Holiday destinations that want more tourists?

[ghostofadog]

Just thinking about holidays for next year. After seeing all the protests reported in places that feel like they are being overwhelmed with tourists (Barcelona, Mallorca etc) I just don't want to go somewhere I'm not welcome or cause issues for people who live there. Does anyone have suggestions for European holiday destinations where local people actually want more tourists but is still a nice place to go? And also with reasonable weather, not too hot but warmer than Scotland! We love Sweden so might just go back there but wondered if there are other places that we could consider.

Ah. Not many trains in Greece and the Balkans at the moment 😬

But to be honest, anywhere that's not an absolute tourist honeypot with buckling infrastructure is fine with visitors.

We've just been to Marseille by train, and loved it. People were chatty and friendly. In France! 😱 I think Marseille escapes the tourist influx due to its dodgy reputation (about London in the 90s levels, it seemed to me), its lack of Big Sights and the fact that, as the second city of France it doesn't really need tourists, so isn't putting much effort into courting them.

I also really like Genova in Italy, too. Similar vibe- few tourists, really beautiful and interesting.

Marseille does get a lot of tourists though, and cruise ships, there have even been “ interventions” by locals going out in small boats to block the entrance of cruise ships. The violent crime is of course drug related and a lot worse than 1990s London, but it is still mostly confined to the northern housing estates, although there is concern that it is escalating. Glad you had a good time, and going in October/ November means it will have been less busy. Personally I love Marseille.

It was very easy (and cheap) to get the bus from the airport to the centre of Tirana, and once in the centre, we walked or got the bus around the city.

The only other transport we took was a trip by private minibus out to the mountains, but I believe it's fairly straightforward to get the bus out to the coast.