I’m glad I’m a home body.
24
Airbnb, absent hosts and letting agents rely on neighbours to act as concierge and bouncers.
Last summer our neighbourhood averaged 4 parties a week. Loud. Parties. Bucks. Hens. Wedding. Birthday. Corporate. Football. Parties.
The owner, Letting platforms and agents worked hard to minimise and hide the problems. Deny. Deny. Deny. Delete.
The neighbours were tired. Cranky. Bewildered. Alone.
Our quiet neighbourhood was turned into an R-rated Club Med.
I’m heartily sick of being friendly to late to bed, late to rise Airbnb guests who import their “special events” into my our neighbourhood.
Believe me, the Airbnb guests behaviour was atrocious. I have their Instagram photos to prove it.
Note: I lodged a formal complaint with Airbnb. The end result, I can’t search for accommodation in my local area. I suppose that keeps evidence collecting to a minimum. Catch them if you can.
85
"a growing global threat"
That description is so hysterical and overly-dramatic it's almost Trumpian.
The world's a big place, maybe go to a few spots that are slightly less cliche next time.
I'll end my salty internet comment with one final thought:
This is an awfully good problem to have. I strongly doubt there are too many working class Americans kavetching about their overcrowded two week European vacation these days.
18
This, like many of our issues, could be solved with increased access to birth control, family planning and abortion worldwide.
61
Mark my words, within the next 15 years, Afghanistan will join Machu Picchu, Galapagos and Vietnam on every vacationer's
bucket list. Be the first on your block to book now!
13
It is what it is. Cheap flights have their fair share.
Go to Maldives if you want serenity :)
1
Venice. 50,000 inhabitants and 50 million tourists. You can make a load of $$ by renting out your house at $500 per night so no rentals available for workers. Go to any museum or tourist type place in Europe and see loads of tourists milling around. Hawaii with sidewalks crowded with many Asian and American tourists as well as all the beaches. No, best place to have a good vacation is at home. I am happy I did most my travels 25 years ago.
39
Ah yes, you know it's bad when the plebes are able to afford Europe.
How much better it was when the upper class only could come, stay in refined restaurants, go to expensive hotels, often with the help of a travel agent. They understood not to gape, not to take silly photos, to pretend to blend in. Or not. Either way, the world was their oyster, but this was how it was supposed to be. *Their* oyster.
But now, alas, the rabble has descended, aka "overtourism." "Who's to blame," the author asks. Quelle Horreur! The Disneyfication of it! The gauche cruiselines! They gape! They obviously enjoy! They go in Groups! They *brag* on social media! How can the upper classes brag when the rabble is doing the same thing? Oh this 'overtourism' is spoiling everything.
54
That's the problem of "the mass." Most, if not all, people have love-hate relationship with exclusivity. They want something to remain "exclusive," so long as they get their foot in, they are more than willing to slam the door in the next guy's face who tries to get in too.
It is the exact mentality when you hear of how people complain about the overcrowdedness in airport lounges which used to be called "VIP" lounge once-upon-a-time, but has since its exclusivity gone down the toilet when the erstwhile "premium" credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum card start giving out free membership to these airport lounge franchise.
Airport lounges, much like these tourist hotspot cities, try to fight back. They are beginning to add more rules and restrictions, including allowing only two free guest/companions by Priority Pass. Not surprisingly, those who complain most loudly about them getting "ripped off" by paying premium fees to get those cards, are also the same ones complain most loudly against others bringing in too many free guests, so long as they can bring in their family/group traveling with them for free.
I hate to break the news to you all, but resources are limited, rules have to be set, there would come a time when free-for-all just won't work anymore since the system simply can't support consumption by everyone who wants it. Those mostly cheapos who just want the I've-been-here pics taken, can just stay away, thank you very much.
22
If Europe wants less tourists please send them to my state, we have a vast array of great attractions. Or they could go to say Florida if salt water is their desire. Many come to Memphis to celebrate Elvis, we can easily accommodate many more.
8
If Europeans want less tourists, maybe they should stop having such lovely cultures and vibrant societies that draw people from all over the world. Be more like America!
46
1) I live in a city that attracts a lot of tourists and have found that the hotel availability is both low, expensive, and centered in a few areas. Airbnb fills a need not otherwise provided.
2) it sounds like a lot of Europeans have had negative experiences with the Airbnb providers in their respective cities. Where I live (Portland, OR) this service is regulated and only allows rentals where the host is on-premise - so no multi-apartment listings and allowance for large parties that contribute to a lot of the problems mentioned. (In my area, you will also not see any chains, such as McDonalds, due to regulation)
3) as an avid Airbnb user, I am “rated” by the hosts. If I am “misbehaving” that is part of my profile/record. My thought has been that this is a self-regulating group. Are you sure all the jerks are Airbnb guests and not just staying down the street at the local hostel?
These stories and this article make me sad. Tourism is a way to make the world smaller and more connected. I want to encourage other Americans to go abroad to open their minds. Technology makes that all the more facile. Is it just we are all going through some growing pains?
4) With that last point in mind, attractions have the ability to limit # of people per day entrance. Attractions can host “days for locals/residences”. Cities can set some healthy boundaries, such as Venice limiting cruise ships.
It sounds like there are some ways to make all this darn tourism a bit more bearable.
23
The upside of all this is:
The more that people get out and see the World, and experience other cultures, the less likely they are to vote for Trump.
69
I was lucky enough to travel to Greece every summer starting in 1964, Born to Greek parents and having family there made this possible. At this point I too am worried: 35 million tourists in Greece, all drinking from plastic water bottles several times a day with no thought to the environmental impact ? Not to mention the carbon footprint of airplane travel. Maybe a landing tax should be levied and sustainable refillable thermoses given to the hordes that descend on this beautiful country. The earth should not be consumed but gently explored and popular destinations should find a way to offset the damages of the consumers through the public sector.
33
I love travelling.
I use Airbnb, Uber, Expedia, you name it.
I occasionally post pics on social media.
If these services didn't exist, I would go to my travel agent, use a taxi, use local ads to find lodging and show my printed pics to my friends.
We live with our time using what's available and what makes our lives easier.
I am not a problem but multiply me by millions and I become one.
19
I have lived for a long time in Paris and already then it made me sad to see that places like museums and events like temporary expositions were less and less affordable to residents of Paris and needed a reservation beforehand. I was stunned when I returned to Paris recently, visiting Musée d’Orsay. I saw that line of people passing in front of the oeuvres d’art, taking a smartphone picture of the oeuvre followed by a picture of the description plate and off they went to the next one. They took a photo of everything not caring about the artist or the work, not even took a look. Been there, took a picture, went ahead ... . They didn’t care about people trying to take a real look at the paintings, they just got in their way and seemed surprised when people complained. I don’t think that these were AirBnB-Tourists.
24
More people can afford travelling which means more people can do what the NYT clientèle can do for decades and we don't like democratization if we are affected. We as tourists are not suffering from the crowd, we are the crowd. Maybe we need to rethink our approach to travelling too.
12
A trend within which people who have otherwise empty lives need to persistently post photos of themselves on Facebook in front of famous landmarks. Often people who likely drive hybrids and fret about climate change, yet fail to recognize the impact upon the climate of jet travel.
17
Airbnb takes rental housing off the market. I guess if you don't rent, or if you have enough money to take vacations and pay whatever the market will bear for a decent place to live, I guess that little factoid isn't really important, as long as you can save a few bucks over a hotel.
13
The planet is actually pretty big. As long as you don’t go to someplace listed in 1000 places to see before you die, you’ll be fine. If you avoid places like Times Square in New York, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and a few arrondissments in Paris, you’re fine. St Marks too crowded in Venice? What did you expect?
These are tourist places filled with tourists. If you want to meet Catalonians, don’t go to the Rambla.
Tourists to the United States are very concentrated in about 20 towns and neighborhoods. If you want to meet non tourists, go elsewhere. They may not have a Marriott, but they likely have an AirBNB.
11
@Rick And almost anywhere has decent hotels. I live in a small city we have dozens. We probably have very few AirBNB, they are not needed or desired.
7
Overpopulation is ruining the planet, why worry about tourism. Most humans still can't afford to travel for fun. luckily for those who do.
18
Why do the wrong people always travel, travel, travel while the right people stay at home?
9
@eyny What are the right or wrong people. And the answer is of course money more than anything. I would never even consider going to Europe, it costs too much, is too hard to get to, and I have great options in the US.
5
It isn't hard to experience new places without hords of tourists if you wish to go out of season or to a less spectular places. From my observations most people don't want to experience the place they are visiting they want to take selfies and post them on line. Just walking around in non tourist neighborhoods can be more enjoyable than visiting the most important tourist sights. Traveling should be a way to expand ones prespective not just taking pictures to impress views on social media.
20
@David, I totally agree. Going where the locals eat, driving on smaller roads, one track or dirt ones if in the proper vehicle, walking vs tour buses etc all expand perspectives on what it’s like to explore another’s culture and lifestyle. Having grown up reading National Geographic I try and frame my trips in the manner so many stories were read as a youth- with wonderment.
13
@David And VR will soon be allowing you to experience many things from your home, without the negative impacts of going there in the real world.
In all this discussion and worry about overcrowded tourist cities, nobody seems the least bit concerend about the detrimental effects on the local environment and the disproportionally large effects on the climate. Water shortage is a growing problem in many cities, regions and countries. Tourism greatly exacerbates insufficient resources as well as increasing air pollution, sewage and other undesirable by products of an artificially increased population. Air travel contributes upwards of 9% of the human impact contributing to climate change. So it is a question of do you want to help kill the things you love. Soon Venice, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and Miami, to name a few, will see serious flooding as a result of rising sea levels. It is difficult to accept, but we need to change our behaviour. Now. And that includes vacations. Maybe it is time to book a train or get out the bicycles.
30
I've been going to Iceland since late 60's, so I've seen it go from a quaint virtually unknown destination to a crazy, frantic tourist trap. I still go, but avoid Reykjavik which has is inundated with Air BnBs and tourists. in fact downtown Reykjavik now resembles a cruise ship.
Still love the country, have learned to speak and read the language, but am sad about the out if control situation.
26
I’m commenting from Paris where I am renting a VRBO apartment. Yes, Paris and other nearby tourist sites are full of backpack-wearing, cellphone-toting tourists. But the problem is more than the crowds and social media. It is also that most tourists take no responsibility for their experience: they speak no language other than their primary language, they do not engage the city or place and they do experience much of their trip through the lens of their phone. They intrude because they don’t try to blend in. They dress like natives of their country and not the one they’re in. Make an effort! Respect the destination, which is not there for your amusement. It’s someone else’s home.
38
The author’s Airbnb experiences sound terrible, and since no hosts were mentioned I assume that the author was not staying with a host in the host’s home but instead was doing a short term apartment rental. This is part of “over-tourism” problem. I generally like to travel to places where I am one Of a small number of tourists amongst a large number of locals. With oversaturation of Airbnb rentals, it often feels like the tourists are close to out numbering the locals.
9
An issue in Europe is that Airbnb is more lucrative than long-term rentals. If unregulated the supply of the later drops . In Germany most low to medium income folk in cities doesn't have property and is dependent on affordable apartments. However, the jobs are all in the cities. Housing is therefore a major policy issue now and for years if not decades to come.
18
I live in a tourist town, Sausalito, just across the bay from the City. July and August the downtown area is barely passable, the tourists have that far away gaze in their eyes and everybody in town complains about it. Then the winter comes and all the businesses are aching for customers. As with all things technology brings good and bad.
9
The author is part of the problem. Don't use AirB&B until it returns to its original premise. Hosts who are hosting. Not investors buying up properties and renting them out to noisy, disruptive guests. If you stay in a home with a host, you are more inclined to be respectful.
33
I’m so glad I did a lot of traveling in the 60s and 70s. Was able to do it very inexpensively because someone always knew of an empty bed somewhere. Now when I go to Europe, I do so because I have family there, and never during the summer.
10
I've lived downtown Seattle for 10 years. With the influx of Amazonians and the cruise ships, the sidewalks are crowded and traffic is horrible. That said, the economy is humming. Yes, pollution is up too.
I agree with the comments about containing airbnb (even though I've used in in London and Rome.) In my condo, we search for listings as it's against the rules. It's amazing the workarounds some will do to try to sublet their unit. Great concierge staff often sleuth them out. This ultimately provides safety and security in the building.
19
Traveling is a form of shopping. For rich people.
It is a form of keeping up with the Joneses.
I doubt that people actually learn anything about themselves or the world by hopping on a plane, buying stuff, eating/drinking, buying scripted experiences, and most importantly, taking boring pictures the entire time. The same boring pictures that everyone else takes.
If you really think about it, going to ShopRite is the same as visiting the Sistine Chapel.
17
I love, love, love the graphic for this story -- one of the best I've seen in a long time. Those are certainly today's travelers.
4
I own and live in a duplex in downtown Tucson, AZ, which I purchased a good decade before downtown became both popular and expensive. After a long term tenant in the other half did over 10k in damage to my property, I decided AirBnB would be the way to go. Overall less occupancy, more cleanings, easier on my property. I'm not sure why the common thought is that one does not pay taxes on AirBnB income. It goes on my schedule E, just as the rent I earned from my long term tenant did. Philosophically, I'd prefer to have a long term community member in my house, but after my last experience, I just can't stomach it.
13
A recent episode of "Blue Bloods" has a main character whose dream was to tour Europe on a 1973 650 Bonneville. I did exactly that between 74 and 77 as a young GI stationed in Bavaria. I'd love to go back however I am afraid the "geist" that is central to my memories can never be regained. But Wow, what a time to be in Europe.
10
I have been fortunate to do far more traveling than I would have dreamed and I've seen how pressure from tourists can damage a place. I don't use Uber for a couple of reasons: they are supremely arrogant as a company (not unlike a lot of tech companies run by 14 year old mentalities), they take jobs away from people who need them, and flaunt local laws. (And I can't get past the name: why "uber" for a car hire company??) Airbnb is much the same, with the added dimension of scattering commercial properties throughout quiet residential neighbourhoods. And I don't believe there is anything inauthentic about staying in a French hotel in France.
But as several commenters note, tourism is a good thing. I have lived in tourist destinations and liked it for the variety of experiences a non-destination affords. I assume that most travelers pick destinations with a full understanding of their own interests and what they are willing to tolerate. I have tended to travel off-season for lower cost and fewer crowds. Even so, everyplace is getting over-touristed.
People come to NZ in record numbers every year for the gorgeous scenery and laid-back ambiance. But while they are here they are anything but and it's doing serious damage to our natural areas. It's unnecessary. If you plan to come don't take advantage of a warm Kiwi welcome. Stay on trails, drive safely, respect the land, and clean up after yourselves. If not, go somewhere else, where the locals appreciate your values.
20
“ You know, sometimes I just laugh about all theses tourists walking around with no destination or in any kind of hurry “ I used to work right around 43st and Broadway the heart of Times Square ,couple years ago we move just across the World Trade Center and thoses two places can be really crowdy specially during summer months but then ; seating outside ,having lunch I just can help it, seeing all theses people from all around the world having the time of their life,taking selfies,laughing ,holding hands and on and on....
I just feel happy for them and I wish every single person on this earth could in some way experience this with their love ones
No complaints here !
38
It used to be that people saw the world as a result of international conflict. The fact that they are seeing the world through tourism actually is a good thing. There needs to be limits on everything, but let's all agree that the more people experience the lives of others through tourism, the better off the world will be.
24
@JBF
"...let's all agree that the more people experience the lives of others through tourism, the better off the world will be."
No. Sorry but I don't agree. Thousands of people disembarking from a gigantic cruise ship and swarming into the heart of Venice? Hoards (read thousands) of stoned and drunk partiers carousing through the tiny canal-laden streets of Amsterdam? Endless and amorphous 'gangs' clustering over every inch of public space in Rome?
I get that you are intimating that somehow the world can and will transform itself into a more empathetic brother-loving-brother peaceful utopia if only we can authentically experience each other's daily lives.
But guess what? That is not whats occurring - not by a long shot...and especially not "through tourism".
13
We moved to a non-tourist neighborhood in San Diego. We travel only to non-touristy places. There are parts of any country and city, including ours, where the unimaginative do not go.
3
@Miss Foy
"There are parts of any country and city, including ours, where the unimaginative do not go."
Thats true, undoubtedly.
But this article is about the increasingly scorched-earth locales where all the 'unimaginative' DO go, in ever growing numbers.
Its not a 'how-to' for people seeking out the less traveled road! Its a clarion call to put the brakes on tech-fueled destructive tourism that is causing a serious 'stink' all over the globe.
18
I was lucky enough to be an airline employee in the 70s and 80s when airlines and hotels gave us fantastic, sometimes free deals. There were usually first class seats available for us too. I'm so grateful that I was able to take advantage of seeing the world when tourist spots were not overrun. Now that I'm old, I'm just waiting for the perfection of virtual reality to visit places without leaving my home!
26
The most detrimental impact, thus far, is that residential areas are being bought up by investors to use for commercial investment purposes, thereby driving up the price of homes for the local population. And, increasing homelessness, increasing commuting time, and dispersing multi-generational families who have traditionally lived nearby.
We, as cities, map out which areas are residential and which areas are commercial. Airbnb, and other such websites, are commerce, not residential, so in most places they are breaking the law.
32
1. Get over the emotional trauma. The world has changed; the genie won't go back into the bottle; and wishing for a different reality is unlikely to change your present reality.
2. These changes were predictable many, many years ago. (I know; I taught students about these changes.) That's why I enjoyed traveling before the present conditions. If you did, enjoy your memories. If you didn't, enjoy where you are or find a place that you can stand.
3. I travel to take a vacation. I don't need to stand in Saint Mark's Square. Maybe shifting your goals from 'must see' to having vacation would improve your situation.
4. There are huge chunks of the globe relatively untouched. I've done 25 trips to Russia since 1999 and visited a lot of interesting and enjoyable places without seeing any flood of tourists. Central Asia is quite interesting as are the Caucuses.
In short, shift mental gears and enjoy your relatively limited number of years on Earth.
40
@Retired in Asheville NC Yes and there is a world class art museum in the middle of Arkansas, and trout fishing to boot. Plenty to do in many areas not crowded.
3
I've said it before and don't mind repeating it: If you really love a place, don't go. Tourists are a plague and their very presence spoils the places they rush to. I've largely limited my travels to Paris, which I consider my other hometown and know better that my Paris-born friends. I have earned, over 40 years, what I consider to be a "Paris citizenship". It takes time, many, many long visits, serious study and determination. I'd love to see Prague, Barcelona, the Amazon, etc. but will not go in order not to spoil these wonderful places. And don't get me started on Antarctica and other such fragile destinations.
11
@Denis Pelletier go to those places you wish to visit in the off season...
5
@Denis Pelletier
“It takes time, many, many long visits,”
If we can assume you loved Paris and then went there — then by your own logic haven’t you had to ruin Paris many many times to earn your “Paris citizenship”?
3
The housing shortage in San Diego grows, while desirable neighborhoods (especially beach communities) here become not affordable and invaded by Arizona tourists. Do they not have driver's education in Arizona schools and do they know how to use Google Maps?
I spent three weeks in Europe this summer and having traveled extensively in the last 20 years. A heat wave hit even Finland, Scotland, Ireland, Russia, and Estonia. The Chinese and other Asian nations have a growing middle class that is traveling. Asians are so polite until hundreds of them storm a line.
As westerners, we keep comfortable distance from each other and get into lines without running to beat others most of the time. We can be just as rude when leaving a plane that just landed.
Last year I had a really great summer vacation in Chile and Argentina during their winter time. Temperatures were pleasant and crowds were noticeably thinner. South Africa is high on my vacation list for next year.
12
The problem is people being unimaginative. Don't go during peak season. Do use AirBnB and stay in a non-tourist neighborhood.
10
Why is there nothing said about how airbnb rentals exacerbate housing shortages in cities like Paris and London, allowing landlords to make short term profits with every visit rather than extend long term, less profitable leases to locals? For yes, there are people of means buying up apartments to rent out to tourists, while people without means cannot find anywhere to live.
The aesthetic argument made in this article is interesting and maybe even valid, but it overlooks the economic argument: these rentals cause economic inequality. Those of you who doubt me should take a look at the cost of housing in London today, and how much it outpaces the kind of wages people in London are likely to earn.
35
@Babble: Actually, those rentals cause less economic inequality, since they allow hundreds of millions of middle class people from around the globe to visit different places - while before only the rich could do this.
3
@Hyphenated American
You are evading the issue. Airbnb leads to a lack of housing for the lower middle and working class. HOUSING, not travel opportunities.
4
@Hyphenated American: But you only travel a couple of weeks a year & need to have a place to live every night.
2
Airbnb is a huge problem in downtown Toronto where there are a lot of high rise condo buildings that have turned into de facto hotels. It is a nightmare for the residents who have to live beside typically young tourists who come in for the weekend, have no concern for building rules, invite half the bar home with them for a loud party, and think they have every right to do so. Airbnb has turned our places of residence into unfriendly towers. We no longer know who belongs or doesn't belong in the building and the sense of community has been destroyed. As others have noted, Airbnb hosts buy up multiple condos for the sole purpose of renting them to tourists. This drives us the price of real estate and has destroyed the long term rental supply. Airbnb needs to be reined in.
49
My wife and I visited Europe for 3 weeks earlier this year (Southern Spain / Portugal) earlier this year and I must say that it was the worst and rudest experience in my life and an utter let down and waist of time. The only saving grace was the people from the UK we met. There were specifically vacation areas with lots of European vacationers from all over and the rudeness of the people was a complete and utter shock to me. Im a liberal person and always *thought* I was more European in my views but I had a true paradigm shift on that vacation. I'll be sticking to the western hemisphere now, especially Latin America (Mexico, Costa Rica, Caribbean) where people are the kindest and most gracious people I have ever seen.
9
@Starman- rudeness of other vacationers, employees in the tourism business or locals you may have spoken to if you know the Spanish and Portuguese language?
Having driven in the area of S Spain & SE Portugal in March was a delight in scenery, food and touring w/o a crowd and yes, other English explorers who were happy to share a story as a common language united us for the moment,
6
Let me guess. You did not speak a work of Spanish or Portuguese and the natives did not understand you and you considered that an affront. How so terribly American.
4
Southern Spain? Costa del Sol? Notorious as a holiday destination in Europe because all traces of Spain have been nearly destroyed by the tourists. I’m from the UK but avoid that region like the plague - it’s filled with loud, obnoxious Brits, Dutch & Germans mostly, with their own bars, restaurants, realms and disregard for the local Spanish. Steak & chips and UK beer everywhere. A lot of expats too. To visit Spanish Spain you need to escape the southern bit.
Just don’t tell everybody that ;)
3
Around the Brooklyn bridge is a nightmare with tourists , and who had the bright idea of eliminating the cement partition of the walkway on the Brooklyn side?, mark my words , a tourist will be hurt or killed running over the roadway on their way to a selfie on the bridge.
10
I understand the concerns of those who cite the many residential dwellings that have been turned into permanent Airbnb's in order to yield more profits to the owners.
However, there's another side of the coin. I'm low income and, were it not for Airbnb, I wouldn't be able to travel at all. I've stayed in maybe 10-15 Airbnb's over the course of the years: in the Northeast United States and Western Europe. Out of all those, the only one that was clearly kept for Airbnb rental only was in Nice, France.
I recently stayed in Airbnb's in Burlington, Vermont and Wellfleet (Cape Cod) Massachusetts. In both cases, we stayed in the owners' homes. We were treated like members of the family and enjoyed dinnertime conversations with our hosts.
So, there's a good side to Airbnb.
10
@Pam Shira Fleetman I bet you are not "low income" by my standards. Folks with low income take their vacations in the back yard or the local park, not in a Airbnb. Even some middle class folks do the exact same thing or visit some relatives for a few days. Vacations are costly, as is a decent retirement, can't have both.
6
I don't dispute the article's main point - there are way more tourists in the European capitols than there used to be. (And in great US cities like my own.) But as many have pointed out, there are way more people on the planet than there used to be. What I find a bit disturbing is the misanthropy of some of the responses. Are people seriously complaining about visitors marveling at the Paris Metro? And so much impatience about people on the sidewalks and grocery store aisles. As a long time traveler, one of the enduring joys of visiting other places is discovering the kindness of folks the world over, the universal willingness to offer assistance to an obviously lost or confused visitor. Please don't blame Airbnb for families coming and going from your neighbor's rental. Focus your energies on your local government and encourage them to enact reasonable fees and restrictions so that you will feel less overrun and perhaps a bit more welcoming.
19
@JS I've seen Europeans criticize Americans for years for not travelling as much as they do (Many EU countries have citizens that take more than two international trips a year, while the in the USA only one in five citizens travels internationally annually).
Suddenly we start taking them up on their snobby advice and their tune changes. Oh, you don't want us to travel, you just want us to feel bad for /not/ travelling.
8
@Adam Since you can see a vast diverse vacation and never leave the US that might explain some of the differences. And here we are not so wealthy to be traveling around the world, or even to the next state either.
@JS corporate responsibility and deregulation is all the rage in the sharing economy. Airbnb, Uber etc thrive in it. Their “catch me if you can” business philosophy harbours most of the problems. And their profits.
Since they find it almost impossible to self regulate (pay taxes, maintain and enforce local laws), I agree with you - they need all levels of government to regulate them. Let’s do it !
1
I've traveled Europe quite often the past few years with my family of 6, and we have taken advantage of Airbnb extensively with great results. I often wondered what the effect is on the local neighborhoods as more and more homes are converted to short term rentals. You can see that locals are driven further away from the areas they work. Cities could limit the number of airbnb's allowed to operate, but that creates another set of problems. As is typical, there are no easy one solution answers, but I agree that the trend should not be allowed to continue unabated.
13
We do have similar problems with too many tourists here at home in the USA.
7
@TomTom: if you have tried to get into a National Park or Monument in the last few years...many are overcrowded and miserable, and some restrict entry.
2
As Noel Coward wrote and Elaine Stritch sang in “Sail Away,” “ why oh why do the wrong people travel when the right people stay at home?” Look it up on YouTube!
6
I live in a touristy area of Europe. The tourists that stay in Air B and B and hotels bring money and are respectful and really no problem. The internet has attracted an entire new kind of tourist that outnumbers the traditional one. Refugees from the overpopulated parts of the world. Overwhelmingly male, young, testosterone loaded, with cell phones from North Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The internet brought them a picture of riches in the West which they deserve as well so as soon as they can get enough money together they are on the way to Germany where they are supported by the government better than what they can earn at home. They generally live in US Barracks that have been renovated here locally. Most all of them speak English or French. The positive....they are teaching daughters how to deal with sexually aggressive groups of young men....and the local women are getting in shape in self defense classes...the entrepreneurial ones who came with money are opening Arabic and African and Indian restaurants that are often quite good.
22
In Venice in summer of 2013 with virtually "millions" of others..we were in my Volks Transporter tdi on the way down along the Croatian coast to Dubrovnik..a place I've visited many times since working the Balkan Wars. That said, St Mark's Square in Venice was so crowded with cruise ship tourist...in fact, the front of the ship could be seen down the avenue towards the canal where the ship was docked..pathetic.
Dubrovnik was a shock of sorts because there too where hordes of tourist with the only thing in mind was a "self shot" in front of something ancient..yet they no doubt had no idea what is was they were photographing...except it was "them" and something important in Old Town Dubrovnik.
I understand both Venice and Dubrovnik has or will minimize the number of ships to stop this "invasion" of wild tourist with the IPad's running around taking photographs.
I should mention when speaking with the local in Old Town about "monies spent on food, etc)..no, they said, as the cruise ship supply their passengers with white bag lunches..so one see hundreds of people ordering coffee or a Coke and eating their lunches...does it ever end!
Never ever travel in mid-June thru mid-September in Europe...try April and May if time allows...
18
How many New Yorkers actually pass through Times Square intentionally?
Advertising works.
8
Yes. A perfect case of people learning and wanting what “ they “ have then destroying it and leaving the detritus for the locals to clean up. Like the man in “Grapes of Wrath” that petted the puppy to death. It even worse when these people decide to stay. They destroyed my town.
9
Couple points. The so to speak overtourism has started with the EURO and open borders. As well as Russian and Chinese money that boosted international tourism big time. Russian tourists spent $31 billion abroad last year according to RT Business News.
Stop blaming Airbnb, google maps, Uber etc. It's pure convenience of the 21 century that we've been waiting for.
Plus most americans don't speak a second language and most american schools don't have Geography as a subject. Finally people can travel and educate themselves, get exposed to different cultures and just enjoy life.
Everyone benefits except for the hotel lobby and grumpy people in general.
8
This problem is real and on-going on both sides of the Atlantic. Tourists clog our streets day and night, sunshine or rain, winter or summer. Literally hundreds of people taking the exact same selfie pose using the Manhattan Bridge as backdrop. It's made the neighborhood significantly less livable. The sidewalks are impossible, traffic is a nightmare and garbage accumulates by the truckload. I don't know the answer, but I know we are piling up on their shores and they are equally piling up on ours!
23
Overpopulation in general is a factor in this problem as well as global warming and the general degradation of the home we live on. Economies based on growth are destroying the planet. When will we wake up to this?
43
Overpopulation is indeed the biggest culprit to lot of problems we and the earth is facing. But why is everybody reluctant to point out the obvious fact that only one religion namely Islam is responsible for most of the population increase because of the preachings of their mullahs to dominate the world anyway possible!
16
Not true. The Catholic Church forbids birth control and many Christians disapprove of birth control and abortion. Orthodox Jews also encourage large families. Governments encourage marriage and children to support seniors and keep their economies growing. Even this esteemed newspaper had nothing but praise for China relaxing its One Child policy.
2
@Honeybee: an aging population does have problems....but it won't be "those 95 year olds are clogging up European travel destinations with their selfie sticks!"
People 90 or over do not do much traveling.
I spent several months touring Southeast Asia last winter. If it wasn’t for alternative accommodations such as Airbnb rooms and non-official lodging such as guest houses, there are entire areas of Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka that I would never have seen because no official hotels existed there.
Of course, this was a very different experience than discovering Paris in August. Bottom line: like any technology, you need to recognize the good and the potential harm of Airbnb. But I think the good outweighs the harm.
12
We have people with hundreds of thousands of followers going to these beautiful destinations with location tags of exactly where these places are - some already popular to begin with and some more obscure. When you think about that, the fact that many of these beautiful places are crowded are not a surprise.
The NYT had an article recently about a small family-owned sunflower farm near Toronto. In previous years they had opened their farm to the public to enjoy the sunflowers and it was fine. This year, they went viral because of Instagram. People from BC and even the states went to visit, and thousands of people came to this family farm on one single day. Cars were parked along a highway and people carrying their children across the highway to see the sunflowers. The police shut them down... another NYT article was written about people taking pictures for social media at a colourful basketball court in a public housing complex with cool colours in Hong Kong, leaving locals unable to really use the court for its intended use.
I think a whole article could be written about the effect of social media.
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@K - Social media is killing a lot - you should read the Times story of how a private annual fireworks party was ruined because someone posted it on social media which led people to believe that anyone (and everyone) was invited:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/nyregion/pyrotechnic-party-of-legend-...
20
@Sallie I agree social media (and reality TV) play some sort of role in this, though am not sure exactly what. Based on posts I see in places like Trip Advisor forums, a lot of people are now "foodies," perhaps thanks to what they see on TV or Instagram and are less interested in art and culture, as may have been the case in the past, and more interested in foot and drink (see lots of requests for "best gelato," "best pizza," "best cocktail," "best food truck," etc.
2
Maybe I'm not smart, but it seems to me if someone is buying up properties and AirBnB'ing them all the time, it's going to be clear to the software that they're violating a 60-days-a-year or 30-days-a-year limit and can be stopped. What am I missing?
20
@Jim It can be hard to regulate; really takes some effort. New York City has been trying to identify the investors listing many properties on Airbnb but it's not easy. One thing that can help is for the public to notify authorities -- I believe that is how a lot of properties that don't comply with local laws are identified.
2
@Jim, AirBnB and other short-term rental platforms have actively sought to thwart any attempt at regulation by refusing to provide any information whatsoever about who is renting what, where and for how long; complicit local governments don't often help. New Orleans just elected a new city council largely on candidates' promises to rein in STRs.
@ellienyc You are correct. Many STRs in the French Quarter (which cannot be licensed due to an existing hotel moratorium) have been reported by vigilant locals and fined accordingly (3rd offense: get your utilities cut off!).
6
@Jim
Only AirBnB has the details and they aren't voluntarily sharing them with the local governments.
3
I like the idea of AirBnB and other "home sharing" services, but as the article alludes people are turning these into off-brand unregulated hotels. The one factor not discussed is the removal of long term housing stock from the available rental pool because renting out property on a fractional basis is more profitable and potentially less annoying than dealing with long term tenants, who can tie up a landlord in prolonged eviction proceedings after not paying rent. This is creating a shadow demand for apartments in "authentic neighborhoods" where someone might want to rent so their kids can go to a good school or have access to grocery stores.
This is driving rents through the roof at a time when construction and land costs are soaring and probably indirectly linked to multiple cities homeless situation in one way or another. These are the external costs of these systems and cities need to be aware of them and create policies and regulation and coolest taxes to account for these impacts.
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@Dutch: Let's look at this claim empirically - do the cities with more government regulations for housing have more available housing at lower prices and fewer homeless people than cities with less regulation?
3
Told from a U.S.-centric viewpoint. There is the huge population and economy of China to consider. It loves Europe to death. And AirBnB has nothing to do with it, nor Uber. Europe loves Chinese tourists right back because they spend cash, not credit cards. They’re here to buy up every luxury brand in sight.
So I stay away from the high profile tourist magnets. But I can’t get too far. I turn a corner in the middle of nowhere and, voilà!, there are crowds of Chinese. Why? Because some popular TV show or magazine story spotlighted it. There are places in Italy where the only people in the streets are Chinese tourists. It must be really bizarre from their perspective.
55
Yes, like the hundreds of Chinese tourists in Firenze this summer, armed with selfie sticks...
Yikes!
Luckily, I live in an area north of Palermo where there are not many tourists.
14
We have been visiting France for well over 30 years. In the past two years and six visits we have seen the city overrun by Chinese tourists. Their one objective seems to be taking photos - of everything - particularly themselves. They are inconsiderate (sorry it is true) and travel in huge groups. It is impossible to visit a Parisian museum in peace and quiet any more because of their incessant picture taking of each other with the art work. I have also just returned from a two week international learning program in Cambridge England. Every day dozens of Chinese groups would pour off of buses and invade the downtown area. It was impossible to walk on the sidewalk and enjoy the beautiful medieval city. I am a tourist and try to respect the city I am visiting. Not so with the Chinese who many times do not even appear to know where they are.
36
Google “Kidlington Chinese tourists” - it always makes me smile. A dull, nondescript village turned into an international destination.
3
This article appears to be complaining about the free movement of people, the growing wealth of more of the world's population, reduced cost and barriers to entry to travel & resources (i.e. airfare, ship transit)....
And I didn't see a single recommendation for harvesting the over-abundance of tourism to be a net positive for the communities thus "stricken" by popularity and the desire for people to visit and invest their money.
For the majority of communities around the world without access to the benefits and rewards tourism brings, I say this: This article reads like someone complaining about the downfalls of being so good looking and wealthy.
18
Hmm...sounds like someone I know that incessantly complains about trade imbalances .
3
@Joe O'Rourke The problems created by mass and growing tourism are real, for example the effect of AirBnb on local housing stock, making homes unaffordable for ordinary citizens; the damage imposed on cities like Venice by mammoth cruise ships; the sheer physical difficulty of seeing an important or beautiful site when you find yourself in the middle of a huge crowd all set on the same thing.
Of course it is good that so many people are now able to travel and see far-flung parts of the world, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the problems this freedom creates.
4
Companies like Uber & Air'n'B came about because people got tired of generic overpriced highly regulated industries. Who entrepreneurs and travelers both, wants to pay those taxes?
Governments and regulated industries fight back against the gig economy, of course they do.
The problem of over-crowded tourist areas will never change. The solution? Be a traveller and go to the interesting places where the tourists aren't. It is always a more interesting experience.
6
I live in a smallish European city that is a major magnet for tourism and AirBnb is destroying it by expanding the available rooms to a capacity that my city just can't bear. Weekends the centre is impassable from all the tourists clogging up the sidewalks (they never seem to realize that people actually live and work here). There are entire buildings in the central districts given over to AirBnb - that means less housing for locals - but even worse is the way in which neighbourhoods are destroyed as they become virtual stage sets for wealthy (usually white) tourists. AirBnb is extraordinarily destructive of community. Local shops on the AirBnb dominated streets shut down to be replaced by chains selling things no one ever needs or expensive cafes and restaurants that again are just for the tourists. (This was already a trend in the most historical parts of the city, but the onset of AirBnb means that it is quickly radiating out to all districts). My city is moving to limit AirBnb, and not a moment too soon. I think we all have to consider that we all can't go wherever we want when we want just because we can or we feel like it. And consider that, after you have priced all the locals out of their apartments - or they have moved because they can't stand the noise, or can't find a place to buy milk and bread - there will really be nothing left for you to see, just a series of pretty restored facades inhabited by a bunch of other AirBnbers.
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I am in Lisbon (flooded with tourists) sitting in our Airbnb apartments right now. We have been exploring the country via Airbnb with our two teenage children. Where in the past, we could squeeze all four of us in one hotel family room we now need more space. Two decent hotel rooms would exceed our budget and Airbnb has been a decent compromise. Airbnb is far from perfect and I learned to have little expectations. Sometimes they are great, sometimes not so great. Here in this neighborhood in Lisbon you can see families checking in and out of their Airbnb all the time. Old buildings are being gutted and renovated everywhere and I can’t help thinking that they will be turned into an Airbnb. Most locals that I have talked to live outside the city. Housing prices seem shockingly high.
16
@Karen B An alternative might be for you to save up your money until you can afford two hotel rooms. I'm not saying you should do that, but that's what people did in olden times. I don't know where in NYC you live, but I live in east midtown in an area where there are many Airbnbs filled with people just like you -- parents, kids, sometimes also aunts, uncles, BFFs and grammies -- people who couldn't otherwise afford this trip they feel they are entitled to (everyone seems to have the same excuse these days, but this is the ONLY way we can afford it) and cram everyone into a 2 bedroom apartment, and many of the effects are similar to what you are experiencing in Lisbon.
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@Karen B- Air Bnb is one of the reasons rents are so high, people buying/renting up apartments and then basically turning them into hotels (a business that they don't pay any taxes on) is causing housing prices in American cities to skyrocket.
AirBnB is not the only problem, but it's a big part of the problem.
21
We dont necessarily stay at airbnb because it is cheaper. As vegetarians, we often prefer to just stay "home" and cook, then go out with limited food options in restaurants. Of course, in Barcelona, all we do is eat out! A non-animal eating paradise.
8
"What’s to blame? In addition to broad prosperity, there’s technology, defined very broadly."
But no mention of global overpopulation! More people on the planet every year and as far as I can tell the world isn't getting any bigger. Why is it that this root cause of so many of our problems is never mentioned?
38
Oh my golly yes. This year parts of Cornwall had to issue warnings to people to stay away as the cars and people were causing it to grind to a halt. Beaches overloaded, roads blocked by cars parking incorrectly etc.
I live on the Jurassic Coast, a tourist hotspot. In tourist season the locals avoid places as it’s impossible to get anywhere for the influx of grockles. Some towns like Lyme Regis - which you guys featured not long ago - are utterly inaccessible as they aren’t designed to be swamped by tourists, and if it was designed that way it wouldn’t be popular.
BUT! It’s worth saying that unfortunately this is an irritant that is also essential to the local economy, and as much as we grumble about The Tourist, we also endure them as a irritating blessing. ‘Thankyou for the money, yes I am lucky to live here I know, if you want a tip then that pub does the best beer in town and also has good music, best fish? Just down there and if you like history have a look at the memorial opposite. Happy to help’.
Two things: ‘tourism’ is a vague descriptor carrying no national trait and tourism is not uniquely foreign. We get plenty of British tourists. The other is that you, the NYT, and your colleagues in the media bear some responsibility. You do a nice piece on a lovely location, nice people good food etc - and people want to go there. I’m guilty of this too, I read a piece here about the Amalfi Coast and next thing I’m googling the hotel mentioned in the article...
27
Maybe mice in Amsterdam is normal. I have seen that too in a rental appartement. Just don’t leave food out.
2
I'm writing this from Paris, my last stop on a two month journey that focused on Greece and the Balkans. After having been in small towns throughout the summer, I needed several days to adjust to the sensory assault of this metropolis. The noise level from motorcycles, late night bar patrons, too many cars and the rumbling of the Metro below this rental apartment is worse than I've experienced here in past years. My resolution is to stick with small villages in the future and eschew capital cities. Travelers in our overly populated world are flooding cities to a point where they have become nearly impossible to navigate. And I will also avoid port towns that dump thousands of cruise passengers onto the shore before taking off to overwhelm the next port.
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@NYCtoMalibu If I want to travel to a place in or near a port city I check the port ship schedules to make sure I am not there the same time as the cruisers.
I agree it's good to stay away from the big cities, at least April through October. I also would not rule out suburbs. There are some nice suburbs of Paris with good public transport links.
5
We were going to plan a European river cruise for next year, but after a Baltic Sea cruise this summer, we are done. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to Europe a number of times over the past nine years, but things have rapidly changed and the crowds are unbearable. Yes, I guess we are part of the problem, but there is zero regulation by countries, cruise lines and other land-based tour operators. Everything is crowded and what these cities don’t realize or don’t care about is that by not limiting the number of ships in port and bus tours on land,etc., the sites people are visiting are just a mass of people trying to take photos. There is no authentic experience. It makes me sad because I want to keep traveling, we’ve always loved traveling and now that we have the time and the money to travel, it appears everybody else does too. The cities don’t care about the quality of the experience, they just want your money. Please don’t increase writing about “secondary sites” that are not as popular, because that will ruin those too. Maybe let people have the fun of discovery, which is what travel used to be about.
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@Susie I think there is just too much money to be made -- that is why it has been so hard for some places to pass regulations -- like Venice on cruise ships. Venice's permanent population is declining rapidly, but those who are still there (as well as many who have moved away) like to make money off the cruise ships. Actually, maybe it's better if the permanent residents move away, as long as everyone is adequately compensated, and the whole city turned into a sort of Disney Venice.
7
@ellienyc I love it, a Disney Venice! If these trends continue, pretty soon there will be no real there there anymore to go to. Oh, well I guess they will prop up the old buildings for the selfie takers.
4
Sort off topic. I’m in Oslo as I type this. Lots of tourists flooding the streets. I was chatting with a bartender in a local pub this afternoon. Most residents like the tourists and the money they spend. What the bartender didn’t care for were the tourists that will stop in the middle or a sidewalk or street to take that darn selfie without a single thought to those around them or the danger that they pose.
24
@Chuckw Not to mention the tourists who stop in the middle of a sidewalk or, worse, at a curbcut people normally enter to cross an intersection, because they are trying to figure out their iphone maps and hope suri will tell them which is the northeast corner because that is where the uber is and they can't see it (actually it's across the street parked in the bus stop backing up buses with hundreds of passengers that can't get into the bus stop). The worst of all is when you get a bunch of these people -- an "intergenerational family group" I think they call them -- all standing in a circle doing the same unproductive thing with their phones.
22
@Chuckw, Those groups of tourists who walk down the sidewalk all abreast or aside one another are really rude and clueless. Hate when they do this.
18
@Chuckw Or the clueless fools who decide to have a huddle at the bottom or top of an unloading escalator or indie or outside a busy entrance or in the middle of an active bike path. Did these people grow up in a swamp? Self awareness and consideration of others around you makes cities more workable
3
Overtourism is part of the reason why my husband and I have been seeking out very low-key vacations for the past few years. Last year, we did a "baseball babymoon" to St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Detroit -- and saw three baseball games in three classic American cities. Right now, we're contemplating a trip out to the Southwest or perhaps the extreme reaches of the Midwest -- the Dakotas and Montana. If a vacation is supposed to be a break from the everyday, having a little breathing room and quiet can be just right.
26
@Kat
You can get several long naps in during a single baseball game (assuming your aren't passing money and hotdogs back and forth all game for the vendors). You must be well rested.
4
In 2014 there were 553 Air BnB rental listings on Cape Cod.
In 2017 there were 4,573 listings.
Now there is no year round housing stock available for rent.
This hurts small communities for where do the nurses, teachers, EMTs, fire/police, etc. all live?
It's all about greed. People buy 3 or even 4th homes and pay for them by renting them out online.
Heavy tourism is a bane. We all have to put up with the tourists but only a few benefit from them. The traffic here has been beyond maddening this summer. And if you're visiting please don't ever complain about the traffic and congestion, o.k.?
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@JM: "This hurts small communities for where do the nurses, teachers, EMTs, fire/police, etc. all live?"
Fake news. Tourists spend a lot of money - which means the local government can pay the teachers, nurses, EMTs, fire, police.
4
@JM
The issue of short-term and vacation rentals driving out the locals has been around long before Airbnb entered the scene. Provincetown closed it's high school back in 2010 due to plummeting enrollment i.e, no more families living there year-round. Many of the listings that are on Airbnb today were previously listed through other reservation systems. HomeAway, CyberRentals and VRBO, which were all founded in the early aughts -- and, before that (while not as easy to use) there were numerous real estate companies and reservation systems which brokered rental deals.
5
@Hyphenated American It's not about the money--it's about having a place to live reasonably close to work. We deal with this too in SF.
23
AirBnb is the destroyer of residential neighborhoods and I'm speaking from my own experience in Barcelona where I lived part of the year. AirBnB does not do due dilligence ensuring that those advertising are the legitimate home owners. My upstairs neighbor rented her flat with a long term lease-- which forbids subletting-- to a Russian national. Later she saw her flat advertised at AirBnb for weekends to tourists-- for the price she got for a month's rent. They blew her off when she notified AirBnb of the scam, all they cared about was their commission. quick solution: she rented HER OWN apartment for a weekend, once inside she changed the locks and called the press, while hoards of scammed tourists kept showing up at her door. Dozens of legit home owners came forward with the same story and Barcelona City Hall was forced to investigate. AirBnB had to pay a 600,000 Eruros fine and remove 2,000 illegal listings in Barcelona alone from their website. This phenomena shrinks the local housing stock for residents who can't afford to remain in their neighborhoods & causes unspeakable degradation of the place ( wild parties, noisy people at all ours of day and night dragging suitcases , drunks urinating, vomiting and argueing in the street). If you can't afford a hotel, go to a pension or to a legitimate and licensed B& B. I have just sold my apartment to a local resident who is invested in defending her neighborhood from such predatory capitalism.
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This is one of the most authentic anecdotes of “predatory capitalism” I have ever read. It would be great to collect such stories and share them to everyone in order to highlight the unintended consequences of technology and greed.
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@Mark Kramer - Bravo to your neighbor for changing the locks and calling the press!
7
@yvonnes Yes, indeed it was a smart move on her part. However, she still had to go to court and hire an attorney to regain legal possession of her flat because the Russian tenant who had violated the terms of the lease by subletting through airBnB was nowhere to be found and legal papers could not be served on him. Apparently, he pulled the same trick in Paris and in Prague and other locations in Barcelona, and he would disappear after cashing in on the proceeds of his scams. It took the poor woman over a year to be able to rent her apartment again and incurred large expenses cleaning it up. The tenant had removed most of the furniture and simply had mattresses all over the floors to maximize profits. We are having a similar problem now here in San Diego.
9
But we do NOT want to «distribute the crowds more evenly»!!! In Paris, we have basically given up some parts of the city to tourists. Fine. But we don't want them everywhere looking for the «authentic», because we are not zoo animals. We don't provide experiences; we live and work here. I don't want to provide illuminating insights to the latest American marvelling about our subway on my commute.
And the tourists bring a lot of economic downsides. AirBnB is a disaster for long term renters. Then you have the normal shops closing, being replaced by those that sell useless junk for the too high prices tourists are willing to pay - a cause and a consequence of the locals being driven out of their own neighbourhoods.
And while a few people - hotel chain CEOs, AirBnB managers, real estate investors - get even richer from tourism, most of the economic activity on the ground relies on cheap, seasonal labour and junk products. May be good for places otherwise dying, but the major European cities do not need more of that «hospitality industry». There is a reason why most of the industry is so heavily reliant on foreign workers - it's because the jobs are crap.
So please, please, just be a considerate tourist, stay at the hotel and visit Notre Dame (yes, it is the big church on the river). If you want it authentic, visit friends and family.
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@passer-by: So you want millions of people who work in tourism industry, the "foreign workers" you spoke about - to lose their jobs and starve to death because you don't like foreign tourists who come to France?
1
@Hyphenated American Hey Chief, he is suggesting people should stay in hotels, which would support those jobs
3
This rings so true. Living on the edge of Vancouver’s own downtown tourist Disneyland ground zero. My daily comings and goings require wading through crowds so engrossed in photo ops that they can’t conceive of the responsibility to walk, move, exist politely in public space in a city (to be aware of and make room for everyone around you). I carry my keys in hand while walking in the neighbourhood during the day so that their sound signals to others around me that I’m approaching, and hopefully, they can figure out how to make space for others.
Our community-oriented building deals with activity linked to an AirBnB unit that has broken all of our strata rules, hosted plenty of objectionable and illegal activity, also operating illegally but for now outside the scope of punitive action from the city other than regular fines—which the hosts are able to pay without taking a hit to the viability of the operation. The estimated profit makes a joke of what full-time residents and renters must be able to afford, living here year-round. Not to mention incessant disruptions, in sleeping and waking hours.
The argument for AirBnb, that it’s a positive force for community building and for host benefit, is perhaps true and a boon for secluded destinations. Otherwise, heck nope.
*If you come to Vancouver, fact: the steam clock doesn’t run on steam. It has no real historical significance, and was installed by a jeweller to keep the homeless from sleeping on a vent outside the shop.
24
@MKW Maybe things would be slightly better if the AirBnB hosts were required to pay income tax on that rental income as well as hold a business license. Hopefully things will tighten up and clear up. As a strata owner myself, I know that rentals like this are a huge concern in our complex; time will tell whether the strata bylaws against these types of rentals will hold up.
7
@nvguy our condo banned AirBnB and the sponsor had to pay a hefty fine for each positive review. Digging their own grave.
It shut down that activity dramatically. AirBnB-like gro
ups are now approaching landlords and developers to take multiple floors off the market to operate no-flag pseudo hotels. And people wonder why rents are soaring even in the face of massive construction.
8
Selfie sticks may be annoying, but Instagram is not what is driving people to go to Europe. Neither is Uber, TripAdvisor, OpenTable or Expedia, all of which you named here.
Cheap oil (and the lower costs of flying/driving/cruising) and the global increase in people who can afford to travel is the entire issue.
45
@MTS China has its own selfie driven tourism and I think it is driving people to more and more places far afield.
But multi-culturalism is an absolute good, right?
But immigration is an absolute good, unless you're just vacationing, right?
But we want cheaper travel prices, right?
But we want more people to be wealthier, right?
But we need greater populations for economic expansion, right?
More people with more money and more leisure time will mean you'll have to deal with more people with money.
11
People have been travelling for decades and there have always been non-hotel options like pensions with the "Frei" sign on the road (Austria) or hostels (everywhere packed with everyone but Americans). Hotels used to be less snazzy with plenty of budget options (the only thing I do not miss is the lack of fire safety) tiny single rooms with windows into a dark courtyard (Vienna). Or the apartments you could find at train stations in Budapest. Or the old ski lodges in say Winter Park CO.
AirBnB, Yelp, google, booking.com just make it all a bit easier. And yes there are more people travelling because of the increasing middle class around the world.
Some specifics ..
Eastern Europe is beautiful and almost empty. Their tourist industry is basically springing up with AirBnB, with investors providing properties in cities like Brasov Romainia where there are few hotels .. just like East Germany in the 90s ..
Hotels are extremely expensive, not just some guy with 200K to buy a flat and make it nice .. millions of investment dollars ..
Asian tourists just are easier to identify even than the ugly American charicature and they don't speak English or German or whatever .. but they should get their chance to visit too.
Cities need to regulate their long term and short term rentals and maybe issue licenses that AirBnB checks ..
Maybe we should stop having worldwide summer vacation jammed into June/July/August .. especially in the US .. so tourism is spread over 5 months.
11
One of the main problems is that these platforms like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, etc. don't care about any of the cities they operate in. They're just out to make a buck. If they really cared, they would work with city governments to come up with equitable solutions to the problems they are creating. Instead, the cities are forced to threaten legal action and it is only then that they (might) come to the table and talk. Some unintended consequences of these websites include evictions of tenants to do more lucrative tourist rentals and severe congestion of the city center with ride shares. This isn't about being anti-tourist, it's about having responsible and controlled growth.
61
@PK: Is there any evidence that the local bureaucracy cares more about the cities than Airbnb? At least Airbnb sells its services to the willing buyers...
1
@Hyphenated America actually, yes. I went to a public meeting at city hall a few years ago when the city was trying to get a grip on this situation. The rep from Airbnb was appalling. They refused to provide the board of supervisors with any information on their guests and said they would have to sue them to get it. Airbnb is just looking to make a profit. They don't care how they do it. There were many reported cases of evictions by landlords looking to make more money with vacation rentals. https://sf.curbed.com/2018/5/1/17308812/airbnb-pacific-heights-landlords...
5
You literally could not pay me enough to " tour " any part of Europe, nowadays. Been there, done that. The only place on my bucket list outside of the USA is Australia. Maybe one day, after retirement. In the meantime, it's Florida twice a year to visit my Parents, and Seattle when we can get a good deal on flights/hotels for long weekends. Find YOUR happy place, and go there when you can. It really makes life, especially in a place you despise, bearable. Best wishes and Bon Voyage.
9
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Surely Wichita can't be that bad........ But having grown up in Kansas and moved away 45 years ago, I can't say that I'd move back.
3
If Europe seems overrun, travel offseason. Paris in April or October is still perfectly bearable. Rome? Try it a Christmas. Ditto Venice and Vienna. Even Prague can be delightful if you venture a block or two away from the main sights. Moreover, its main art museums are practically devoid of all but the most sophisticated tourists. (At least that’s where you’ll find me.)
Stay away from coastal cities if you don’t like cruise ships and/or the people who do. Don’t go to places that feature in bestsellers.
Travel off the beaten track. Right at the moment my wife and I are staying in a small, sensibly priced inn an hour or so north of Toulouse, directly overlooking the Aveyron. Dating back to the late-18th century, it’s perfectly charming, and (though I haven’t read any reviews) I’ll bet dinner will be excellent.
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@Richard Janssen Until they see your photos and then these hidden jewels are no longer hidden and shortly stop being a jewel.
We see this in small matters like gps mapping sending cars through once-local's-only short-cuts.
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@Richard Janssen
Travel offseason and avoid the most popular destinations. There are m any wonderful places that get few tourists, other than tourists from the same country.
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@Richard Janssen Last year I was in Venice "offseason" in November. It was the start of the aqua alta, and the weather was horrible. However, the city was totally overrun with tourists. I had spent a wonderful few days there 20 years ago, but I vowed that I will never go back.
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Did not The NY Times have an article about homeowners’ complaints at finding apps had designated nearby streets as commuting shortcuts? Another analogy is the complaint from people about accessing public info on private persons previously “restricted” by laziness. Now with a few clicks, regarding info regulated by same law enacted when manual microfiche was only access, you can dig up a lot. We went for decades where insiders got hidden deals actually open to anyone that asked for them. We just did not ask. Now everyone is asking. If it is accessible by anybody, it is accessible by everybody.
We might just be seeing a peak of pent up demand. How many times can you visit St. Mark’s Square or Notre Dame? Also tech will likely have add ons to show busy periods as we get on specific TSA stations at airports. That feature will spread out tourists. Then we’ll get complaints that tourist sites never have down time.
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@Michael Blazin Indeed. Before advertisers convinced everyone to buy crap. Then they sold us on "experiences," and like the fools who think diamond are rare and precious, we are just sheeple under the control of advertisers who tell us what we subsequently think we wanted all along.
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I'm in Amsterdam as we speak. It is very crowded, and locals are a minority in the center of town. Tickets to the Anne Frank House must be purchased weeks in advance, and both the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum are crowded. These cultural treasures are worth the inconveniences, but a more authentic experience should include some out-of-the-way destinations at the outskirts of or away from the major cities. The world, alas, is becoming homogeneous.
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@C K
Take a 40 minute train ride to The Hague- you can walk in and purchase a ticket to the Mauritshuis and see lovely vermeer's and rembrandts up close. Lovely squares and people!
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@C K In my opinion, a more authentic experience would involve visiting in January instead of the middle of August.
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@ellienyc
You are right. The dreary streets of Amsterdam in winter are quite authentic. Cycling through drizzling rain and wet snow. Just don't tell anybody!
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and what is it about your Airbnb experience that's supposed to make anyone want to duplicate it. personally, I'll stick to licensed establishments that have valid reviews.
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At the heart of it all is this: people in general are inconsiderate and behave poorly when they are at home. This is only acerbated when they travel. Their goal is to pay as little as possible while demanding top shelf service.
My small town is popular for it's warm springs. We hardly have the influx of a popular Euro destination, but there are a ton of rental cabins all over the rural area surrounding the town.
The tourists who drive me around the bend are the city folks who think they are entitled to use whatever is around them. Our home is situated on a stream with a small falls viewable from the road. These ill-mannered folks feel perfectly entitled to walk past "No Trespassing" signs to splash about and take selfies. They trample my flowers in the process of course and if they pick a couple of pints of blackberries off my bushes, where's the harm? They want to experience "the country". They're on vacation and expect to get the most out of their limited time. They will actually argue with me when I ask them to leave my property!
Travelers who put their experience above all else far outnumber the few considerate visitors who truly wish to immerse themselves in the "real" destination. It's no wonder locals are unhappy with the likes of Airbnb. And as far as Mr. Lehane's comment about spreading tourists out over a wider area - I'd much rather they stayed close to the tourist attractions and left the rest of us in peace.
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Another article by and for the 1%.
Technology is making travel less expensive and more people can see the world and experience other cultures.
We need to make it more expensive again so we can enjoy it without all these peasants around crowding it.
Let's get back to the 1920s when only the truly rich traveled, went to Europe for a month and only stayed in the finest hotels.
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@Jim Exactly my thoughts!
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@Jim Ha, good one!
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@Jim 100% agree with you
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If you are going to castigate technology, you should also take aim at GPS. It allows you to go to places that couldn't be imagined decades ago: like little rural one lane roads in France in which only the area under the tire is paved. (And which forces residents to move their cars, which are blocking the road, when a numbskull foreigner comes driving down said road.)
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Maybe there could be a better job making less known destinations more attractive and reduce the inflow to the more well known areas of the a country.
I know that if someone asked me where to visit in Canada I'd point them to Halifax, Newfoundland, Winnipeg, or Kingston, not Toronto or Vancouver.
A lot of these popular worldwide destinations are victims of their own greatness, they are just so well known that it never occurs to people to try and visit somewhere else in that country.
But, to be fair, I wouldn't begrudge someone the opportunity to visit somewhere they've always dreamed of seeing. I know I wouldn't have settled for Baltimore when I really wanted to see Washington DC.
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Ottawa is a destination overlooked by foreigners, but a wonderful capital city of a wonderful nation!
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@Mark F I agree, except Halifax, while absolutely wonderful, is packed with hordes of tourists in July and August, especially when there is a cruise ship or two in town. Same goes for PEI. The South Shore of Nova Scotia, beyond Lunenburg, is practically devoid of tourists and stunningly beautiful. I think it's the getting there that holds people back. That and the prohibitive cost of flying within Canada.
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Winnipeg?
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industrial tourism: the original sin in this brave new world?
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No question. Now that every car is a taxicab and everyone's house is a hotel room, the tourist spots are drowning in people. It all started with the jet plane that made everywhere in the world readily within reach. What a mess.
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In Prague this summer, and Postiano two summers ago, I marched among the throngs of tourists crowding historic areas, past interchangeable shops hawking cheap goods made specifically for the tourist trade. (I know, I'm part of the problem, not part of the solution.) I thought longingly of what it must have been like to have discovered these places, how magically beautiful and mysterious it all must have seemed. We had a lovely time nonetheless but any future trips I take to Europe will be in the off-season. We stayed in airbnbs and one vrbo; three were lovely and one was acceptable. You just can't beat the cost compared to a hotel. I would probably have traveled even if I had to stay in a hotel, but the extra cost savings was quite nice.
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As someone who has travelled a lot, I’m often asked where my next destination is. Mostly, I reply somewhere where there’s not a lot of people. In Iceland this spring, it was difficult to find an Icelander as there are seven tourists for every citizen. Hotels and busses are manned by Eastern European migrants. Earlier, I had been in Ireland - a fave - I deliberately chose activities and places where giant tour busses couldn’t access. The overcrowding everywhere is a recent phenomenon and yes, I believe it can be connected to social media. Where I live is a favorite summer tourist destination and this year the ferries and campgrounds are so chockablock that BC Ferries is now sending me automatic notifications when the long/short term parking lots are full. Is this a testament to what technology can achieve or just plain depressing?
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@Anne Of The Island Many people I know have been to Iceland in the past two or three years - it is definitely a trend at this moment and it is very visible on social media. My cousin and her family are there right now. Hopefully in a few years Iceland will be less trendy and less crowded.
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My husband runs two AirBnBs in our town. When we bought them three years ago, there were 100 listings on AirBnB and 40 on the Tourist Office site; today there are 400+ on AirBnB and 119 on the Tourist Office site (which, being official, tends to have legal listings, whereas most of the AirBnB listings are illegal rentals not paying taxes). It is a beautiful, historic city in the south of France and while the medieval fortress gets crowded in July and August, the rest of the town doesn't feel touristy. We spent a fortune renovating our 17th century apartments under the supervision of the historical preservation authorities; from the AirBnB listings I see, few others have similarly respected the rules. We had inspections by the tourism officials for things like smoke detectors. I think AirBnB is great as an alternative to hotels, whether for families or just people who get sick of eating in restaurants for every meal. But it needs to play by the same rules--all the listings need to be legally declared.
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Even while constantly over-crowded , parts of the Hamptons appear to suffer from the same Uber- Airbnb overtourism. Sag Harbor, once a reasonable low keyed town less favored than Southampton and Easthampton, has become overrun by tourists and traffic - many locals put this down to the influx of Uber driven Airbnb tourists.
Still, my European wife notes that, for better or worse, much the rise in European overtourism began far earlier than Uber and Airbnb, with the breakdown of the Eastern bloc and consequent availability of travel to the West for many previously not permitted to travel there.
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@Dr.F.Figure in tourists from China now
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Like Amazon or Uber, Airbnb is one of those web businesses I will never patronize because they are so clearly destructive to so many things. Now tourism can be added to their list of victims. I have personal experience of Airbnb encouraging a landlord to convert needed low-rent housing into an unofficial tourist hotel. Shameful greed, abetted by the rapacious irresponsibility of the techsters.
But whether it's Manjoo or an NYT reader or anyone else, we in the public should not be helping to annihilate everything of value by using Airbnb or any of these other seductions for the sake of a few dollars or a little extra convenience. Think before you consume!
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@Meta-Nihilist I disagree. I think Airbnb performs a service to communities. As long as it is abiding by local ordinances, I think it is a net benefit as the local economy gets some of the money. In many cities it helps areas just outside of the tourist sites, so these areas increase usable housing and infrastructure. People who could not afford hotels may be able to afford Airbnb and so they get to travel and see other places that may have been inaccessible before.
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@Meta-Nihilist: Are you claiming that Airbnb does not provide anything of value to tens of millions of people who use its service?
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Was there this summer and saw it first hand, the anti-Airbnb graffiti in Barcelona. In our three months we used Airbnb - how to get to the Kornati islands on 2 days notice, trip advisor, TripIt, Facebook, google translate and maps, and when currency in Turkey devalued by 10%, while we were there, nytimes.com became our touch stone. In Croatia it was the blogger with their photographer blocking the trail at Plitvice Lakes National Park, imagine thousands of grumpy people on wood plank paths, it was like being in line for a Disneyland ride, in the most beautiful, waterfall strewn place on earth. In Turkey, it was more helpful, leading us to best meal of our time there in Fethiye - yelp to the rescue.
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@Rebecca B
We were at Plitvice a week ago and the only place where I could walk at my 'hiking pace' was on the trail around the lake, thus avoiding the boat shuttle. It was a joy - and faster than the boat/line to boot. However, the crowds became too much and we walked back on the shuttle road instead of seeing anymore of the park - 5 of us in the middle of the deserted woods, enjoying nature (be sure to avoid the occasional bus!).
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@Rebecca B
Visited Plitvice Park and falls almost fifty years ago as a student studying and traveling in Europe. I was almost the only one in the park--which sort of worried me, as I was young woman traveling alone. But the falls were magnificent and are a special memory. Then I had to find a bus stop to catch a regional bus into Zagreb. Visited Stonehenge in England during that same year. Hiked out to the site with directions from local folks. It was in a big open field with nothing (and nobody) around it. I wandered through the massive stones and wondered how and why they had come to be. Sat on one of the smaller rocks to eat my lunch. It was a quiet pensive visit. Then I hiked back into town. Traveling in Europe decades ago required more effort and presented far more unknowns. Technology has eliminated most of those but I don't know if the actual tourist experience is better for it. And I never travel to Europe in the summer months---October, November and December are far nicer in terms of weather and crowds.
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This article has an interesting premise with which I have to differ. Certainly, my experience is more limited, but I have generally had a great time traveling. As examples, two years ago, my partner and I visited Ireland, landing in Dublin and walking around that city for a day; then driving to the West coast where we spent time in small villages along the coast and in Galway. This past spring, we spent several days in Havana, Cuba, walking around the city and taking in the squares and plazas. In each case, we had a splendid time with very few hassles, met wonderful people - both locals and tourists - and can't wait to go back to experience the culture of both countries again as well as heading to new (to us) locations. Perhaps the difference in our experience has to do with our expectations of travel: we are much more interested in the local culture and people than we are in selfies and cell phones, and we try to be as friendly and courteous to those we visit as we would want them to be to us should they visit our home.
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@Sean Belt I have an idea for an even better and more authentic experience. Study a foreign language until you reach high level of competency, then go live in another country for a year or so, working, studying, whatever, but doing everything in your daily life, whatever that is, in their language and according to their rules and customs.
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@ellienyc Well, that's sort of the ideal, isn't it? Who wouldn't love to do that?
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@Moira Rogow You make it sound difficult. I did it as a student. Others can do it. Saving, a budget, a willingness to maybe do without, change jobs, make a little less for a while.There's nothing like going out to buy toilet paper or lightbulbs in another language to get your "total immersion," "authentic" experience.
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You say, "This growth [in travel] might once have been considered unambiguously good news."
Not true:
"Flying, particularly on long-haul flights, is so highly emitting that it dwarfs everything else on an individual carbon budget. Many climate groups have calculated that in a sustainable world each person would have a carbon allowance of two to four tons of carbon emissions annually. Any single long-haul flight nearly 'instantly uses that up,' said Christian Jardine, a senior researcher at the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University."
https://e360.yale.edu/features/toward_sustainable_travel
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@JustInsideBeltway, in response, the flight is scheduled to go there anyway, so I might argue that this carbon "ain't my carbon". The carbon belongs to the airline(s).
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@JustInsideBeltway: I wonder why those "researchers" confuse "carbon" and "carbon dioxide". These two are very different chemical substances.
I suppose though we can start by making sure all the people who are involved in "environmental studies" are not allowed to travel for conferences. No air travel for all mayors and politicians who speak out against "Global Warming".
"I’LL BELIEVE GLOBAL WARMING IS A CRISIS WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO TELL ME IT’S A CRISIS START TO ACT LIKE IT’S A CRISIS"
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@Chuck
And this is why the planet is in trouble. It's not ME, it's that company whose to blame. They offer the product, so why shouldn't I consume it?
Each of us bears some responsibility for the trash, pollution and excessive consumption that we have come to believe is a birth right.
Our consumption choices are firmly rooted in ME, not others.
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I appreciate that AirBNB is an appealingly convenient option for tourists in popular destinations. But as an apartment owner in a fairly popular tourist destination, I want my building neighbours to be actual residents, not tourists coming and going constantly (and using building facilities that they aren't paying for with strata fees like I do). And those units could otherwise be rental units in an extremely low vacancy city. My building bans AirBNB/VRBO, but postings still keeping popping up.
In my local experience, I don't see AirBNB and similar services in a positive light.
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@Natalie:"But as an apartment owner in a fairly popular tourist destination, I want my building neighbours to be actual residents, not tourists coming and going constantly"
I think everyone has an opinion on who they want their building neighbors to be.
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@Hyphenated American - the issue is not just wanting neighbors to be residents. It's the difference between choosing to live in a residential area or building versus in a commercial district where hotels or other short-term rentals are allowed.
These short-term rentals are turning all residential neighborhoods into motel districts. You may be happy to have a college lacrosse team occupy the house across the street for a week, with all the frat-house antics imaginable going on at all hours (happened to our neighbor down the street a few weeks ago). But we who paid for properties in residential districts shouldn't have to give up our amenities just because someone wants to make a quick buck, or because unsupervised renters could care less about disturbing others at all hours of the day or night "because they're on vacation!"
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@LW: Now write the same thing about a large family of immigrants from the Middle East, who moved into an apartment and caused all kinds of troubles....
China’s prosperity is one culprit. Hordes in tour groups are everywhere. Often carrying view blocking umbrellas.
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@M., Wow, you're not kidding. China's new middle class affords upward of 300 million new tourists. They are now the new cash cow for tourism. And are everywhere, like ants on sugar.
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Europe has similar complaints about the massive influx of immigrants (most of them illegal) from the Middle East.
But the world’s most popular destinations cannot expand to accommodate an infinite flood of immigrants. Advocates of curbing immigration say too many visitors are altering the character of historic cities, and making travel terrible, too.
“It’s a level of immigration which is degrading the enjoyment that residents have, but it’s also degrading the immigrant experience, because the immigrant who is endlessly queuing behind backpacks of hundreds of other immigrants is not discovering the real or the authentic place,” said Justin Francis, the chief executive of Responsible Immigration, a company that arranges “sustainable” immigration for customers.
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The author states: "Bigger cruise ships capable of holding many thousands of passengers now take entire floating cities to coastal ports (which is why Venice recently banned these). "
What is the reason why Venice banned them?
The implication was that it was because they have too many people onboard, but the linked article from the Independent doesn't say that at all.
First, they aren't banned at all, they just have to take a different route and dock in a different adjacent area (by 2021.)
Second, the reasons given have to do with the waterway infrastructure and NOT with the number of tourists on board, which apparently they still want.
It casts doubt on how well researched this NYT article was.
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@Neal Duncan Giant cruise ships contribute little to the port cities they visit. The passengers spend a few hours buying trinkets white clogging the streets, and then return to the ship to eat and sleep. Meanwhile, the cruise liner produces massive amounts of environmental degradation. These multi-story cruise ships also dominate the skyline of Venice and destroy the ambiance.
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@Michael Andersen-Andrade "Destroy the ambiance"? Ha! As if there was any to begin with!
All this technology is there because it is profitable and it is profitable due to demand. The market for global traffic has increased by hundreds of thousands due to increased worldwide prosperity. The best time for travel is past, as there is only one Paris out there, and many times as many people want to and can afford to go there.
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How did "technology" get us here?
- the domestic horse
- the boat
- the train
- agriculture, centralization of other tasks, wealth
- the airplane
- photography and printing
Anyone wanting to address the issue, here's an (impractical, just-in-fun) idea to make it a little less impactful:
All home-share systems require local residents to exchange homes with the visitor - making it bi-directional swap. A couple travels to visit Chicago or Paris or Bali? The residents who are renting their place go live the same span wherever the tourists live. And nobody can rent more than a single place - none of the buying up of multiple housing units as faux hotels...
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The Tahoe/Truckee area, like many resorts, are being hit by backlash from cheap Airbnb and other companies' rentals. Many rentals are second or third homes, whose owners put the money in their pockets rather than paying taxes to support town and county infrastructures (roads, snow plowing, garbage pickup). Many houses and condos that were previously year-round rentals have been converted to short-term self-rentals - leaving no housing for the locals needed to staff schools, restaurants, police and fire departments, and of course amenities like ski areas and boat marinas. South Lake Tahoe is now looking into limiting such rentals to commercial districts, with good reason. How would you like to have several houses on your street suddenly become largely unregulated party houses? It's all very well if only well-mannered families are renting - the large parties and heavy drinkers are hard to deal with in a family residential area.
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@LW: Are you saying that people who rent out their apartments pay no taxes?
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@Hyphenated American - A very large percentage - perhaps the majority - of the people who are renting out their properties are indeed not reporting or paying taxes on short-term leases. Local governments are having to spend a great deal of time and money to track online rental listings to identify these landlords and enforce payment. Whether you are renting out your second home or renting out part of your primary residence, it is still income that is required to be reported and taxed.
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@LW:
"A very large percentage - perhaps the majority - of the people who are renting out their properties are indeed not reporting or paying taxes on short-term leases. "
Please provide the proof for this claim.
Regarding the Airbnb guy's claim about benefits to the local economy, I think that is partially untrue. Maybe they are benefiting supermarkets where they buy provisions (though they drive locals like me crazy when all 5 or 6 stand there blocking the aisle while they scratch their heads, the same way they scratch their heads when they go into a Starbucks and can't make up their minds or stand forever at the checkout translating for each other), in other respects they are not benefiting local economy. Many are cheap, extremely low budget tourist looking for the free night at the museum, wanting to know how they can get the senior fares on our public transit (which, by the way, no European city has ever given me) asking questions about whether you really, absolutely have to tip this person or that person. I would love to see statistics on their contrib to local economy, versus contrib of normal hotel guest.
And they just create huge inconveniences wherever they go, as , as described above, they often travel in very large groups (SPLIT UP!) while they hunt for their "real people," "authentic" experiences.
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As a resident in a very popular tourist destination I can't say I agree with AirBnb claim about spreading the tourists throughout a city. Most residents find vacationers to be a disruptive presence in residential neighborhoods. That is why there is zoning to protect those neighborhoods. It has been a continual struggle
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I spend about four weeks a year being a tourist in Europe. Except for the Paris Airport, I haven't been to London, Rome or Paris for a few decades. During tourist season they are so jammed with dumb American tourists it is unbearable. But that is what "Europe" is for people like this writer who don't know any better. I usually go to Eastern or Central Europe where there are far less American tourists and prices are a whole lot cheaper. The cities are beautiful, the food is great and the people watching is as good as anywhere. Unfortunately, many of those places are now being "discovered" by Americans, so get there while it is still good!
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@Tim Fitzgerald umm it’s not just Americans “discovering” these places. There are significantly increasing numbers of Asian tourists in Europe. Why does it always have to be “dumb Americans” causing these problems?
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@Jonathan Scanlon: because it's an old trope and very satisfying to lefty libs, who hate the US and hate Americans and hate white people.
In the 50s-70s, it WAS mostly US tourists, but today it is wealthy Chinese, Indians, Russians....because we offshored OUR jobs and manufacturing to THEM and now THEY are rich and we are poor.
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Don’t blame AirBnB. Blame global economic prosperity.
Your article is right that the rise of tourism makes it a miserable experience, both for the cities and towns that attract the crowds as well as for the visitors themselves.
But you miss the most important point. Although new apps and services certainly influence how people travel, there is a far bigger trend driving the increased tourist numbers.
The economic rise of China and India has brought half a billion people into the middle classes. With that have come aspirational activities like travel.
If you visit the tourist centres of Europe you will quickly notice that the dominant groups are no longer Europeans and Americans. Chinese and Indians form a large segment, and as novice travellers, they tend to stick to the most popular destinations and sights, making these even more crowded. And yes, because it’s an aspirational activity, a large part of the experience is ‘building their own personal social media brand’ so quick selfies in front of recognisable land marks are a key part of their trip.
This article covers the trend in more detail: http://www.minorsights.com/2015/01/travel-has-become-victim-of-its-own-s...
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thanks for such an astute comment.
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This piece dances all over, blaming Airbnb, technology, etc. for "overtourism." At the end it mentions the astounding growth in the number of international trips taken since 1960, which is as close as it comes to addressing the Elephant in the room. Overtourism is a result, plain and simple, of overpopulation. I was in Paris last May. It had been 30 years since my last visit. Everywhere I went, I was shocked and dismayed by the crowds that were exponentially larger than what I saw 3 decades ago. There are just too many people on our little planet Earth.
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I agree that population growth is a major part of it (123 million more people in the US since the 1970, and they all seem to want to go camping). But I’d like to know how much of a problem population growth and over tourism was in the years just before social media’s influence and if there was a noticeable jump there. The growth has been increasing over 50 years but this is becoming a talked-about issue more recently.
I think the point about going places to get photographs or at least to say you were there is playing a major part also. Everywhere you go phones are out and pointed at everything. I watch folks take a pictures of artwork or landmarks and then walk away looking at their phones without actually looking at the thing they are supposedly appreciating.
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And you can download better photos on the internet.
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@Robert D. Cocke: This is the result of prosperity, not population growth. The population of China has barely grown in the last 30 years, and yet, the number of Chinese tourists in Paris grew exponentially....
10
Several years ago I visited Sweden and Norway.
Google maps allowed me to navigate towns/cities and utilize mass transit like I was a local. Frankly I thought it was amazing.
I didn't post to social media once.
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I lived in a very popular European travel destination for five years and saw the most impolite, culturally insensitive behavior there by tourists of all national origins. I wonder if some of these companies that have made travel easier and more affordable might take a crack at trying to educate their customers about HOW to travel: being a good tourist. Not speaking too loudly in public places. Not standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk, gawking. Not using gorgeous cobblestone town squares as a public toilet after a night of drinking. I know some people don't care about courtesy and civility, but some good habits can be taught. And should be.
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@Katherine Reed
Why Airbnb and Uber should be responsible for educating their customers? Even though it would be a plus. Let's start with ourselves. How about we include a mandatory 2nd language and a separate Geography subject in US schools to begin with. Or parents restraining their children on a subway, in a restaurant, or any public place for that matter. Most good habits can definately be taught. And should be.
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@Katherine Reed I would point out that "courtesy and civility" also varies depending on the country and culture. What is considered rude in one culture might be the norm or even politeness in another. For example, it is common ask if one is married and how much $$ one makes in China but it is rude in the US. Normal-level speaking voices in the US are considered rude in Paris. US residents who stand on the left side of an escalator without moving are considered rude on the London Tube. People are also not intentionally "gawking": by nature of being in a new place, they might be lost and trying to get their bearings. Lots of different examples.
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The book "Overbooked" laid out the damage that the tourist industry was causing worldwide. Very sad but true. July and August in particular are the best times to stay home. My generation left the kids home, thats why it was called a vacation, now they drag them all over.
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@Luz Damron I wouldn't trade my experiences traveling with my children for anything. And it has given them invaluable perspective on the world that I wish I had had at their age.
I am glad that my generation is not following your lead and leaving the kids at home. Maybe we will have a more open-minded society as a result.
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@Luz DamronIn 1962 when I was 11 and my sister 6 our father was assigned to Ankara, Turkey. We travelled all over southern Turkey as a family and once, my sister and I with a Turkish friend of my parents to the Turkish Mediterranean coast. It was a priceless experience that neither of us would trade.
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@Mary If you really want you kids to have an invaluable perspective on the world, make sure they learn at least one language other than English competently enough to live independently in another country, then cut the apron strings and send them off to another country to live, work and/or study for a year.
13