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The Pros and Cons of living in a tourist destination


Champ
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Fuge's comments about trying to get around Glasgow today while there's a major sporting event going on prompted me to start this thread...

 

Since my office has been relocated to the city centre I have become far more aware of just how busy Edinburgh has become with tourists. Driving into work yesterday, sat in a long tailback as hordes of pedestrians crossed at 2 crossings on a small roundabout, I got an overwhelming sense of Edinburgh is full.

 

Now, I can understand the powers that be wanting to market the city as a visitor destination and yes, the selection of bars and restaurants has increased but all this development comes with definite costs for its residents as the roads become more and more congested and property in the city centre, in part due to the success of Air bnb, is priced out of reach of all but the wealthiest. And all this at a time of cuts in local authority funding across all services which have had devastating consequences for the most vulnerable in the city.

 

Liverpool is clearly somewhere else that has experienced massive city centre development in recent years.

 

Its a bit rambly but I think you get my drift. What are others' experiences of being residents in similar places?

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Not having Glasgow as a tourist destination.

 

Edinburgh is a fucking nightmare during August, I always take my two weeks off for the festival because I can't be arsed with town. Being an extra in some Japanese tourist's photo of a lampost or having leaflets rammed in my coupon by posh twats are not my ideas of fun.

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Fuge's comments about trying to get around Glasgow today while there's a major sporting event going on prompted me to start this thread...

 

Since my office has been relocated to the city centre I have become far more aware of just how busy Edinburgh has become with tourists. Driving into work yesterday, sat in a long tailback as hordes of pedestrians crossed at 2 crossings on a small roundabout, I got an overwhelming sense of Edinburgh is full.

 

Now, I can understand the powers that be wanting to market the city as a visitor destination and yes, the selection of bars and restaurants has increased but all this development comes with definite costs for its residents as the roads become more and more congested and property in the city centre, in part due to the success of Air bnb, is priced out of reach of all but the wealthiest. And all this at a time of cuts in local authority funding across all services which have had devastating consequences for the most vulnerable in the city.

 

Liverpool is clearly somewhere else that has experienced massive city centre development in recent years.

 

Its a bit rambly but I think you get my drift. What are others' experiences of being residents in similar places?

 

I think tourists from parts of the world that never used to be able to afford to travel has added to the 'swamped' feeling of tourist attractions.

 

I put on the rant thread about Chinese tourists vexing me on occasion, the reason being that there's so fucking many of them and they tend to just photograph everything. I think it's compounded with the things like tripadvisor and the web making it easy to find the best places to see and go, and also Instagram culture of needing to get a snap of yourself to prove you've been.

 

Tried to get into Betty's tea rooms in York last weekend and it was just a long queue of tourists, absolutely no way of getting near the place. I went to Versailles a year ago or so and you could barely breathe, you were just ushered along in a wave of people. The guide I was with said it wasn't like that until about five years ago due to all the Chinese and Indian tourists now going.

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I think tourists from parts of the world that never used to be able to afford to travel has added to the 'swamped' feeling of tourist attractions.

 

I put on the rant thread about Chinese tourists vexing me on occasion, the reason being that there's so fucking many of them and they tend to just photograph everything. I think it's compounded with the things like tripadvisor and the web making it easy to find the best places to see and go, and also Instagram culture of needing to get a snap of yourself to prove you've been.

 

Tried to get into Betty's tea rooms in York last weekend and it was just a long queue of tourists, absolutely no way of getting near the place. I went to Versailles a year ago or so and you could barely breathe, you were just ushered along in a wave of people. The guide I was with said it wasn't like that until about five years ago due to all the Chinese and Indian tourists now going.

Did you try the little Bettys on Stonegate?

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I don’t mind ordinary tourists, couples and families, sightseeing and stuff. It’s the hordes of pissed up men and women, stag and hens parties, wandering round town that get on my nerves. You don’t want to be out shopping with, say, your wife and kids and be surrounded by drunken knob-heads, being unnecessarily rowdy, swearing, singing and chanting football-style nonsense and waving blow up dolls and massive dildos about.

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Stag parties can fuck off. And Viking cruises full of aged Americans with no volume control just shouting everything they see can also fuck off (do you see the castle Ethel, look at the castle Ethel, it has big walls Ethel, we don’t have walls like that back home Ethel, look at the walls Ethel, they are made of stone Ethel, why don’t we have stone like that Ethel, I wonder where the stone comes from Ethel, look at the stone Ethel.....)

 

Everyone else is welcome

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Sister in Law lives in Blackpool & it reminds me of the bogus Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles , as the whole place is tackiness personified on the front , but there is a normal town about 20 yards behind it.

 

I've never been to Vegas but friends have suggested that it has the same set up.

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Sister in Law lives in Blackpool & it reminds me of the bogus Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles , as the whole place is tackiness personified on the front , but there is a normal town about 20 yards behind it.

 

I've never been to Vegas but friends have suggested that it has the same set up.

Blackpool is rough as fuck. Its like sticking a bit of glitter on a black eye.

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Don’t really mind it in Brighton, it’s part of the character.

 

The Stag and Hen do get a bit shite, but to be honest I barley notice it anymore. Festival gets busy but not on Edinburgh proportions.

 

As it’s a town (now city including Hove) that is largely based and grown around tourism you can hardly moan.

 

The exceptions are Pride Weekend as it just becomes far too busy and over the top. I went along with the kids last weekend, it’s was sound, but was happy to get out before it turns into a drunken shitfest

 

The other was when Eyjafjallajökull blew and grounded aircraft. The place was over ran with worse kind of Stag Dos as trips to Eastern Europe got grounded and the town filled with total wankers

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Not having Glasgow as a tourist destination.

 

Edinburgh is a fucking nightmare during August, I always take my two weeks off for the festival because I can't be arsed with town. Being an extra in some Japanese tourist's photo of a lampost or having leaflets rammed in my coupon by posh twats are not my ideas of fun.

It’s full of Americans at the minute taking pictures of anything they see. Also loads of Chinese and Japanese tour groups being led about by weirdos with a big placard. Loads of Spanish as well.

 

Not enough to say there are too many to cause any hassle or congestion though.

 

Ended up going to the Braehead shopping centre to avoid the crowds. It was fucking shite and I came home with fuck all. I hope the twats on the bikes had a massive pile up.

 

Liverpool is so much better for buying decent clobber. They all were ellesse and Levi t-shirts here, the scruffs.

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It’s full of Americans at the minute taking pictures of anything they see. Also loads of Chinese and Japanese tour groups being led about by weirdos with a big placard. Loads of Spanish as well.

 

Not enough to say there are too many to cause any hassle or congestion though.

 

Ended up going to the Braehead shopping centre to avoid the crowds. It was fucking shite and I came home with fuck all. I hope the twats on the bikes had a massive pile up.

 

Liverpool is so much better for buying decent clobber. They all were ellesse and Levi t-shirts here, the scruffs.

 

Ellesse? Fucking Hell.

 

Levis t-shirts are ok though.

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