Travel Porn, Overtourism, & The New Colonialism
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2023
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In today's episode, Chelsea dives into the messiness that the tourism industry has become of late, thanks especially to social media, and how overtourism has become our newest form of colonization.
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Travel doesn’t in itself broaden people’s horizons. It’s entirely possible to eat and drink and look at things in another country and remain as self-involved or small-minded as ever. It all depends on how you do it. The perceived moral superiority frequent travelers is, as you say, just a moral gloss laid over a side effect of wealth.
totally agree! what I often feel flabbergasted by is people going to a remote foreign country and then staying in an all-inclusive resort and never actually seeing anything outside of the resort.
@@surlespasdondine Well I'm all for adventure/immersion type holidays myself, I find it hard to just stay in the hotel all day. But just a friendly reminder that people go on holiday for various reasons. Sometimes all you need is a change in scenery, where you go to a tropical island and allow yourself to relax by the pool or beach, and planning a road trip where you have to jump in between transport etc is too stressful. So I don't judge people who holiday and just spend time in the resort, each to their own.
Especially if they're paying for an all-inclusive expensive resort. Why even stay in such a fancy place if you're gonna be out all day anyway? Might as well stay in a basic cheaper hotel. People go to resorts to experience the resort.
I live in the US. I have never met anyone who travels a lot who is more profound or more cultured than people who don’t travel as much. Quite the opposite in fact.
This reminds me of a personal anecdote. While I was visiting Poland I met a group of australian girls, who were on a 6-month trip across europe where they were going to change city every 2-3 days. Not only it does sound a miserable experience overall, but it really felt like a checklist to fill, a way to brag with friends "I've been here and there". They probably forgot everything as soon as they came back home.
As a mexico city native I advise you to NOT use airbnb who has been making deals with the government and has been kicking people out of their houses in their attempt of gentrifying the city. Also shut up with the 'omg mexico is so cheap' rethoric, we don't want to hear it
I second this + As somebody who currently lives in an area of the city where airbnb and digital nomads are rampant: At least blend in and respect the fact that this is another country, not the backyard of your own house in your home country. Be respectful and polite! You don't deserve better treatment nor are allowed to break the law because you're a white rich foreigner.
Can I ask where the offense comes from with the statement of how cheap is it? Do you think it enforces a stereotype of “cheap” being equated to low quality? Or is it more related to tourism and the effect it has had in the country?
I truly want to understand, so please excuse my naïveté.
Airbnb is garbage anyway. If people aren't aware of the back hand deals with it they should be, but besides that in the US we definitely had a romantic period that is over and now people are going back to hotels.
@@Habadacus405 It's just cause it's not cheap for locals. It's cheap if you make your money in USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD, etc. not if you make a Mexican salary.
@@Habadacus405 it's cheap for expats or digital nomads. Most average Mexicans could not afford a similar lifestyle of expats as their salaries are much lower. That's what angers a lot of locals in Mexico City.
Social media has made traveling the new shopping, its pure consumerism just packaged as an *experience*. Travel CAN be a beautiful path of opening your mind and learning and trying new things and growing in character…but so can reading, learning new hobbies or meeting new people in your neighborhood. Any experience can be as powerful and meaningful as you make it…or not. A lot of "travel" is just walking around glued to your phone in the hot sun, miserably trying to find an “experience” while unintentionally leaving a footprint on local culture. Just saying, I see it every day living in Barcelona...
Barcelona is the victim of these low cost airlines that make you travel all over Europe for dirt cheap. Most of these people don't even come to visit: they come to party, take a few selfies and go home saying to their friends that they visited Spain!!!!
My thoughts exactly!! There's this vibe of "look at me, I'm in XXX" that is supposed to have this immediate "I'm cultured/adventurous/interesting" connotation. Like just being in a place automatically makes you a certain way via osmosis. 🙄
I'm personally having a very hard time post-pandemic with aspiring to travel again. I already know that it's terrible for the environment etc., but the pandemic made it so clear just what a non-essential luxury it really is.
omg I could not imagine being glued to my phone on holiday. I travel to experience a place, and leave my phone in my pocket or in the hotel room.
Exactly!!! Traveling was my biggest dream, but a few years ago I've decided that I actually want to know my own city more and deeper. I want real connections here more than have nice pictures on my phone. Of yourse there are some places I want to visit, I adore nature and culture, but I don't need to be a nomad.
So well said!! I know so many people who never cared to travel because they are basically uninterested people who are myopic in their views and overall are self centered. They don’t read or care about cultures etc. But now they want to travel but they are seeking the same experience everywhere along with an opportunity to just brag about having been somewhere.
My 12 year old son just walked through and said, “she has nice hair. It looks like a lion’s mane. The color is nice.” 😂
That is a sweet wholesome comment!!
Your son gets it. My hair looks a lot like Chelsea’s and my Halloween costume one year was to just do lion face paint and use the hair as a mane
Spot on!
Sounds like kid-speak. I love her thick hair.
This should be pinned! 🥹
My ethos with travel, when I'm able to go, is the Anthony Bourdain route. Shut up, listen, leave as little impact as can be done, and live for the idea of "getting your teeth kicked in" by new experiences.
I love his view on travel. And I always try to live by the principle "leave no trace'
I like this as well
Edinburgh local here, with the city's most...ahem..."Instagrammable" street right behind me. It always amazes me how many people never once look up from their phones while walking along it. They just approach it staring at their phone, shoot a Reel, then leave while staring at their phone. Like...at that point, you haven't really been here, have you?
Also, if you're visiting Edinburgh (or anywhere in Scotland) for the festival season, PLEASE do not use AirBnB. It is killing urban and rural communities here like nothing else - campaigners have described its effects as a 'second Highland clearance' - and locals will absolutely and rightfully be resentful towards you.
Absolutely this, I lived and worked in Edinburgh for years and we deffo do need the tourist dollars but please try to respect that it's also people's home.
Same goes for the Highlands, particularly the coastal drive and any camp grounds you stay at. Please take your rubbish away. Please don't cover our country in literal shite and please respect that you're visiting a place where people are just living their day to day lives.
YES, I've noticed that too! It's so incredibly weird, and really inconvenient when you're just trying to make your way through!
The one thing I've noticed on this video's comments is everyone is having issues with Airbnb. It's also not just you hell I live in LA and it basically turned into only the rich thing here and the city did pass laws as it got to be too much and took away from housing. I think the cultural impact of Airbnb has been one of the worst things to come out of Silicon Valley.
I stayed in a rented out summer dorm for cheap!
@@twiggyvlogs6441 Do we really need the tourist dollars though given the massive collateral damage? The city has a massive financial industry, is a significant IT hub, and has 4 universities, so it certainly has something to fall back on if we decide to cut tourism to more sustainable levels. Including by banning Airbnbs.
I am a Southern European. I grew up in coastal Croatia, where many people go to summer holidays. I worked in tourism.
I lived in Portugal for some time, in Coimbra and Lisbon. I worked at a hostel in Lisbon.
Now I live in Greece, in Athens. I work in a DMC, incoming travel arrangements.
What I can say?
First of all, you cannot imagine how much I hate real estate development, airbnb, any form of “investment” which expects an influx from digital nomads or wealthy seniors to “contribute to the local economy with their lavish spending habits” while in fact this people find our homes affordable with prices higher than we can afford, while in general they are savy and not conducting lavish lifestyles - in fact they left their home countries looking for cheaper cost of living. Then they price us out of our homes but their grocery shopping is still based on Lidl or similar discount concept. They will not eat local food - they will still eat frozen pizza from the supermarket as they used to in their countries.
Second, I hate any kind of tourism intended for cheap partying where Northern Europeans, northern Americans, and Australians see our coasts as a dump sites they can behave as they please and expect very cheap prices.
Finally, the thing with must visit places as mentioned in this video is that many tourists speacially if they are not Europeans, do not understand the meaning of these places. They treat them as Disneyland. They believe Dubrovnik was constructed for Game of Thrones. They believe Santorini is a theme park, so is Sintra. They are not curious, they just want an IG shot.
After all, do not recommend Airbnb. No it is not money going to locals, it is money going to investment companies and some individuals with spare property. Locals cannot afford living in the area you found your lovely Airbnb. Get over your need for a “homely” feeling. If you need a kitchen, get a family room at a hostel or an aparthotel, there are plenty of those.
Chelsea! How can you talk about the impact tourism has on places and then advocate for Airbnb???!?
Exactly, tone-deaf much? 😒
Because money lol
No airbnb please! Air bnb appartments are destroying european cities. 😢 There is plenty of hotels rooms with kitchenettes and hostels with shared kitchens and common areas, that are so fun if you are young and travelling solo or with a group of friends.
I think it's the non whites who's destroying Europe
Same thing is happening in Latin America, where cities are unaffordable to live in, because short term rentals have altered the market to a ridiculous point!
Not just European cities but we are also feeling the effects of Airbnb in the Caribbean as well. It's making the rental market unaffordable and unattainable
Please, please, please, _please_ do _NOT_ use airbnb! It wrecks the peace of neighborhoods (like mine) and helps drive up housing costs for locals. I don't care how respectful you think you are, nobody wants a revolving door of strangers next door. Use hotels! Plenty of hotel rooms have kitchens. Probably the only time I've gotten outright mad at an FD video lol
Okay
Here’s an example for Istanbul (I go there every year as it’s just a 3 hours flight from my home town): there are 3000 (!!!) mosques in this town. Yet all the tourists just visit the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Both are totally overcrowded and you even have to wait in line to get inside. There is no way you can actually appreciate the places and enjoy the atmosphere.
I know at least a dozen mosques that are very beautiful (also from various time periods) and almost empty at most times.
This has taught me to seek out B-grade sights which are often totally worth a visit as well. Also I hate waiting in line.
Can you just visit any mosque? Those two are popular because they're open to the public, while others might not have the same sentiment.
@@lunayen Every single mosque in Istanbul is open to all visitors. Everybody is welcome as long as they behave respectfully. The only limitation is that non-Muslims should wait outside during prayer time.
I have visited dozens of mosques all over the city.
The Hagia Sophia is so much more than just a mosque. It was originally a Greek Orthodox Church from 537 AD, then a Catholic Cathedral, then a Greek Orthodox Church again, then a Mosque. This layered history makes much more unique than the other mosques in the city.
@@Jack-fw4mw There are a lot of mosques in Istanbul that used to be churches, the Hagia Sophia is not unique in that aspect. It’s just really huge 😁Arap Cami was the first, it just doesn’t look as spectacular.
You are also forgetting about Molla Zeyrek Mosque. That is one of the best examples where we can still see the Byzantine style of 2 churches and a chapel together mixed with the Ottoman style. After visiting the ultra popular ones like Hagia Sophia which btw I couldn’t even stay for more than 20 minutes because it was way too packed and people were just pushing and trying to take the “best photo”, once I got to Molla Zeyrek I was literally the only one there. Local children were playing football outside, they helped me find the entrance, and oh man! What a gem! I even feel guilty for sharing the name here. I just sat in a corner inside the mosque and admired in total silence and peace the beauty of its interior.
Best part too, it wasn’t stinky at all as Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque, those two stink like Cheetos. I also visited the neighborhood of Balat, what an incredible place, but it was so annoying to see these stupid “Instagramers” all packed and pushing each other for photos with the colorful cafes. Is a shame that such beautiful places, with unique vibe, history and incredible diversity have turn into a whole circus.
I was born and raised in Venice and I think it has definitely shaped the way I travel.
Everyone in Venice hates tourists, they are everywhere, they don’t know anything about the city and they take up all the resources. I had multiple tourists compliment on my English when I gave them directions, and then asking me if there were any schools or acting surprised that there’s schools in Venice??
It is heartbreaking because Venice is being stripped of everything that makes it a city: services, community and yes citizens. Every year the population count goes down and it seems like people in power prefer it because it can be easily used as an entertainment park almost.
Things like dry cleaning, shoe repair shops, independent stores are getting more and more rare in favour of bars and restaurants everywhere and big chains of clothing companies. Even if it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, young people have nothing to do in terms of social life apart from drinking together. Even I moved away for uni in Bologna which is a much more student oriented city.
If anyone wants to come visit Venice first I would not recommend if you don’t have any connections of people that live there, maybe try to visit somewhere closer to you or less touristy like Padua which is still in Veneto and very beautiful.
But if you really really want to my advice would be to stay a week minimum, don’t use Airbnb, don’t walk super slow as you do on vacation because people live there and have to go places and can’t be waiting for you to be chilling in the callette, and to not take photos everywhere on the bridges.
Try to be respectful of locals, and be mindful of the fact that it’s a real city you are visiting
I just moved to Venice (after many years in Rome) I am already annoyed with tourists in the grocery store & vaporetto standing in all the wrong places 😂
I lived in Venice during the pandemic and was able to appreciate the city free of tourists. But I still experienced the city being flooded with tourists in the weekends. I guess it was not as bad as it usually is, but eventually I made a rule to wake up at 5 am, walk to the train station before all the transportation starts working and get out of the city for two days.
Or I tried to simply not to go out as much. It is not fun to walk in rivers of people in those narrow streets
I am so happy that I had the opportunity to see the city without tourists
I ve been to Venice plently of times and even as a tourist I hated the influx of tourist and this is also someone that lives in York which has way too much tourism as well where the streets are always filled.
On the topic of travelling, something to talk about is how Western nations' citizens get to go wherever they want without the long and draining visa processes that people from, say, Asia, or the Middle East have to go through. Travelling is a privilege, for sure,
Absolutely! Visa processes are SUPER EXPENSIVE and many times humiliating, as the people interviewing feel like they have the right to ask whatever.
It's not just Western countries. It's any country with a certain GDP per capital. Japan, Korea, and Singapore are among the most powerful passports in terms of visa-free travel.
@@corner559 I think it's more of a mentality issue. Western societies driven by consumerism and social validation make all these people want to "explore" the earth as much as they can, just to tell others they can.
I'm not against tourism, I like to travel, but people doing it just for pictures and milestones it's sick. Have some respect for the places you visit.
As an Italian, and an Italian from a touristy place, I realize that I often have the *cather to tourists* mentality: if I see something wrong, like garbage, dirt, or things not working, I find myself thinking "what will the tourists think of us".
And then I remind myself of rents becoming higher and higher, city centers being pretty much set up for tourists and not residents and museum prices becoming insanely high because "American tourists will spend that money on a European vacation" (real thing said by our minister of culture).
So why don't they have a local price and a tourist price?
@@BeautifulEarthJaThat would be so much fairer for the locals. I know we have a similar system in France and I love it.
As a Parisian same here. Also I love Italy but it has became so expensive and touristy. I'm going to Slovenia this summer instead and it's exactly the time all of the Slovenians flood Croatia.
NYC lets residents in for free with a NYC address on their id. Everywhere should be the same.
@@BeautifulEarthJa Some cities do have programs for local residents. Rome has a great one and the Venice one is OK.
I live in a Caribbean country where the atypical “sun,sea,sand” tourism is important to GDP but I can’t stress how much it hurts local culture (which is so much more than sun,sea,sand) and is hated by those that call The Caribbean home. We often have to present a very manicured picture of what life in The Caribbean is like which is very neocolonialist and very far from everyday life.
Same. I'm from Trinidad. Tourists are sometimes blithely unaware to the crime happening on the country and will place themselves in dangerous places just to have an Instagramable "authentic" experience.
Ugghhh don't even get me started on the Beckys slumming it up with the locals...
My Italian friend was coming to visit me and they asked her whether we had streets in the Dominican Republic. STREETS!
@@AnselSf1 so insulting that people have such an antiquated view still. And the fact that he would even feel comfortable to ask something like that
@@EvermorereadsI'm from the Bahamas and when I went to the US for university, I got those asinine frequently asked questions - ex: if we swam to school and if we wore clothes??? I use to just go with it 😂😂😂😂. Yes, I had a personal dolphin 🐬 that took me to school and my mom made us clothing from 🥥 s and straw material. 😂😂😂😂
@@rayseyeoman7540 haha at some point it gets so ridiculous that you just have to laugh.
I live in a little mountain town in the western US and it gets worse every year. Airbnb investors are gobbling up all the housing; parks, trails, and lakes that used to be quiet and relaxing for locals are swarmed with tourists and miserable places to be; bumper to bumper traffic...
+
We ended up having to move out of our neighborhood thanks to Instagram! A quaint little village just outside of an urban centre was turned into a hot tourist spot with no parking space for locals! I once had to drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking so that I could unload groceries from the trunk of my car!
It’s the same across the US in tourist frequented towns
While visiting Florence my wife and I met a friendly American couple, and went sightseeing together one day. Everywhere they went they held their phones in front of their faces, and missed most of what they saw. But they had snapshots! They were nice, to be sure, but we just got tired of being asked to shoot photos of them every five minutes. Over espresso, we asked them what they thought of the Accedemia Gallery tour we had just taken and they couldn’t recall a single memorable thing about it, so, they took out their phones! We made some excuse, and escaped. Imagine Michelangelo’s David leaving so little impression, you didn’t even remember taking selfies in front of it.
I took a sustainable tourism class in college and our professor had mentioned that while the stereotypical “touristy” destinations may lack the authenticity a lot of people search for they can often be less destructive to the local culture and environment. Also the government and the locals account for the influx of foot traffic in certain tourist zones on certain seasons.
At the trend of everyone trying to go “off the beaten path” and making a town completely unlivable for the tourists. And puts otherwise natural cultural centers on the map, which can lead to over tourism and exploitation.
So in some ways sticking to the tourist trail can be less socially environmentally damaging. Although maybe less of a learning experience. So the question you have to ask myself Am I prioritizing my education and novelty over the stability and sustainability of the local area?
Sometimes the answer has been yes for me and Ive had to reflect on colonial forms of travel. Ultimately Ive learned staying in a local run hostel, learning the language, and trying to spend some time in museums and learning a little history goes far.
100% agree with this. Particularly true if we're discussing natural attractions (i.e. beaches, hiking trails, parks).
As a tourism professor watching this video to see what people outside of academia think about this, I was so happy to see your comment!! Hell yeah you took a tourism course!! 💃🏻 💃🏻💃🏻
Hate to break it to you, but “touristy destinations” also have locals. We live in these cities that are now void of a soul and catering to your pockets. Y’all are displacing us! My own family has lived in my city for over a century, but I cannot afford rent in the city that saw four generations of us be born, only because now rent is based on AirBnB pricing.
I disagree with your recommendation about utilizing an Airbnb. It’s bad advice for the working economy. They are quite literally buying up residences to rent out to people making it more difficult for people to buy homes. It would be more advantageous to stay in a hostel, with a friend/family, or hotel traveling than an Airbnb.
I stayed in a hostel when I went to Europe paying about $230 for a week and surprise, you can book ones with kitchens and laundry. That’s not exclusive to an Airbnb.
As a European, THANK YOU for this. I am so tired of hearing people recommend AirBnB. They are making housing really difficult for a lot of people here! They have ruined so many areas in major cities.
@neonpandas what do you recommend for someone like me who likes to spend 2-3 months in a place? Hostel with private room works for a week or two but for a longer period me and my partner need a private kitchen. I understand the problems airbnb causes so to try to counter it I try to stay longer like 6 months and get a lease directly with the local owner instead of airbnb. But more people doing this will also drive up the costs.. it's a big problem to solve..
@@ThePoofymushroompeople like you are called “digital nomads”. You have a privilege to do so, and your income allows you to pay a monthly rent of 1000 euros for a nice home on a place where most people do not earn such a monthly salary. You will consider that price “affordable” and enjoy your nice lifestyle while we locals can only live on problematic neighborhoods, remote and low quality suburban areas, in the basements or in very old buildings.
@@ThePoofymushroom Since your type of travel is really rare, it is unlikely that you renting a place for a few months will drive up the cost. Another option is researching how the locals sublease. In my country, many renters who go travelling for long periods of time sublease their apartments. This means that often, the owner isn't even informed and so the price won't get increased. Another option could be to look into house swapping (if you have or rent a place of your own).
@@MichiruEll Unfortunately it's not that rare anymore I feel. For example, in Mexico City certain neighborhoods are completely taken over by americans "living like locals" the rent prices are unaffordable.. In Bali 2018 rents were 400$ for a 1 bedroom, now it's 1200$.. It's due to so many people who can now work remote post pandemic, maybe it will settle down once most people are called back to offices.. I think governments of many countries where remote workers come to stay longer are providing different types of visas and making sure money comes into their economy, for example mexico offers a residency permit/digital nomad visa for people who work remote and can show an income of 4000$ from sources outside of mexico. You have to create a bank account in mexico so you bring some of that outside money into the country's circulation. Many countries are beginning to provide such similar visas; if they bring in some kind of laws for airbnbs and apartment rentals (i'm not sure what those could be) it might help slow down the effects.
Ps: I haven't a place of mine yet to house swap, but that's a great thought!
One thing I always like to advocate for to save money as well are hostels. Not every hostel is disgusting and if you do your research, you can get your own private room that’s well taken care of. Plus they’re normally super cheap and have access to kitchens where you can meet other people. I’ve stayed in some really great hostels and really wish they weren’t stigmatized.
Thanks to over tourism, hostel prices have drastically increased. And the culture has absolutely changed! They used to be a place for people who wanted to meet others and were traveling on the cheap, now you see large groups of friends who have zero interest in the hostel culture and are just using it as a cheaper alternative and these guys have drastically increased the prices. Hostels have even started advertising themselves as "luxury hostels", did you see last year's hostel world advertisement with Mariah Carey???? Jesus Christ. It never ends 😤😤😤
Hostels can be great though if you're older I always recommend a private room. I wish I would have done that in New Zealand I couldn't charge my camera at all without one of the girls getting mad because I needed to use a converter.
@@michz9304 I did see that lol it was so cringe.
There are also the old fashioned Bed and Breakfast (the Airbnbs were kind of similar at the beginning)
@janicevin4207 I've stayed in 2 now and I love them! I love the historic homes and coming down for breakfast (homemade and delicious) and chatting with the owners and other guests.
I don’t get why we don’t make our hometowns more pretty. We always have to go somewhere else to appreciate a beautiful atmosphere and by masses going there, things get trampled. Meanwhile we have these local places that just need some love
I'd argue TikTok doesn't really do much for ethical tourism; seeing a 20-something rich looking girl make a clip crying while holding a poor monkey or seeing how little the locals survive on doesn't do much to promote "ethical tourism" but just goes back to the same problem of the superiority this video tries to address
My suggestion is to make a list of everything you want to do on the trip... and then cut out half of them. Lots of travelers fall into the "I have to see everything!" trap, which really leads to a frantic trip and feeling like you're just checking things off a list instead of REALLY having the time to relax, enjoy things more slowly, and have extra time for spontaneous discoveries of bars/restaurants/events/people. Don't be afraid of talking to locals (pubs are great for this). In the end, just remember to enjoy the experience.
Facts
I just walk around and find stuff. I don’t have a list because then it’s not leisure; I have to-do lists at home. I’m not having to-do lists when I travel. That’s not vacation to me
Agree, I made this mistake when I went backpacking in Europe for 3 months. I visited 20 countries, which in retrospect is way too much, there are times when I only visited 1-2 cities per country and stayed for only 1-2 nights. So naturally I barely saw anything. The silver lining is I have an idea over which countries I liked the vibe of and I have added it to my list of countries I want to revisit and take my time exploring.
Quality over quantity is best!
I’m kinda surprised you didn’t mention air Bnb and it’s impact on local rents basically everyone who lives in touristy areas despises air bnb because it pushes up rents to unaffordable levels. A lot of touristy places on the uk for instance it’s impossible to find long term rents cos all landlords put their places on air bnb in the summer
One of the best things you can do when traveling is to do some pre-trip homework. Find out something about the history, culture, and environment of the place you are going to. You will likely appreciate things more when you see them if you know something more of their context, and you will probably treat the place a little more nicely as a result.
It's crazy that many don't do this at all.
I thought this was normal..
Thankfully I love history, so I do this anyway before traveling
You mean there are people who DON'T do this ahead of a trip? really?
@@surlespasdondine Sadly, yes, and I used to be one of them. When I first started traveling in my college years, I did little to no research on places ahead of time, just showed up and figured they would magically be fun and interesting. I didn't have a *bad* time, but I look back on that time and realize there were so many wasted opportunities where I could have had a better time if I had bothered to learn about where it was that I was going. I learned my lesson. Now I do quite a bit of pre-travel "homework," and my experiences are much fuller as a result. I try to give other people the heads up so they don't make the same mistakes I did. XD
Should we stop travelling? No.
Should we stop travelling to places because some depiction of it in popular culture or social media made it look attractive? Absolutely.
Facts. I heard Bali's been terrible lately and there's way better areas to go in in Indonesia and other things like that. I also think countries like that tend to showcase affordability which is funny to me because all this does is makes them less affordable. Never mind how many tourists I've ran into that just seemingly think they can litter and do what they want on vacation.
Absolutely, we should research what places we truly wish to visit and not because everyone else is going!!! and go "hors saison"....
@@kgal1298 It depends WHERE in Bali. We go there but NOT to the hyped places.
@@janicevin4207 hors saison is not always an option but yes, always research and find out what YOU- want to see.
What about climate change and air travel's contribution?
I can't justify a flight every year. Some people fly more than that in a year's time. I think more people should be limiting their flights in a climate crisis
Right now I'm taking care of my 93 yo mother and, as a result, am unable to travel long distances. Believe it or not, it's a RELIEF -- I'm much happier, feel much more centered at home.
WOW. How blessed are you to have had your mom this long. More blessings to you for taking care of her. 🙏
Honestly, bless you!
Thank you for this perspective. I have never been able to travel and the fomo is real. I am a homebody and think if I actually were able to travel, it would probably overwhelm me anyways
Travel is a topic where we all contradict ourselves. We don't want to harm the environment but we also want to go to that unknown moonlit beach in Bora Bora. You talked at some point about how places are getting ruined because of overtourism and the quest to find that perfect shot. At the same time, you also ask your friends to go to 'those' parts of France. So, it's a bit tongue in cheek to hear this. And I include myself in this too. I have spent time in looking for the perfect spots near famous tourist places just to get a 'more authentic' experience.
Highly agree that Naples is an underrated gem to visit! It’s not “pretty” like popular tourist spots in Italy but it’s a very historical city that feels lived in and not overrun by tourism - plus the pizza is divine
and maybe it's for the best that it stays underrated because now with the amount of views she has it might just go to hell too.
True. Napoli is an incredible beautiful city and Pizza originated there.
Recently i have realized many people around me are travel addicts. They dont necessarily enjoy travel, but want to escape their life or want to prove something to tohers. Its sad as i dont think travel makes any difference to their state of happiness, but they do it out of compulsion and sometimes bankrupt or strain their finance and health in the process
I disagree with the use of an Air B&B if your goal is to mitigate the impact you will have on the local community you are visiting. Budget wise it may make sense but there are better options. A lot of good tips otherwise.
A few years ago I studied abroad in Italy and went to Venice for the weekend. Overtourism was literally killing the city because the city is on water.
Literally. Killing. The city.
As someone who put vacations on credit cards in their early 20’s, I actually didn’t totally disagree with everything that was written in the New Yorkers article. I was contributing to a problem of over tourism while putting myself further in debt and really wish I had been more mindful on the things I was doing and the places I went. I don’t regret going, but I would not do it that way again because I know I was part of the problem.
I think it's good you made the disclaimer that travel in general is a luxury. I think some people have that rushed 'I need to see everything' mentality because it's a rare time that they get to travel (due to money and/or time), so they have a sense of scarcity/finality that pressures them to pack in as much 'instagrammable' moments as possible so they don't 'waste their time/get their money's worth'. Being able to travel slowly usually requires the assurance that they can come back to a country at any time.
For me, I usually feel that way when I visit Indonesia which was my home country. Since I go back to visit family once every couple years, I don't feel the drive to go see every tourist attraction there (I haven't even been to Borneo for example).
This is a very good point. Travel is a luxury, but slow travel is a different kind of luxury. It's not merely financial, but even more a temporal luxury (i.e., you probably need to spend more time to "slow travel" a place and still see the different things you want to - not only is that more expensive, but most people don't have the luxury of unlimited vacation time or unlimited work from anywhere privileges). There are many places in this world I will be unlikely to visit twice so I definitely feel the need to make the most of it (and the costly plane ticket) while I am there. Conversely, my family is from Hong Kong so I also go back every few years and while I understand it's probably a pretty awesome tourist spot, after going 6+ times the city itself is pretty boring, and I often choose to stay in and hang out with family rather than going to explore.
Yeah, it is a major luxury. I’m 26, I haven’t been on a real vacation in five years. I’ve been saving up for a Disneyland trip, and I’m finally going in January 2024. It’s hard not to put so much pressure on a trip that I don’t know I’ll be able to do again, and that I’ve been waiting and planning for so long.
Thank you for this! As a citizen of a third world country, applying for a visa is difficulty.
Im planning to travel to Japan and Au next yr. The thought of having a denied visa makes me anxious. But your new video made me realized that life still goes on. If I get denied, so be it. I can still travel local.
I think this needs to be amplified, it's very easy to overlook this aspect when you have a privileged passport and everyone you know does too.
I hope your holiday goes as planned!
I'm an Australian, feel very lucky to live here, I hope you get to come and experience it for yourself! 💜
I recently with to Spain through a travel agency that pairs you with a tour guide and takes you around the city so you can learn about the history, culture and current climate of the region. I learned so many great things. One of the things my friends asked me to do was to take pictures and post on instagram. I don't have an active account and rarely take pictures when I go places. I decided to indulge, and often took my queues from other travelers on the trip who would take instagram breaks. The pictures though can't do justice to what I learned and experienced. I think travel is important because there are so many people and issues beyond what we know in the US.
Agreed. Currently traveling in Colombia and have learned so much from doing local tours.
It seems like an important thing to say: do not go on holidays in Europe in July and August! Some of the European countries almost shut (usually for August), children are off school, it's super crowded, expensive, and generally speaking annoying. If you absolutely must come to Europe in the summer, it's wise to search for less known and visited places. If you're willing to do just a little bit of research you can find some wonderful, hidden treasures.
I have travelled a bit and I am well aware of all the problems with mass tourism. It all begun when flight tickets became more available and created it. In my 20's I went backpacking in central america and south america and we were staying in hostels and in rooms rented by the local people, we were using the trains and the buses used by locals and by passing the air conditioned buses of the rich tourists. It was an eye opening experience and I never forgot what I learned on this 6 months long trip which we saved for and did not get into debt for: we made our money last as long as we could and then came back.
I have always chosen to travel "hors saison" to avoid the crowd: I went to Positano once in April and the town was quiet ( and charming) when I was there. We discovered a very old stone path that linked the little town situated above Positano to Positano itself and it was very quaint and peaceful. I now avoid Airbnb's who are displacing people everywhere in the world and which has lost its initial purpose. The creators let this become another big money machine with all the negative effects...Another problem are the low cost airlines so people in Europe can go every week end to another city in Europe and not to even be a tourist but to just party!! (ie: Barcelone is a good example)
She’s recommending Air BnB without irony. Good god.
I think with traveling outside the country the US is also a special case. It is a huge country which has a lot to offer travel wise (mountains, beaches, deserts...)
That's what my English teacher told us. A lot of people don't feel the need to leave as they say they have everything.
In Europe on the other hand, distances are much shorter and in the EU crossing the border no big deal so you can travel easily
Exactly this! I wanted to visit every part of the U.S before traveling abroad and so many people was like why? I have met people that been to over 30 countries but never been to San Francisco, Seattle, Yellowstone Park, Rockies, and more. The US is huge and because of that, the land varies so different
Tbh most of the US is inaccessible if you dont want to drive a lot
@@kevintyson1947 because traveling to other countries with other cultures is an experience your country cannot offer
@@tf3655 while that's true, I also found a ton of people who travel internationally just for bragging rights and to act superior without actually "broadening their horizons" (which seems to be the excuse of everyone that travels).
@@kevintyson1947 of course you have to do it right. But being in a country where you don't understand the language can be quite humbling for some Americans
I still have to watch the video but I was so happy with the title! As an Italian living in Rome I see more than I would like foreign tourists approaching their holidays in Italy with ignorance and an attitude that I could only relate to the 19th century British upper class doing the Grand Tour in their colonies. No respect, no interest in truly learning about our Country and culture and pretentious requests, like eating American adaptations of Italian food (like pepperoni pizza...) at 4 pm or going everywhere by Uber van, even in those area of the city where cars are not allowed...
Totally agree with Randy that going to Italy in August is the worst time of you don’t want tons of crowds. I lived there for a bit (at the sourthern end of the Amalfi Coast actually) and it is really beautiful in the spring and early summer as well as the fall and while there are tourists at those times it’s not nearly what it seems you experienced. But also there are so many other beautiful coastal towns in Italy that it doesn’t take that much to just avoid a known tourist destination like Positano. Definitely a proponent of exploring places that aren’t all over Instagram though
Generally Europe is always busy in August that's when a lot of Europeans also take time off work and I know that because I regularly work with Europeans. It's so funny when they take a month off and we're like "soooo who can do XYZ while their out" Anyway there's a girl that lives in Italy with her boyfriend that also talks about this as well and didn't recommend Pastiano I forgot if she said there was another town, but she seemingly enjoyed the smaller ones more. I personally do have a goal to get to Italy and Greece in the future for the history of it all even though I hear half of it can also be found in the British Museum I really want to go see Pompeii and the Parthenon even though I know it'll be touristy.
Yeah I think you can have an enjoyable Euro trip if you time it right. I went in September when it's shoulder season and while it was still busy it's not as bad as summer time. Not as hot too but still warm enough.
Thank you for clearly stating that just the ability to travel abroad is a _privilege._ Most people can't afford to fly back across the country to see family for the holidays, let alone visit another country.
Why is in itself a very us problem which cannot be translated to other countries
Exactly. What I learned from having pen pals in different countries is that travel is mostly a U.S privilege. Most people in Central/South America, Africa, and SE Asia will never be able to travel in their lives. That's billions of people.
I loved that new Yorker piece. Who cares how much the author has traveled, she didn't say traveling was bad she just said it's fun and not morally righteous or some crap. The article is clearly trying to provoke the reader (she is a philosopher after all so she wants us to THINK) but she does make good points. It's always good to think for oneself and not mindlessly follow instagram trends.
Air bnbs are horrible for locals they jack up the housing prices...
I don't understand why people who don't have kids would do it to themselves to travel during school holidays. You can literally go any other time and avoid the crowds. Families HAVE to go during school holidays, that's why those periods are crowded (specifically July-August)
I think it's because most people like traveling in warm/hot weather because u don't have to pack jackets and coats. Me personally? I HATE heat and especially summertime. I literally hibernate until Autumn and winter comes which the pros is that when I travel, their are less crowds and things are less expensive since it's off season
People shouldn't get special treatment simply because they have children. A lot of people visit coastal cities throughout France, Italy, Spain, and Croatia for the beaches - hence the surge in summer. I also work in a corporate environment, and the summer time tends to be slower for business and better for a vacation. Product launches often happen in the Spring and Fall.
Free Walking Tours!
(It's not free, you pay an amount of your choice in the end)
They're insightful and often leave you with a lot of great recommendations for more local things to do, restaurants...
I have never had money to travel like the people in this video (I still don't have in my mid-30s), but I have travelled backpacking, sleeping on beaches/in parks, eating only the cheapest stuff from supermarkets, doing Couchsurfing when that was a thing. Mostly trains, a very rare flight. I have also travelled by volunteering at various places (any job I could do I did), or being involved in international groups that would then maybe host me for a day somewhere. A lot of that was dangerous looking back, but I was young, poor and eager. I am European, but originally not from the EU, so back in the day I needed to go through a lengthy visa process for every one of those travels (people would help us with guarantee letters and we'd borrow temporary money to show). I've since then immigrated about 10 years ago and I have created a life for myself that I love. I love my family, my every day life, I love what my city has to offer. I love investing time in my local community, and I have only a local bucket list. I have never left Europe and I might just never will, but that is fully ok. I don't feel the drive any more to explore, I am content. If I had the money to do resorts or some very comfortable vacation where I'm pampered by not cooking or cleaning for a few days, I would do that so gladly. Where I am vacations are such a status symbol, and I understand that people feel like they have to project/maintain status by participating. I couldn't care less, though.
This video was great and super informative!
I also learned that slow travel is what I have been doing without knowing because of how wrong it feels for me to go somewhere and just be totally ignorant about the area/language/culture. Like I want to learn that stuff first and then stay there to really get to know a place with the time I have. Hopping from place to place and relying on hotel workers to totally fill you in just feels stressful.
A few years ago, I was at a coffee shop having a chat with an older fellow in his early 70’s. I was telling him that I was going on a trip later that night, taking a flight from Montreal to Italy. He was unimpressed and replied « here is where we have a great life ». This has always resonated in my mind and as time went by, I realized that he was so right! I am fortunate to have travelled to many beautiful places in the past 30 years and I just don’t feel like travelling anymore, especially now given the fact that there is over tourism now. I avoid crowded places. My idea of travelling now is ride my bike on beautiful bike trails in the country side where there isn’t too many people and enjoy nature.
I usually try my best to support local businesses when I travel and avoid the heavily congested tourist trap areas. I don’t really enjoy all inclusives - I’d much rather rent a car and explore as much as I could.
I'd go further and say if you can travel by foot, bike, tram/ train please do. You see so much more in the nooks and crannies than you can by having to always look forward going at high speeds. You also are less likely to "come upon" an impromptu event while in a car.
@@Ndesire Totally agree! I always take public transportation or walk when I am traveling and love it. If one able to do it, of course, I recommend it.
Heartbreaking to hear about the scene in Positano. I visited in May about 15 years ago and it was the most memorable and lovely visit. And I was travel on a shoestring- hostels and 2 euro bottles of wine! I wanted to revisit one day but it sounds awful now 😢 Also not surprising I suppose
well just don't go in the high season. If someone goes in July or August when school is out and all families travel, of course it's crowded.
I live in south of France and summer is a nightmare as both international and french tourists are coming over. The city is already really hot in summer, it makes it almost unbreathable, the beaches are packed and gross because people leave their trash everywhere, they behave as if they were in a 24h/24 nightclub... I stay here as I host a lot over the summer and there are cool events all over the city but if I could I would run to the countryside where it is empty
I very much enjoyed reading your book A Perfect Vintage! The organizing tips that you gave in this video made me think of Lea.
I agree with the sentiment of seeking out new locations as an alternative to the "bucket list" cities, with one caveat; don't brag about it on social media when you've found one. Many places can cope with a rise in tourism if it happens organically, through gradual word-of mouth, articles in travel magazines and maybe promotion by the local tourist board. But it only takes one Instagram post to go viral and a place can be deluged in very short order.
I'm a landscape photographer and will often travel to seek out new landscapes, light, etc. When posting my work on social, I normally try to keep the title and location fairly vague and concentrate on what I'm photographing rather than where I'm photographing.
I guess I could be accused of being elitist by suggesting we "keep locations secret". But that's not what I'm suggesting. It's just that social media have this instant impact and, as the video suggests, generate a fear of missing out, which can create a deluge of visitors rather than the more gentle flow that might come from folks having to dig deeper when researching their trips.
I live in Europe, and it is the way things are- in July-August, when most summer camps and youth camps aren't available, families go on vacation. Most of them will drive instead of flying, so they can carry more language and travel at their own pace. Usually they will rent a house or just go to a camping site and stay there most of the time.
There are still plenty of places here that are NOT full of tourists, it is just depended where. North west of France for example. It doesn't have the glory of the lavender fields of the Provence, but it is so beautiful, the locals are still very happy to see tourists. I have to say, that when I see these posts about the Maldives and such, or when I walk in Paris and I see tourists are more busy documenting themselves than actually enjoying the time in the city, it makes me sad. If you ever stand next to the Louvre, and see the people on the barricades, pretending they are holding the piramides, tones are waiting after them to do the same, it's so stupid.
+1 on Naples. We loved wondering around the city. As for travel alternatives, we started camping thanks to the pandemic. Which showed us how amazing our home state really is. Meaning a great alternative trip is a reasonable drive away.
The time to visit Amalfi Coast is May. Still busy but not overcrowded. We took a hiking trip there and the hiking trails in that area are absolutely amazing. We avoid Europe in Summer completely. Too crowded anywhere you go. We always stay at hotels. Not interested in displacing locals so that we can save a bit of money. We are already privileged to be able to travel to begin with.
There's also the privilege of getting visas in the first place. Western countries don't need visas to go to SEA countries for example, but those from SEA need visas to visit those Western countries. Visas are expensive to apply for and even if you've paid for the application fees, there's no guarantee that it will get approved. So if it gets denied, you just wasted your money.
everyone's in europe now. how do they all have the money?!
I went to Paris last year for the second time ever and managed to get by with my Duolingo French and lots of very kind and wonderful Parisians. Yes, we did the touristy spots because why not. We're tourists and those are places where we can annoy the least amount of locals.
Chelsea, next time you're in Italy I can recommend Parma, which is about an hour train ride from Milan. I had to go there for my friend's wedding and that town was right in the middle of where his family and her family were. Beautiful little town that ten years ago, had no foreign tourists in the middle of July. It also means it helps to have some basic Italian under your belt but it was the quietest place I'd been to in Italy.
Also, I went on a cruise on a small boat along the Dalmatia Coast of Croatia last year. It was lovely being able to stop in the little towns along the way. Yes, still lots of tourists but it still seemed quiter. The food was very similar to Italian with a lot of gorgeous seafood, and it was honestly so beautiful and peaceful just being on the water.
I just drafted an updated budget. I use my CC to pay for flights, travel bookings, etc, because of its good point rewards. But my budget actually comes from my savings account, which I've budgeted myself a maximum 20% as travel funds. After the plane tickets, hotel, transpo, and booked tours are subtracted, whatever amount I have left is my pocket money for meals and souvenirs~
I have been shocked by young Americans posting on travel groups that they went into debt for travel. It is indeed a luxury, never go into debt for a nice to have.
it does not have to be a luxury. I travelled through Europe by train when I was a student, stayed in cheap youth hostels... I had very little money. It depends what kind of travel it is.
I grew up in a large, poor, poor family and we went on 3 trips in total. A camping trip on a friend's property with a river, a trip back to my parents state for a funeral/family reunion, and a short trip to canada.
As an adult DINK my husband and I prioritize travel. I want to see both domestic and foreign places before they either get sold out to a corporation (cough grand canyon) or climate change destroys them. It might be bleak but 🤷♀️
I want to preface this by saying, all the consequences of overtourism are real. However, the economy of most of these countries rely on tourism, even the wealthy and powerful ones such as France.
Chelsea - I super love this channel, your videos, your takes on all manner of things, and your general vibe and attitude. But is there anyway that we could get a video that isn’t quite so much of a “why X Topic sucks for pretty much everyone, including you *and* the world at large”? I don’t even know what that would be because, duh, pretty much everything sucks. But I’ve found myself lately having to kind of psych myself up and get in the right mindset to click on a lot of TFD videos (even as a Member). Again, I totally understand how easy it is for the undertone (or overtone) of conversations to be “the thing you thought you liked is actually pretty toxic and here’s how” (especially as I’m saying this on July 4), but I’d love love love to see some ✨optimistic✨ Chelsea content! ❤
Hard to find these days!!!
I'd love to see more educational topics - homebuying, managing finances (juggling bank accounts, how much to save vs. invest, etc), navigating joint bank accounts, strategies for budgeting, etc. I don't usually watch the pop-culture critique videos
Totally agree with you! We need more educational and optimistic content ❤️
My thoughts exactly.. all she does is complain about “privileged people” while being part of the 1% herself …must be nice
@@alexiepfeiffer145 Chelsea might live comfortably but she is nowhere near the 1%.....
I went to positano in january and I loved it. Nobody was there but mostly everything was closed also😅 so we stayed at sorrento and that was my best part of the Amalfi coast.
I really liked Positano and Capri, was lucky to have gone during covid so there were no Americans 😂 but the top tip a friend gave me was to stay in Praiano… which was much more authentic and chill and you could get to Positano via a very cute and tiny little bus… not sure I’d go again though because even without much travel and towards the end of summer… it was still pretty full.
I have the same approach to this as to reading: if you read to open your horizon and enjoy the experience, and not to be able to say "i'm so well-read, -i read this book and that" than that's great. Same with travel. For our family travel is very important because we want our kids to experience different cultures, languages etc. Being together in another country and making discoveries and having adventures is awesome. But we never pick places because they are "hip" right now or because they are shown on social media. We are very interested in the history of the places we visit, not in the cool factor. I find it a shame to put everyone who travels in one basket . Not every traveller runs around taking selfies and wanting to show off. Some of us just want to soak up the place and don't even need to record it anywhere.
I saw “the case against travel” article and I just could NOT get myself to click on it… thanks for covering it, glad I didn’t click!
Another point is that people who have weak passports (usually the global south), often have to jump through difficult and expensive hoops to get a visa and travel. Which means backpacking isn’t even an option for us.
I'm from Jamaica and let me tell u....the average local can't afford any of the all inclusive hotels in our own country. We are totally priced out of the very hotels that we drive by
I also heard that many locals can't even go to the beach as many resorts privatized most sections of beaches
I live in the UK and enjoy traveling to local cities like Bath and Edinburgh. Staying at hostels costs less and it's fun exploring the museum's.
Loved Positano. We stayed in an Airbnb at the top of the hill. It belonged to a local family. ❤️
Interrail/EURail passes deserve mentioning here. Affordable, environmentally friendly, and trains stop in many smaller towns that are less overrun but still nice.
Congrats on 1million subscribers 🎉
(1/2) I live in Naples half the year now because there are no academic jobs in France :/ It's fun to visit, but Italian bureaucracy is the absolute worst (and that goes for private as well as public sector bureaucracy). I have seen "tourists go home" graffiti, which I understand, because it just gets absolutely packed starting in April/May. But also, when I first moved there, Covid was still keeping people away and I talked to small restaurant owners who were really hurting (I was literally sometimes their only customer in January/February 2022, which is admittedly always the off-season, but this was extreme). It's hard to find that balance, I think, of a responsible tourist sector that helps the locals more than it harms them...
Positano is one of the two favorable places in Amalfi coast. I went there in August 5 years ago.
I was just in Positano in March and I liked it besides the rocks on the beach
Do you all currently have any way to join that is not through UA-cam directly? I checked your site and only see a way to sign up for the newsletter, or a link that takes me back to UA-cam. I'm fairly reluctant to give Google my credit card info.
To the person planning a trip to Europe - look into interrail! (But make sure you look up and budget for seat reservations for different countries, especially Germany.)
I am living in France and well, the worst you can do in not tourism-oriented cities (like some beach side places) is to take an AirBnB. It is such a pain to rent an apartment (as AirBnB is actually draining a rental market). I don't event talk about buying, as buying impacted by "investors" and "taxes optimizers". I totally agree, that what actually leads to over-tourism and destroys a lot of things are rich people. The prices definitely went up in Europe mostly because of non-European tourists with a lot of money. Being local is getting more and more expensive every year to travel in France or neighbouring countries. Because in Europe, going somewhere on vacation is something a lot of people do and look forward to, I found some statistics, between 60% and 65% of French people go on vacation each year, they travel, even if it is inside of the country. I feel like in Europe the privilege gap is smaller between the poorest and the richest, compared to States
The best way we have found to travel is by staying in B&B. We supports a small business owner, prices are affordable and the service and food are amazing! Wherever we go, we rent a car and drive for at least a week, staying in smaller town and doing what we like to do and not what everyone says you need to do!
Very astute. Interesting content.
thank you so much for this video! I wished more people from the vanlife/travel bubble would reflect more and check their privileges.
Overtourism is ruining traveling for me. I always dreamt of traveling the world, but now the more I travel, the less I enjoy it. My favorite destinations are the ones where there are literally no other tourists, small villages away from the crowds are way better than Rome, Florence or Venice. I hate big cities crowded with tourists, I hate the tourism industry in general where you book cheap tours that give you 5 minutes to take photos and you need to leave, and I hate how fast-paced it's become (seeing as much as possible in as little time as possible). Also most people who travel these days don't really care about what they're seeing, they just take photos for social media.
quick comment: I went to Positano in the end of April last year and felt it was SO overrated. What saved it for me was that I stayed in a small hotel and got friends with the owner, who recommended the local's beach, which was AMAZING and chill and empty and perfect. I basically spent like 30min on the main famous instagramable spiaggia grande just to check how it was (full and expensive and crowded and the sea wasnt even good for swimming)
With no children, get off the educational travel schedule. August in Europe is awful anyway. Buyer beware, do your homework and and agree going down the the least travelled path
Positano has incredible ruins nearby. I went there and my tour group were the only people there. We never went anywhere near downtown. It was an incredible trip. Thanks, ancient Positano.
100% agree with the article you quoted
Meanwhile I'm approaching 30 and have still never left the continental United States (haven't even been to the east coast), and I don't think I even know how to "vacation" because the only trips my family ever took growing up were to visit relatives and we'd leave as soon as the manual labor of the trip's purpose was over.
Same. I'm 29 and never even been outside of DC (my hometown). My family NEVER went on vacations and I simply haven't made enough to travel to NY or San Francisco. Travel is definitely a privilege that most people take for granted
I'm going to need Chelseas Naples recommendations! I've just booked a trip to Italy and decided to skip the Amalfi coast because its seems like a hellish nightmare to me.
My recommendations are:
Florence
Naples
Venice
Rome
Milan
Come
Parma
Bologna
And then you add to making Naples the next hellish nightmare? Instead ask what do *you* want to *do* in Italy.
@@momhouser Thanks for the passive-aggressive reply I guess. I already have plans for my time in Naples, I would also like to hear from Chelsea as she literally said she had recommendations. What's your problem?
Little tip, swap Versailles for Chantilly. Obviously Versailles is Versailles but too many crowds. Also swap beach destinations in Europe for the mountains. With the hot weather and lack of air-conditioning, the mountains are the place to be, lots of lakes and many are considered off season because its not skiing.
Or Vaux-le-Vicomte : same architect & landscaper team as Versailles, smaller scaled, privatly owned, quiet and superb.
Thank you for this video! I remember when I first went to Italy in 2002 as a teen and it was amazing. Now I wouldnt dare go with all the tourism. I am also concerned about climate change and how it is making all these warm destinations too warm to live even.
when I was younger too tickets used to be 2000 to 4000 dollars per person in the summer and that was pre-inflation.
oh don't give up on Italy! There are so many beautiful places to visit and enjoy that don't have so many tourists. It would help if people were more thoughtful about where they actually wanted to go, instead of just hitting the well-known hot spots.
Good reporting
Sorry you didn't get to enjoy the Amalfi Coast. I visited Italy on the first week it opened during the pandemic and all of the cities were shockingly quiet. It was a once in lifetime travel experience to places normally densely populated. People traveling for strictly social media content has always been cringey; people have been so unapologetic about it since in this Age of Instagram
Genuine question from a frequent traveler! So I know that airb&b’s are detrimental to any local community, but how about Booking? Is it ok to book houses there? I honestly prefer apartments over hotels for the simple human joy of having a kitchen available at any time and being able to cook, but I wouldn’t want to contribute to a business that makes like harder for locals anywhere in the world.
I was in Naples and Amalfi last year. The Amalfi coast was was way to overcrowded, inauthentic & just full of Americans...
We were in Sicily and the aeolian Islands for 12 days before and it was so much nicer and not many tourists.
I would recommend to go there instead however white lotus came out after we went so it may be different now...
I wish I watched this last year when the video came out, but better late than never. I had the absolute worst FOMO last summer due to not being able to afford a vacation, let alone days off with my contract job. Watching many people in my circles on Instagram go on 2-4 trips last year or even just one trip, was difficult. I felt like a failed individual for NOT being able to travel and handle my money, but if I had traveled last year I probably would have increased my debt
My spouse and i love bike travel 🚲🌲🚲