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Original poster

To detest people that think they own beautiful parts of the world?

609 replies

Bumpitybumper · 03/10/2024 14:19

I grew up in a very ugly and undesirable part of the country and now live in a tourist hotspot. I am becoming increasingly frustrated by people that are born and raised here trying to restrict tourism or stop 'outsiders' moving here. The houses are expensive here because it's such a lovely place to live but there isn't much employment except for from tourism. Despite this many locals that I know feel that tourism should be restricted as it makes the town extremely busy in high season. They also think housing should be subsidised for locals.

I feel that there are only so many beautiful places and those lucky enough to be born in them are no more entitled to live and enjoy them than the rest of us who by luck were born elsewhere. This would effectively condemn future people like me to live and visit only the less desirable of areas whilst my children could stay in this lovely area and be subsidised for doing so. It just feels incredibly unfair!

OP posts:
Nogaxeh · 03/10/2024 14:38

If you have a free-for-all then a lovely place becomes over-developed and crowded, and it's no longer a lovely place.

candlewhickgreen · 03/10/2024 14:38

I think people buying up nice villages have had a devastating effect on the locals. They have to move away from where they were brought up and their family and social network because they can no longer afford the area. Holiday homes push up the prices and are empty most of the year while locals have to move away.

Unregulated tourism means more rentals for travellers, lack of parking, busy roads and more pollution and destruction of the landscape. The tourist industry is generally poorly paid and only lasts a season.

Original poster
Bumpitybumper · 03/10/2024 14:38

ClippyMuldoon · 03/10/2024 14:33

You can restrict it though. In the Netherlands for example some areas only allow the buying of a house below a certain value if you have a clear connection to the place, either a job or immediate family, sometimes both. It protects lower cost housing for people that grew up in these places and work there. We are not gatekeeping, we are protecting an old town from second home and holiday let destruction.

I also live in a touristy town and it can be frustrating trying to go about your day behind crowds that think they are in a themepark. People stand in the road taking selfies, knock on doors of private homes to 'look around', and my own peeve - insist on finding our small hidden bars to 'meet the locals' as though we are Disney characters. So yeah we'll smile at them and then call them areseholes.

Not all tourists, but enough of them.

Again though, don't you see how 'protecting' locals detriments those who aren't fortunate enough to have been born in such lovely places. By all means ring fence affordable housing but this should be available to those doing important jobs that benefit the community, not just those that happen to have been born there.

OP posts:
Triffid1 · 03/10/2024 14:36

They should take the appraoch we take in Cape Town: tourists are welcome, we love to take their money, we'll happily rent them out expensive apartments and hotels and lay on all kinds of fabulous things they'll love to spend money on.... but they will never be one of us and even if they move here, we will look down on them forever ++

++ obviously, while this is largely true, I'm actually being facetious. Cape Townians can be right wankers and ridiculously cliquey, even if I am one (although that might explain why I don't live there anymore!) Grin

Original poster
Bumpitybumper · 03/10/2024 14:36

Bluevelvetsofa · 03/10/2024 14:30

I disagree. I think it’s entirely reasonable for people who were born and raised in a particular area to be able to buy or rent a property in that area, if that’s what they want to do. They may wish to be near family and friends. They may have work locally. They may simply want to stay where it’s familiar.

The bigger issue is that so many properties are second homes, or are holiday cottages of various types, some of which are empty for tranches of time.

If tourism is what keeps the economy going, then it’s churlish to want to curtail that though.

But what about people that are born and raised in areas that are less desirable and want to move to these desirable areas? Assuming that there is a very limited housing supply (which there usually is in these kinds of places) then why should locals get preference just because they were lucky enough to have been born there? I just think this is the ultimate in entitlement and entrenching generational privilege.

We all have our reasons for wanting to live somewhere and I don't think it's fair that locals are assumed to have more valid reasons. I also think holiday homes are fine if in use for large chunks of time. Without them then the tourist trade would really suffer as lots of people simply don't want hotels anymore

OP posts:
ClippyMuldoon · 03/10/2024 14:35

Welcoming tourists needs to balance local needs. Anyone living in Amsterdam could tell you that.

ClippyMuldoon · 03/10/2024 14:33

You can restrict it though. In the Netherlands for example some areas only allow the buying of a house below a certain value if you have a clear connection to the place, either a job or immediate family, sometimes both. It protects lower cost housing for people that grew up in these places and work there. We are not gatekeeping, we are protecting an old town from second home and holiday let destruction.

I also live in a touristy town and it can be frustrating trying to go about your day behind crowds that think they are in a themepark. People stand in the road taking selfies, knock on doors of private homes to 'look around', and my own peeve - insist on finding our small hidden bars to 'meet the locals' as though we are Disney characters. So yeah we'll smile at them and then call them areseholes.

Not all tourists, but enough of them.

Bluevelvetsofa · 03/10/2024 14:30

I disagree. I think it’s entirely reasonable for people who were born and raised in a particular area to be able to buy or rent a property in that area, if that’s what they want to do. They may wish to be near family and friends. They may have work locally. They may simply want to stay where it’s familiar.

The bigger issue is that so many properties are second homes, or are holiday cottages of various types, some of which are empty for tranches of time.

If tourism is what keeps the economy going, then it’s churlish to want to curtail that though.

garlictwist · 03/10/2024 14:30

I agree! I grew up in and still live in the Lake District. People resent the tourists but there wouldn't be any jobs without them. Plus - no one owns an area and people have the right to travel and visit wherever they like.