Anti-visitor sentiment sweeps some of Europe's most popular destinations

[sail7seas]

I'm a Floridian and I hate tourists [emoji13][emoji13]Not crazy about snowbirds, either

 

 

Good you are honest about it. :D Sorrry but seeing ships sail ffrom So. Fla,, many of come as tourists often to join our ships. Sorry youu have to suffer uus bu t comparatively small numbers come to Sarasota so how inundated does it get for youu? Do you do any domestic travel to U.S. citties?

[sail7seas]

I'm a Floridian and I hate tourists [emoji13][emoji13]Not crazy about snowbirds, either

Good you are honest about it. :D Sorrry but seeing ships sail ffrom So. Fla,, many of come as tourists often to join our ships. Sorry you have to suffer us bu t comparatively small numbers come to Sarasota so how inundated does it get for you? Do you do any domestic travel to U.S. citties?

[CPT Trips]

Ha!!! You think those selling the Eiffel Tower key chains are actually Parisian? They're not even French.

 

A large proportion were born in France and are French citizen's. Le Pen's and other hard right polemics aside.

[navybankerteacher]

I'm a Floridian and I hate tourists [emoji13][emoji13]Not crazy about snowbirds, either

 

Have you any concept of what your taxes would have to be if local government costs were not partially covered by revenues contributed by those snowbirds and tourists? What jobs (other than agriculture) could there be for you and your family if "tourists and snowbirds" didn't subsidize your schools, roads and all local government activity?

[CPT Trips]

I'm a Floridian and I hate tourists [emoji13][emoji13]Not crazy about snowbirds, either

 

Floridian? How many "pure" generations back?

[Swampbabe]

Have you any concept of what your taxes would have to be if local government costs were not partially covered by revenues contributed by those snowbirds and tourists? What jobs (other than agriculture) could there be for you and your family if "tourists and snowbirds" didn't subsidize your schools, roads and all local government activity?

 

 

I'm well aware. Sometimes I think I'd rather pay income tax. BTW, there's more to this state than oranges and Mickey Mouse.

 

Our taxes are low and snowbirds still complain, refuse to fund schools and roads, they hog all the restaurants on Friday night, sit for two hours and stiff the wait staff on their tip.

 

Tired of hearing how "we do it better in New York" [emoji849]

[Fern Crest]

Not sure if this is a 'cruising tourist' only thread, or just tourists in general ... or if this is just directed at Europe due to the article in the OP.

However, in Japan, we were alternately welcomed, stared at, spit on and had our own 'gaijin bubble' around us on mass transit.

Note everyone welcomes tourists, but then again, not everyone hates them, either. Reactions are as varied as the number of people you encounter. The only thing to do is be a 'good tourist' and don't inflict yourself on people when you are traveling. Be respectful, polite and at least try to speak the local language, and you will mostly be happily surprised at the warm reaction you get.

Then again, every situation is different. You will not meet wonderful people 100% of the time. That doesn't mean the country as a whole hates your presence.

[navybankerteacher]

I'm well aware. Sometimes I think I'd rather pay income tax. BTW, there's more to this state than oranges and Mickey Mouse.

 

Our taxes are low and snowbirds still complain, refuse to fund schools and roads, they hog all the restaurants on Friday night, sit for two hours and stiff the wait staff on their tip.

 

Tired of hearing how "we do it better in New York" [emoji849]

 

Your taxes are low in large part because snowbirds either rent or own properties upon which taxes ARE paid. And those taxes DO fund your roads (which they only use a few months of the year), and your schools ( to which they do not send their children), and eat at those restaurants - many of which would not exist or hire workers without their using them.

 

Those snowbirds are largely why you do not pay income taxes - and have more than oranges and Mickey Mouse (who would not be there without the tourists you deplore).

[lisiamc]

Ha!!! You think those selling the Eiffel Tower key chains are actually Parisian? They're not even French.

 

A large proportion were born in France and are French citizen's. Le Pen's and other hard right polemics aside.

 

Things must have changed a lot since my last visit to the Eiffel tour. The souvenir vendors that I saw near the tower were illegal and definitely not French.

[les37b]

A large proportion were born in France and are French citizen's. Le Pen's and other hard right polemics aside.

 

 

So you think the hawkers swarming Paris selling Eiffel Towers in tourist spots are Parisian and Le Pen and her followers are not French Nationals?

 

Do you also think the illegal migrants camped in Calais (before the camps were destroyed... though they appear to be coming back) are French too?

[Johaz]

Things must have changed a lot since my last visit to the Eiffel tour. The souvenir vendors that I saw near the tower were illegal and definitely not French.

 

 

 

Did you ask them for proof of citizenship? How else would you know they were illegal.

 

 

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[les37b]

Did you ask them for proof of citizenship? How else would you know they were illegal.

 

Did you ask the pope to prove he was Catholic?

 

Seriously, are you trying to suggest there are not millions of illegal migrants flooding into Europe?

[Johaz]

Did you ask the pope to prove he was Catholic?

 

 

 

Seriously, are you trying to suggest there are not millions of illegal migrants flooding into Europe?

 

 

 

I just asked how you identify an illegal.

 

 

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[les37b]

I just asked how you identify an illegal.

 

 

Have you been to Paris?

 

I'm certainly not in the habit of fraternising with individuals such as these and simply say no when approached and make it clear I'm not interested. That said, I've avoided Paris for some time mostly because of these people. They are intimidating and because there are so many, you do feel very unsafe.

 

I don't need to know what the bear does in the woods. I know what it does.

 

Maybe next time you're in Paris you can ask these individuals yourself, though I suspect it's not likely they would show you their passport and I'd take what they say with a pinch of salt. If you wish to believe they're Parisians, then feel free.

[slidergirl]

I'd like to see examples of "anti-tourism regulations"

implemented by governments in Europe.

 

...

 

/quote]

 

Try eating your panino and sipping your San Pellegrino while sitting on the Spanish Steps or leaning on the balustrade surrounding the Trevi Fountain.

 

Try getting up and down the Spanish Steps when they are overrun by tourists sitting and eating their panino and sipping their Acqua Panna (still water instead of bubbles) on the Spanish Steps. It's like trying to walk through a thick jungle - no one moving for you to use the steps AS THEY WERE INTENDED. Then, those same tourists leave their trash behind... I had to use the Steps daily to get from my hotel down to the Centro Storico. It was pretty darn bad...

 

Cinque Terre is being overrun by cruise ship passengers now that they have included La Spezia as a port. CT just can't handle that many day visitors and it is killing CT. I heartily support the move to limit the number of day visitors to CT.

[les37b]

 

 

 

Try getting up and down the Spanish Steps when they are overrun by tourists sitting and eating their panino and sipping their Acqua Panna (still water instead of bubbles) on the Spanish Steps. It's like trying to walk through a thick jungle - no one moving for you to use the steps AS THEY WERE INTENDED. Then, those same tourists leave their trash behind... I had to use the Steps daily to get from my hotel down to the Centro Storico. It was pretty darn bad...

 

 

 

Cinque Terre is being overrun by cruise ship passengers now that they have included La Spezia as a port. CT just can't handle that many day visitors and it is killing CT. I heartily support the move to limit the number of day visitors to CT.

 

 

 

I hear what you say regarding being overrun with visitors. I personally didn't find this in CT having visited on a cruise ship via Portovenere in June but not disagreeing with you're statement.

 

How would you propose to curb the numbers? If it's purely numbers arriving on a cruise ship, then this must be down to those in charge of Italian tourism and local port authorities? That's how I see this anyway. Tourism is getting bigger and bigger and overcrowding exists. It will get worse not better and I certainly don't disagree it's making things less enjoyable. This applies to anywhere. Overcrowding in Disney parks is awful and prices are crazy. Luckily it's a place I'm no longer interested in visiting, but clearly success can also make things less desirable wherever it is though curbs outside of a safety aspect don't ever seem to a realistic proposal.

 

Living in London, I don't have any issues with tourists. They are great for the economy. My only gripe would be towards the HOHO bus salesmen (and alike) trying to stop me to buy a ticket. A minor thing really and I don't think London as a destination suffers in quite the same ways. Possibly my thoughts would be less tolerant if it did.

 

 

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[wowzz]

I see that the mayor of Dubrovnik is asking cruise lines to reduce the number of ships visiting, with a view to having a maximum of 4000 tourists per day.

 

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[Floridiana]

I see that the mayor of Dubrovnik is asking cruise lines to reduce the number of ships visiting, with a view to having a maximum of 4000 tourists per day.

 

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There are other beautiful towns along that coast which would probably love to have a few ships. Not too many because they are smaller than Dubrovnik.

[MrsUsman]

OK, curious how many actually have toured Africa? No, not off a cruise ship, or safari, but inland, deep, lived w the people?

 

You couldn't pay me to live in Florida or visit.

 

Mrs. Afeez Usman (Jennifer)

[MrsUsman]

"Fraternizing with individuals such as these"....wow, way to make a humans existence disappear.

 

This thread has evolved to nastiness. Just stop.

 

Mrs. Afeez Usman (Jennifer)

[SRF]

While in Hawaii, I saw some locals making fun of Japanese tourists that were posing for pictures.

 

People in Hawaii have LONG memories.

 

Pearl Harbor

 

And the 80s attempt by the Japanese to buy everything on the islands.

[SRF]

Actually many places are anti-tourism, until it works and the tourist trade drops, then they see what happens.

 

I was in Paris for work the summer of 2003. The summer that MANY Americans would not travel to France. Remember "Freedom Fries."

 

The French did not care, until they saw the results of no tourists.

[slidergirl]

I think some of it has to do with the number and size of the cruise ships now. When there used to be one ship (a Disney) stop in La Spezia, I noticed a big difference in the number of people in the CT on that day. Then, it went to still busy with the land-based daytrippers (thanks to Rick Steves), but not obnoxiously full. Then came multiple ships and more people and larger ships and even more people. This scenario is repeated all over. Think about St. Thomas or Grand Cayman - there are days when there are 6 (maybe more?) megaships there. Not a quality experience for anyone.

 

CT is considering putting a limit on number of day-trippers. Some US National Parks do this already. Zion National Park was getting overrun by so many cars that people were parking willy-nilly along the already-narrow roads. In prime season, one now has to park in designated lots and be brought into the Park by supplied busses and trams. Haleakela National Park is putting restrictions in place for the number of people allowed. I don't see anything wrong with this. Sure, the locals depend on the tourists - they have for decades. But, they got along fine before the introduction of the megaships. There has always been land-based vacationers. It's not good for anyplace when you have 4-10,000 people disgorged from the ships now in port.

 

Just my opinion. And, I do live in a resort town...

[navybankerteacher]

I think some of it has to do with the number and size of the cruise ships now. When there used to be one ship (a Disney) stop in La Spezia, I noticed a big difference in the number of people in the CT on that day. Then, it went to still busy with the land-based daytrippers (thanks to Rick Steves), but not obnoxiously full. Then came multiple ships and more people and larger ships and even more people. This scenario is repeated all over. Think about St. Thomas or Grand Cayman - there are days when there are 6 (maybe more?) megaships there. Not a quality experience for anyone.

 

...

 

Just my opinion. And, I do live in a resort town...

 

Valid opinion - particularly in the context of cruise ship passengers inundating an area. Tourists who are staying in an area are limited in number - even those who come in by train, bus or car for a day tend to arrive in moderate waves - and not like the tidal surge of thousands of passengers in an hour - all determined to see it all in the few hours in port.