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Original poster

To think that the smartphone has ruined tourism?

52 replies

Sausagenbacon · 09/02/2025 09:52

Before the advent of smartphones, you had a limited number of available shots on your camera. But now, people just photograph everything, without taking a beat of time to LOOK at what they are taking a picture of.
Why do they do that? They must end up with loads of boring photos, and no memories of what they have seen.
And, as a fellow tourist, you end up constantly getting in the way.(not that I care).
(this is after visiting Westminster Abbey yesterday).

OP posts:
BobbleHatsRule · 09/02/2025 09:59

And effing selfies++++++. You narcisstic twats 🤣 I'm in a beautiful holiday destination with iconic spots and young women are pouting, flicking hair, lowering eyes, fluttering eyelashes, pouting, turning this way...that way, kicking a leg up....with themselves in the pic instead of the landmark. WtF!

Trainr · 09/02/2025 10:01

I’m not sure how you would know they weren’t looking at things unless you followed them around and quizzed them on which bits they had looked at. Sounds like you’re spending a lot of your time watching people take photos and assessing how much they are looking at things instead of enjoying the moment!

Even if all these people weren’t looking at things to the standard you are expecting them to, I’m not sure how it’s ruining tourism? The people will be there whether they are looking at things or taking photos of things.

JustWantsSomeSleep · 09/02/2025 10:01

I agree (same can be said for general life events like kids birthdays etc) but if people want to experience life through their phone screen then that’s their problem.

BobbleHatsRule · 09/02/2025 10:02

A huge queue for a landmark because 2 women were having a photo shoot and wouldn't move on. We'd climbed a mountain together there and people were backing up and causing chaos because these two wouldn't move on. Pictures were of them and not the destination????

BallerinaRadio · 09/02/2025 10:02

Maybe they are looking. Maybe they will never get the chance to visit again so want as many photos as possible. Maybe it's nobody else's business and people can just live their lives how they want.

Pussycat22 · 09/02/2025 10:02

BobbleHatsRule · 09/02/2025 09:59

And effing selfies++++++. You narcisstic twats 🤣 I'm in a beautiful holiday destination with iconic spots and young women are pouting, flicking hair, lowering eyes, fluttering eyelashes, pouting, turning this way...that way, kicking a leg up....with themselves in the pic instead of the landmark. WtF!

Had this in Turkey at a waterfall, some daft bint doing exactly that !!!

Caravaggiouch · 09/02/2025 10:02

I don’t really understand how this impacts my enjoyment of a place? So no, hasn’t ruined tourism for me.

Halfemptyhalfling · 09/02/2025 10:03

And then a long stream of photos cluttering peoples WhatsApps feeds which mostly go unopened...

BobbleHatsRule · 09/02/2025 10:03

I like photos as memories are great and photos trigger them. So I'm a snapper but consciously put phone down and just be there

MidnightPatrol · 09/02/2025 10:04

The strangest version of this I have seen, is people filming as they walk around a museum.

Who, including themselves, is possibly going to want to watch that later?

Mercurial123 · 09/02/2025 10:05

I've just returned from Florence. People were queuing up to take photos with the art but not actually spending any time looking and appreciating. Then those on the bridges/outside the Dumo posing as if they are in a fashion shoot. Looking at the ground and then very slowly walking in circles was funny to watch. The world is full of narcissists.

Reallyaretheythatgreat · 09/02/2025 10:06

Definitely helped me in terms of translation, gps / sat nav, being able to see reviews/ratings, booking trips & excursions directly etc.

PenneyFouryourthoughts · 09/02/2025 10:07

Yes.

I particularly hate it when people take photos of art and not look at the art itself. The Louvre has a lot of visitors like that.

Also, at the Coliseum 18 months ago people taking selfies and clogging up the walkways. They weren't actually looking at the monument at all. They just wanted a pic for their Insta.

Cultural icons are lost on many people.

FoxtonFoxton · 09/02/2025 10:08

It's awful, I agree. Standing in a crowd to watch anything now all you get is a sea of mobile phone screens held up. Nobody just enjoys anything in the moment. It has to be recorded (and never watched again).

Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 09/02/2025 10:10

If you've been to Santorini, you'd know exactly how people taking the perfect Insta worthy photo affects your enjoyment of a place. You can't move for women posing while their boyfriend snaps away and god forbid you want to look at the view.

I read the other day that more people are killed by selfies than sharks, some people have zero sense.

toastofthetown · 09/02/2025 10:14

BobbleHatsRule · 09/02/2025 09:59

And effing selfies++++++. You narcisstic twats 🤣 I'm in a beautiful holiday destination with iconic spots and young women are pouting, flicking hair, lowering eyes, fluttering eyelashes, pouting, turning this way...that way, kicking a leg up....with themselves in the pic instead of the landmark. WtF!

I don't think it's narcissistic to want pictures of yourself on holiday (or to want to look good in those pictures). When I look back on holiday pictures, it's the pictures of my family and friends which I really love and value. I can find pictures much better than I could take of the Tower of Pisa or Victoria Falls online in under a minute if I wanted to, but photos of me and my family/friends in those places are what is unique and makes the photographs special to me. There's a difference between a selfie and a full on photoshoot on location of course, but photos of people in front of landmarks on holiday has been standard for decades. Just now you don't need to trust your phone/camera to someone else to take the pictures, and you can see at the time of taking whether everyone's eyes are open.

RichardMarxisinnocent · 09/02/2025 10:16

Mercurial123 · 09/02/2025 10:05

I've just returned from Florence. People were queuing up to take photos with the art but not actually spending any time looking and appreciating. Then those on the bridges/outside the Dumo posing as if they are in a fashion shoot. Looking at the ground and then very slowly walking in circles was funny to watch. The world is full of narcissists.

I went to the Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery. There were people going up to each painting with their phone held in front of them, taking a photo then moving on. No time spent actually looking at the paintings.

zzplec · 09/02/2025 10:16

Before the advent of smartphones, you had a limited number of available shots on your camera.

Did you miss the decade where we had digital cameras with memory cards?

Original poster
Sausagenbacon · 09/02/2025 10:18

Yes, of course, we have loads of family photos. But my point is that people are taking them all the time now. When we used a camera, we knew we had 36 shots on the film, so we thought a bit before taking them. Now, people know they will edit later so just click. Click click

OP posts:
MermaidMummy06 · 09/02/2025 10:19

My worst was a few weeks ago. DD8 was doing a high ropes challenge thing. The girl she was paired with was being filmed the whole way & not being allowed to just enjoy it. I eventually encouraged DD to get away from her & go it alone. I was shocked at how kids were being called to pose etc.

I quietly hide some people on social media when they go away. They post 60+ photos a day. When do they even... Holiday????

Original poster
Sausagenbacon · 09/02/2025 10:20

Did you miss the decade where we had digital cameras with memory cards?
My bad, of course, I should have been ABSOLUTELY SPECIFIC in my op.

OP posts:
JamMakingWannaBe · 09/02/2025 10:24

Not just smartphones. Aeons ago I went on a whale watching trip in Canada. I took five rolls of the old 24 photos - mainly of splashes in the water. I barely spent any time enjoying and watching the whales - I was too focused on getting an image. For what? I don't have one blown up on my wall or anything. Lesson learnt. I now enjoy any experience and have memories!

madameimadam · 09/02/2025 10:29

PenneyFouryourthoughts · 09/02/2025 10:07

Yes.

I particularly hate it when people take photos of art and not look at the art itself. The Louvre has a lot of visitors like that.

Also, at the Coliseum 18 months ago people taking selfies and clogging up the walkways. They weren't actually looking at the monument at all. They just wanted a pic for their Insta.

Cultural icons are lost on many people.

Oh the Louvre is spectacularly entertaining for this!!

There were crowds of quite aggressive tourists who seemed to spend their time snapping as much as possible before running (yes, running) off to capture as much in the next room.

I did wonder whether they look at them or spend time boring the arse of some poor sod back home. Imagine sitting through 1000s of slightly blurry, shitty pics of 18th French porcelain for HOURS...

ClairDeLaLune · 09/02/2025 10:32

In the olden days one of our friends made us sit through 3 film reels of photos he’d taken at Silverstone. About 100 fucking photos. Of cars at a distance. YAWN!!

KimberleyClark · 09/02/2025 10:36

Back in the days of film cameras people would take a couple of snaps and move on - but now they spend hours getting the perfect shot.

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