Okay to travel to places where the locals are unwelcoming?

Question

Southern Europe is always on the top of my bucket list when it comes to selecting destination for my summer vacations. But recently as reported here and here and many other places, the locals are not quite happy to see tourists flooding their hometowns. What should one do morally and ethically to respect the locals reservations and frustrations? How can a regular tourist address this issue? Select some other places, or talk to the locals?

Answer 1

First of all, the entire premise somewhat questionable. This is currently a "hot topic" but primarily because it's flashy, easy to understand and excellent click-bait. Don't assume that these reports are representative for general tourism or even the majority of the residents of the affected cities.

Tourism is always complicated. It stresses infrastructure, raises prices and poses a risk to the local culture but on the other hand it is a significant (and sometimes the largest) source of revenue. While some Barcelonians are currently griping a lot more Barcelonians would be on the streets if the tourism rate next year would drop in half.

It's up to each country/state/town how they want to handle it. Bhutan is a good example of how to manage tourism so it's inline with your own values on sustainability and cultural compatibility. If people have gripes with their local conditions, they need to complain to their law makers and not to the tourists.

This being said, there is a lot you can (and should) do to be a conscientious and respectful tourist.

1. Pick the right place. Don't go to a place that feels openly hostile and that's seriously overcrowded. That's no fun anyway. It's your money to spent: if they don't want it, they don't want it. Example: my brother in law lives in Italy in Umbria: it's a beautiful place, fairly inexpensive, they are very welcoming of tourists and you can take day trips to Rome by train, if you want to.
2. Respect local culture. Don't dress offensively, don't expect your home food cooked your way, don't litter or vandalize, don't act entitled, be open to new experiences and leave your prejudices at home.
3. Learn a few words in the local language. Good morning, thank you, please, excuse me, I'm sorry, etc. go a long way. Show that you are making an effort.
4. Read up on local greeting cultures and cultural norms. Do you shake hands or bow or just wave. What's an acceptable way to initiate conversation, make eye contact,

Example

Sometimes the little things make all the difference. Let's say you are in an outdoor market and there is a local artists showing their beautiful work. You could just take a photo, but that's often perceived as rude and disrespectful and the artist will consider you as "stupid tourist treats me like an animal in the zoo". But you can simply ask "Wow, you have such a beautiful display, is it ok if I take a photo?". Most artists will be delighted by the compliment, excited to show and talk about their work and even pose with their work or you for a great photo and great memory for both parties.

The difference between the experiences is night and day and all it takes is a simple question.

Answer 2

Behind the pushback on tourists in those places there are some factors, like:

• Housing: Renting out a house to tourists can easily be more economically favorable to landlords than renting to local permanent residents, resulting in a shortage of houses for people who reside in a place.
• Resources: When the tourism booms, so do prices and difficulty of access to food and other resources; while they might still be affordable for tourists, they become too hard to get for locals.
• Economy: When tourism is managed by non-local organizations, most of the money tourists bring into a place leaves that place without creating any advantage for the locals, who are left with crumbles.

There is not much talking you can do to go around those issues, though you can limit your impact by, for example:

• Preferring local agents when spending money. (Instead of from the big-brand supermarket chain you find at home, buy from the small corner shop owned by a local),
• Trying to be conscious of your choices and their impact. (If, for you, queuing two hours every day in a traffic jam is normal, for someone living in a 500-person village, overcrowded during summer is a nightmare. The beach club where you enjoy so much partying all night long is a nuisance for people who have to get up early and earn their bread the next day.)
• Avoiding peak season for visiting a place. (You enjoy a glass of water when you are thirsty—you enjoy much less being shoveled a full bucket.)

Answer 3

In short, behave as you want tourists in your area to behave.

If you plan to visit one of the places which is in the news as very bad, unless you have a very strong reason to visit a particular tourist spot, look for alternatives. And look for alternatives in time.

A capital city and the best published holiday spots when the countries around have summer holidays is going to be very busy but other cities and coastal areas in the same country may be less crowded but as nice to visit.

If you can go outside the summer holiday season and can avoid the weekends you will find much less resistance from the locals, they often welcome you friendly under those conditions while in summer you will just be an extra body in a full street.

If you really want to visit a very popular location and can only be there in the busiest time, look to go early in the morning or at the end of the day.

And be polite, not a drunk loud bloke in a group of young drunk loud blokes in a village, town or city where people live.

I live quite close to Amsterdam and we in our area prefer to avoid the city in the weekends afternoons and the summer holidays, unless we want to go out as the tourists do.

You would also not want people being sick over your front door.

Self catering can be acceptable but buy your provisions in the local shops. If you take public transport try to avoid the peak hours and give up your seat for anybody who looks like they can use it better, or even do not sit down till all the rest sits.

On the other hand, not all messages in the news are as trustworthy as all others. If all tourists would avoid all main tourist spots people would panic as economies rely on a certain amount of tourist money.

Answer 4

Keep in mind that people complain about things -- all kinds of things -- that they do not actually want to disappear. Complaining about tourists clogging up the place and the terrible traffic and how noisy it is, that's a tradition in any place that tourists come to.

Some tourist destinations are having problems of scale. When an apartment building is entirely short term rentals, often the infrastructure can't handle it. When people who work in a place can't afford to live in it, because so much of the housing has been repurposed for tourists, that's a real problem and one people are trying to get fixed by complaining.

Should you solve the problem by not going to places where loud complaining is happening? I don't think so. After all, wouldn't you just be making things worse somewhere else?

Instead, why not bring your money and your presence in a way that doesn't make things terrible for the people who live where you want to visit? Some suggestions as both a live-where-they-visit person and a visitor:

• do not use a short term rental of an entire house or apartment. Choose something that didn't take a home out of the market. (A spare room, a second building in the garden of a home, and other not-a-whole-home choices are fine in locations where these are regulated and taxed. So is a hotel, a traditional B&B, etc.)
• do not use unregulated and untaxed choices where regulated and taxed ones exist, eg taxis, restaurants, stores and stalls. When you "save" on local taxes you are using infrastructure (roads, water and sewage, etc) without contributing to it.
• spend your money, as much as you can, in the area, not in a nearby big city where the groceries, gasoline, etc are cheaper.
• don't bring your big-city hustle-and-bustle honk-the-horn swear-at-slow-pedestrians come-on-I've-only-got-5-days-here vibe to the people who do not work for you and are just in front of you in line, or crossing the street, or sitting on a bench in a park. Remember that you're playing where someone lives and they owe you nothing. Ideally, don't bring it to the people who are working at the restaurant / gas station / attraction either.
• if your vacation time is all about "no rules" and "no inhibitions" and "can you believe how cheap the booze is" then find the beach or the club or some other small area where everyone is there for that. Don't play that on the family beach or the little park in a residential area.
• before you ask anyone for anything, even something you intend to pay for but especially something you don't, give them some kind words and some acknowledgment that you are asking, not demanding. Show warmth, and gratitude when it's applicable
• do you have to drive everywhere? Do you have to park right at the thing you're going to? Would a walk or a public transit ride lower your stress and the stress of the other people on the street?
• if they don't speak your language there, learn some of the local language, and if you interact with anyone in your language, remember that it counts as "asking for something" to expect someone to understand you like that.
• if the place has a tipping culture, tip well.
• Buy an ice cream at the beach, buy a cold drink on a hot day, pay for experiences, try stuff, immerse yourself, don't hold back to save money or because you don't want to be uncool. Get the most out of your visit and at the same time, contribute to the incomes of the people who live there.
• don't get in a long line for something if you will be slow to the point of incompetence when you get to the front of it. Think about what you want to order before you get to the front of the line. Don't try to turn left across traffic if you (like me) need a really big gap and even small gaps are few and far between, or you're rusty driving standard but that's all they had. Turn right and find another way to get there. Let people go in front of you if you're having a hard time all of a sudden.
• if the place is not like home, remember that was the reason you came. If you don't like some aspect of it there's no need to loudly announce that to everyone around you. And especially not if you feel compelled to phrase it like "this X is Y" rather than "I don't like [whatever] as much as I thought I would." Sure, you can say "wow it's hot" or "omg this heat" but if you are about to say "hellhole" stop yourself.
• Most people are friendly and nice the world over. Some may see you as a walking wallet and a resource to be extracted, but that's less likely if you don't treat them as a tourist attraction themselves (rather than a person who lives in a tourist attraction.)

I've had my picture taken by tourists who didn't ask. I've waited ten times as long as usual to turn off the road I live on because of the stream of weekend traffic. I've waited in stores and at gas stations and plenty of other places behind people who's only topic of conversation is how awful this place is. I've explained simple things to people who are utterly sure the system is stupid and wrong, when it wasn't my job I just happened to be there too, and not even been thanked for my efforts. I try to remember all of those feelings when I'm on a Pacific island or in Venice or Greenwich or anywhere else that attracts a lot of people like me, and conduct myself accordingly.

Answer 5

I live at a touristic destination where complains about tourism are a popular topic. So I will ramble a little bit...

There is tourist hate/blaming?

Some. There are people complaining, and even some (pacific) protests. Some of the protest target illegal touristic rentals, some are more general against overcrowding.

Protests are not terribly popular (a hundred people?) But that does not mean that there are no other people who like those protests.

OTOH, there are lots of people making a living out of tourism. And even among people whose livelihood does not depend on tourism, there are people who do not share the protesters POV.

As usual, nuances are lost in the noise. Some protesters will ask to stop all touristic activities and just become Silicon Valley (because, you know, to become Silicon Valley you just have to ask for it, reconverting waiters and construction work into AI experts is something easy). Some other protesters are ok with some tourism, but with more limits. And supporters of tourism will, of course, paint all the people proposing any kind of control as people who want to live out of thin air.

What are the tourists blamed for

Usually there are two angles:

• Uncivic behaviours. People who are living in the middle of a town and that, just because they are in holidays, they are having a party with loud music until 4am in the morning on a Tuesday.

• Overcrowding. There are many tourists so the roads are cramped, the beaches are cramped, everything is cramped. That spills into the increased cost of housing, because increased demand (second residences, short term rents of flats, and -very sheldom mentioned- seasonal workers).

The solution to the first issue is easy: follow the golden rule/do not be an asshole. From now on I will address only the more complex second issue.

Why blame the tourists

On one hand, at many places were tourist is seasonal, the increase of population is importante and there is no denying it; it has an effect.

On the other hand, it is easy. If the roads are overcrowded, my cousin's car uses as much space as a tourist's car. But if I tell my cousin to try to help by using the car less, maybe he will become ofended (or even worse, he might ask me to use the car less). Saying that "it is the tourists" solves many uncomfortable questions about the leaders we elect (BTW, in the last election the pro-business, pro-tourism side won) and our own behaviors.

For example, once I was in a car with one of those know-it-all who would solve all of the issues of tourism by just refusing more tourists, and even expelling some residents (I guess he thought he would get to decide). It was an hour long tirade. Two days later, in a shared WhatsApp group, that same person was asking if someone had a room available to rent for a good friend of him who would be staying for a month (nitpick: here that is illegal if the rental is not registered)

But, should I go or should I not go

Eh... I do not know. Whatever you feel about it. Your choice.

If you go:

• Do not be an asshole (do not be an asshole if you go somewhere else, or even if you stay at home).
• Respect the laws of the country which is the way in which the country has decided to organize itself. For example, avoid illegal touristic rentals. If the country has decided that it wants as many tourists as can physically be and housing prices be damned, that is their decision, not your fault.
• Try to minimize the impact, wherever reasonable. Check public transport options. Do not follow social media trends (that beach that is so fashionable). That will also help you avoid some overcrowding.
• But do not overthink it. You are not going in a holiday to stay in your hotel room because you do not want to mess with the locals.
• Enjoy!

Answer 6

I think the issues the locals really have are overcrowding and high prices. There are 2 main ways to alleviate that:

1. Travel to less frequent spots - the locals there will probably be much more accommodating and you'll avoid the crowds.
2. Travel off-season.

Answer 7

There are two parts to this.

If the locals are actively unwelcoming, for whatever reason, go somewhere else unless you have an overwhelming desire to visit that place.

Otherwise, it boils down to "don't be an asshole". Be kind, be polite, be tolerant, don't get in the way or offend local sensibilities.

You may want to avoid holiday lets where you are occupying a house which somebody bought in order to let it to tourists, thereby depriving somebody who lives locally of a home. Stay in a hotel. If the hotels in the tourist hotspot are too expensive, consider a cheaper hotel in a less touristy town or city from where you can travel by public transport. But I'm pretty sure you are just ausuaging your own conscience. Somebody else will book the holiday let that you didn't! It's more a matter for local residents to address through their local political channels: taxation, regulation. In many touristy areas there are homes reserved for permanent residents only.

Or consider the off-season(s). Last year I had a completely wonderful holiday by arranging it for the third week of September. After school holidays, because I don't have children. Cheaper, and the weather in the Mediterranean rarely breaks until October. (And if it does rain, it's warm rain).

Answer 8

Dismissing the issue as "click-bait", as Hilmar does in his answer, is quite arrogant. At least, respect those communities that have enacted clear policies to restrict tourism, backed by democratic decisions.

If the proposal of the mayor of Barcelona to ban all appartment rentals to tourists gains support in the city council, it would be time to no longer use the services of AirBnB in the city, even if without a doubt the company will continue to offer them until they have lost the very last appeal before the courts.

After Venice introduced its entrance fee for day tourists, stating the goal of reducing their number, I decided to bypass the city on my tour of Italy this year.

Answer 9

Try to avoid going to a popular tourist spot. Bargaining and disregarding local cultural/social norms can often lead to problems at such locations.

Answer 10

I understand the allure of Lisbon because it is home to some of Europe’s most breathtaking sites, with rich history spanning over 1000 years. However, Portugal is not just about Lisbon and the government would like to inspire people to explore the diverse regions of Portugal beyond the urban allure of Lisbon to combat overtourism https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/02/16/tourist-taxes-bus-bans-and-tiktok-how-europes-popular-cities-are-tackling-overcrowding. Here's where a local guide becomes invaluable. I also see the value of visiting Portugal with a local guide who can recommend sites that are equally breathtaking but less crowded. It was mentioned in this article https://gowithguide.com/blog/tourism-in-portugal-statistics-2023-the-ultimate-guide-5600 that one of the fastest way to frustrate the Portuguese is to speak Spanish. If you can’t speak Portuguese, try English. I have always encountered warm welcome in Portugal, but just to be sure, local guides can help you communicate with locals.

Answer 11

Don't go to those countries. They are making it clear they don't want you there, don't like you. Why pander to them and don't like your culture or dress code. Why pander to them when they have an un-friendly attitude towards you by going anyway, keeping a low profile and spending money in ways that benefit the local population? They want your money but they do not want you there. In other words they want to keep their cake and eat it.

I have been to several countries where tourism was once popular but has fallen out of fashion for one reason or another. They are full of crumbling abandoned hotels. The locals might not have to put up with disgusting foreigners and have some peace and quiet, but their economy is suffering, poverty is everywhere and most people do not have jobs. As a result, crime and corruption goes up. By avoiding countries that don't want tourists they might eventually realise being friendly to foreigners and being tolerant of foreign culture and dress codes is beneficial for their country. During Covid time the effect was especially obvious. Thousands of hotel, restaurant and bar workers out of work and begging on the streets because tourists stopped travelling.

The negative effects of tourism are not as bad as people make out. There are often two economies running in parallel in tourist areas. If you go to a market where goods are not price labelled, the price that a tourist pays is much higher than a local pays. Locals can live for much less per month than a tourist can for various reasons.

On the other hand, if the locals are friendly, welcoming and tolerant to tourists, go to those countries and spend money in ways that benefit the poorer people instead of the international conglomerates. Don't be jerk. Drunken brawling in the streets and littering is not acceptable anywhere. If you receive a warm welcoming tolerant attitude, reward those people and don't take advantage. Avoid the all inclusive package tours, where most people hardly ever leave the Hotel compound and all the money goes to a foreign, airline company and hotel chain.

Answer 12

Here are some tips for you

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1. Observing local's lifestyle. Try to fit in local's life, acquaint yourself with local cultures to avoid offending ethics.
2. Being low-key. Try not to get the attention of local people.
3. Less contact with locals. If they are not friendly with tourists, or even wanna swindle or blackmail you, just keep a distance with them. For example, you can take public transportation and Uber instead of local taxi. Just rely more on apps rather than people.