European tourism ministers are meeting in Florence to discuss, which I guess is appropriate. But this quote caught my eye:
Italy’s Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche, who will be hosting the G7
summit which runs this week, has argued that instead of curbing
tourism numbers, the country should be adding up to 50 million
visitors a year
During 2020-21 they were complaining they didn't get enough tourists.
So I guess people are never happy.
Does anyone think that riots and hate recently in Amsterdam is curbing any tourism numbers since Amsterdam was at the forefront of trying to do that?
I find it amusing that they are getting rid of the key boxes--not limiting the rentals themselves.
Do you ever think it’s possible for them to create a law that limits or caps the amount of tourist allowed in Italy per year?
The trouble is too many can afford what was once a luxury. We need to find ways to get tourism back to the right people. Naaaaa, just let life run its course. But if societies are not benefitting financially at the highest possible level, it's a crime against the citizens.
Just to throw this out there ... there has always been tourism but it seemed to be self-controlled, certain amounts of folks in certain parts of town. It seems that now with Air bnb type setups the tourists are everywhere, there are effectively dozens more hotels and the lower prices bring more of them.
The Air phenom started out for legit purposes (hey I've got a spare room ...) but is now often just a straight business situation, a hotel with all its resulting hustle and bustle without a desk clerk and not paying appropriate taxes.
there has always been tourism, but it seemed to be self-controlled,
no, I suspect there was little “self-control” involved. It was controlled by affordability vs other interests.
certain amounts of folks in certain parts of town. It seems that now
with Air bnb type setups the tourists are everywhere,
tourist always were, and continue to be, where the attractions are.
there are effectively dozens more hotels and the lower prices bring
more of them.
Absolutely, and ?
The Air phenom started out for legit purposes (hey I've got a spare
room ...) but is now often just a straight business situation,
The free legal use of that which you own and capitalism is not legitimate?
a hotel with all its resulting hustle and bustle without a desk clerk
and not paying appropriate taxes.
Appropriate taxes by whose definition? Or do you mean they are paying the taxes dictated by law and are acting illegally? If that is so it’s a pretty broad net to accuse tens of millions citizens of breaking the law. Have you lived in an apartment complex in an inner city and experienced the hustle and bustle of the one or two short term rentals? Ask a few hundred who have. Then decide.
I don’t even think there are more tourists in Italy now than 10 or 20 years ago, but now there is AirBnB and that bothers the hotel lobby, so someone has decided that the local governments must fight the key boxes or even ban short term rentals. Tourists eating sandwiches in the streets also bother the restaurant lobby, se someone has decided the local governments must fight the tourists who stand on the sidewalks while eating or sit on the stairs in front of the Duomo instead of at expensive sidewalk cafe tables where they charge you a lot of money for a drink. When I was growing up in Florence hundreds of people were sitting on those stairs in front of the duomo or in front of Santa Croce, even more were laying on the grass in front of the station or on Piazza Santa Maria Novella, but now they fine you if you do the same. Over-tourism or money interests of the various lobbies to which politicians always buckle?
I do think that airbnb has drastically increased tourism, because it has made it much cheaper for people to stay.
I feel very sorry for those who live in tourist towns, and are priced out of their homes.
I do not live in a tourist area, but we have an airbnb across the road and it is a pain, with a constant turnover of people coming and going. Not what is needed in a residential area.
I very much agree with the places banning airbnb.
Roberto, I had assumed that the mandates against eating on church/architecturally important steps, on the fountains, on the grass in certain areas, etc. was because of an increase in litter and staining from spilled food. Maybe also an increase in the pigeon population as littered food draws them and their excrement is so destructive. Maybe it was more for the reasons you listed, or could it be a combination of both?
I do think that airbnb has drastically increased tourism, because it
has made it much cheaper for people to stay.
“Drastically”? All airbnb’s fault? Had nothing to do with Airfare being half what it was 30 years ago? Maybe we should mandate higher airfares? Nothing to do with the internet exposing people to more of the world? Nothing to do with an overall increase in the standard of living in a great deal of the world? All airbnb?
I feel very sorry for those who live in tourist towns, and are priced
out of their homes.
All tourist towns? How many people lost their homes because of airbnb? Are we talking owners or renters? There are countries where less than 10% of the citizens rent, I sort of think they are better off with increased home values. But we should outlaw airbnb there too, just on principal. And before airbnb I could have afforded a home on Île Saint-Louis, but because of airbnb, I can not?
I do not live in a tourist area, but we have an airbnb across the road
and it is a pain, with a constant turnover of people coming and going.
Not what is needed in a residential area.
In what way is it a pain? The thought of seeing a different color car in the driveway every 4 or 5 days ruins your life?
I very much agree with the places banning airbnb.
If only simplistic logic did as much good as it did harm
