(VitalNews.org) – Global tourism this year is expected to hit a record high since the coronavirus pandemic shut the world down and halted tourism and traveling for many.
Martinho de Almada Pimentel spoke about his doorbell and how it’s on a long rope that rings a bell on the roof to let him know when someone is outside. He lives in a mountainside mansion that was built in 1914 with ultimate privacy, but this isn’t the case anymore.
Pimentel said that people will come by and ring the bell “because they think it’s funny.” He said that thousands of people would be around his home as they traveled up to the Pena Palace, which was King Ferdinand II’s one-time retreat.
“Now I’m more isolated than during COVID,” Pimentel said. “Now I try to not go out. What I feel is anger.”
Many people who have seen the boom of overtourism have also seen the effects of this, one of the biggest is the intense traffic jams.
Many places have seen anti-tourism protests where locals will group up and protest the tourism, while also shaming visitors who come. In Barcelona, this meant that they were doused with water pistols.
People say they have been teaming up to scare away tourists, who spend eleven trillion dollars a year on travel, or fix the issue and manage tourism. People have also felt like those who are complaining about tourism are the lucky ones because they can afford to live in a place where people want to travel.
Essentially, overtourism when the number of tourists stop helping the area and instead cause more issues like degrading historic sites, overwhelming the infrastructure, and causing more difficulty for those who actually live in the area.
Copyright 2024, VitalNews.org
