 12:59AM

Wheety wrote: »

They are amazing Pastéis de Natas though.

I'm sure they are but standing for over an hour in the midday August heat to get one? There was a pastelaria near where I was staying that had some of the top-rated ones in the city. And I bet there are loads of similar ones throughout the city. Hell, that Belem shop probably supplies other pastelarias in the city. For people to queue for that long, it's about saying you ate there. Madness.

Aglomerado wrote: »

Yes I saw that too in November one year when I was there. Insanity.
I couldn't be bothered. After visiting the monastery and the tower I hopped back on the tram, while waiting at the stop across the street, I was horrified by the queues!

Ha, yes. It was as we were passing by on the tram that we saw the queue. Like, I can understand queuing that long to get into a really cool building but to get your paws on a pastry? Srsly like?

Cookie_Monster · 08-03-2018 01:51AM

wakka12 wrote: »

I wonder why those people in barcelona hate tourists. Personally Id be proud so many people come to visit the city Im from

it pushes up prices of everything from food to houses to land value, locals get displaced for Airbnbs in the short terms and hotels replace houses in the longer term.
Creates a lot of excess traffic as well.

Definitely a double edged sword, a lot of income is brought in too too successful and a lot of big problems are caused.

Minderbinder · 08-03-2018 04:26AM

_Brian wrote: »

I was in a Dublin hotel recently and the lobby was full of “day trips” to places like the cliffs of moher, giants causeway and such.

Image how little of anything you would see on one of these trips and the local area gets essentially nothing from these bus loads who clog up the roads and then move on.

It’s a really scummy tactic to hold all the tourism money in the capital while using some of the most scenic and interesting areas of our country as “day trips”, implying that one just couldn’t spend any time in those rural areas.

People who want to spend a few days in scenic, isolated areas will still do so. Gladly there isn’t that many people who want to do that so such places retain their charm.

I think a lot of people in the west are happy with improved infrastructure with motorways bringing them closer to economic centres. With that in mind I think it’s a bit much if they’re now complaining about it being too convenient for day trips for tourists based in Dublin.

Have motorways brought an increase in the amount of tourists to the west? I would say yes. Have they brought an increase in the amount of tourists staying overnight in the west? I would also say probably yes, and I would guess there are a lot more people living in Ireland and Dublin who will make the trip than would have been prepared to do so when it took double the time.

_Dara_ · 08-03-2018 10:08PM

Skedaddle wrote: »

We encountered a bit of a weird issue with what was obviously tourists in a rental car, driving up close behind us and flashing because we were driving at or below the 70km/h speed limit!!?

Given the road conditions, that kind of stuff is crazy.

That’s exactly one of the problems they’ve been having. Even seemingly inocuous stuff like feeding the Icelandic horses is causing problems. People think they’re wild but they’re not and feeding them treats is causing behavioural problems.

Graces7 · 09-03-2018 09:26AM

_Brian wrote: »

Allot of the protests were sparked by Air BnB for tourists rather than tourists themselves.
Tourists have shifted away from custom accommodation to Air BnB which has taken much rental stock out of the system, driving up rents and driving people out of city centre living.

This is a factor here in Ireland also, in more rural areas in attractive places. Property owners can make more money by letting out in summer only than year round occupancy. I spent frustrating months learning this last year.

Finding a rental these days is hard indeed.

Graces7 · 09-03-2018 09:30AM

joe40 wrote: »

Tourism really is a great thing for a local economy, but does need to be managed. I live in donegal which has some brilliant scenery but nowhere near the same tourist levels as the likes of kerry, cliffs of moher, aran islands etc. Sometimes I think as a county we should be cashing in more on our resources but after a trip "down the country" last year I kinda liked getting back to a less touristy place. Slieve league for example and malin head are spectacular with reasonable numbers of visitors but nothing like the cliffs of moher, which was very busy

Wise words indeed; thank you. I am really enjoying living in quiet west and north Mayo after many years in Kerry and Connemara.

Try Kylemore Abbey in season.... Never again.

_Dara_ · 10-03-2018 12:26PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Wise words indeed; thank you. I am really enjoying living in quiet west and north Mayo after many years in Kerry and Connemara.

Try Kylemore Abbey in season.... Never again.

Aye, north Mayo is a bleakly beautiful spot.

Kylemore is gorgeous but luckily, I’ve never been there at high season.

Graces7 · 12-03-2018 06:28PM

_Dara_ wrote: »

Aye, north Mayo is a bleakly beautiful spot.

Kylemore is gorgeous but luckily, I’ve never been there at high season.

"Bleakly beautiful" wonderful description...

As I know the few remaining Sisters at Kylemore, I got in free Sardines have more room....Best way to see it is from the bridge on the road. But then it does provide many jobs etc.

TomSweeney · 16-03-2018 06:12PM

wakka12 wrote: »

I wonder why those people in barcelona hate tourists. Personally Id be proud so many people come to visit the city Im from

hmmmm lets see, maybe because certain neighbourhoods have been RUINED by tourism (Barceloneta).
They are a constant piss up - who cares about the locals when you're on a stag and getting pissed and making a constant racket on the street.

maybe because of above demand and the likes of AirBNB rents have skyrocketed to the point of locals not being able to afford to live in the city anymore and have to move out to kips like Sabadell ...

Graces7 · 16-03-2018 06:31PM

One example. Inishbofin is fighting to survive ie against the depopulation that ended life on Inisark.

They have over 20 summer lets, aiming for financial gain etc.i There are no long term lets and I think at present 2 or 3 properties for sale.

If you enquire re a long term let, they say, yes 6 months. Period.

They can make more on summer lets.. Same as airbnb in eg Kerry and Connemara

Neyite · 23-03-2018 09:55PM

Every single rural rental makes more on summer lets. It's been that way since the late seventies.

And they don't have the hassle of a troublesome tenant getting settled in, refusing to pay the rent and the landlord having no right in law to kick them out without a long and protracted legal battle and risk their property getting trashed.

whisky_galore · 23-03-2018 10:04PM

_Dara_ wrote: »

I think the main gripe with cruise ships is that they bring a lot of people but not much money. The people aren’t staying there so they might buy lunch and a few souvenirs and that’s it. A lot of disruption with little benefit.

Cruise ships are for the newly wed and nearly dead.

ArchXStanton · 23-03-2018 10:11PM

Tourism is the destroyer of cultures,for me Thailand got it the worst,the place has turned into one giant resort

Graces7 · 23-03-2018 10:30PM

Oh you are so right and look at eg Inishbofin,

Overtourism

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