Dear MEL Topic Readers,
What is it like to live in an over-touristed
city?
Conflicting interests. While travelers and
visitors are looking for excitement or extraordinary experience, local
residents want to maintain peace and order in their neighborhood. This becomes a
serious problem to the cities where visitors outnumber the residents multiple times,
like Amsterdam whose visitor-resident ratio went over 18 last year. Such over-tourism puts a strain on the resources and infrastructure of the city. For example,
overcrowded public transportation like subways and buses, heavy traffic around popular
scenic or selfie spots, and trash and drunken tourists on the street. Other major
tourist destinations like San Francisco, Barcelona, and Toronto are also facing similar problems. To balance the peace of the lives of the residents and attraction
for visitors, these cities are trying to divert the tourists to lesser-known
places around the cities’ hot spots.
Another problem caused by over-tourism is the
rising housing places partly being pushed by vacation rent like Airbnb. Some
cities have banned such renting practices, but it is hard to enforce the
regulation or monitor the situation.
Over tourism is also a controversial issue
among local residents. While there are people and businesses that benefit from
visitors, there are people who are constantly annoyed. Tour buses drop tourists
at scenic spots and drive narrow and already crowded streets causing noise and
leaving exhaust gases. Cruise ships bring thousands of passengers at once to a
tiny port town. In the meantime, they hire guides, buy souvenirs, and eat and
drink, and pay taxes. Indeed, tourism is essential for the local economy. Tourists
are welcomed as long as they respect the local residents, their lives and
customs.
Enjoy reading the article and rethink your
next vacation plan.
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