4 ms·

I work in the travel industry. I'm always amazed that people are still flocking to those traditional tourist destinations in such huge numbers. Sure, before the

I work in the travel industry. I'm always amazed that people are still flocking to those traditional tourist destinations in such huge numbers. Sure, before the internet, travel research was much harder to do and going to places like Rome or Barcelona was a safe bet. But now, with Kayak and TripAdvisor making trip planning easier, Instagram and blogs making it easier to find destinations, cheap flights becoming more common.. it's just so easy to find cool destinations that are a little more off-the-beaten path, not to mention, they're much cheaper! And yet, Paris and Venice are still absolutely flooded with tourists year-after-year.

ghaff 8y ago
That's probably making the assumption that "a little more off the beaten path" is on most people's selection criteria. The evidence suggests it's not and the Internet (and cheap flights) just makes it so easy to pick the obvious "best" places. And, if anything, social media like Instagram probably increase the desire of people to visit the iconic places so that they can share them online. TBH though, for a lot of places like Paris, going outside of peak times--assuming you have the flexibility--go a long way towards decreasing the crowds factor, at least away from the "must see" sites.
matwood 8y ago
I love getting off the beaten path, but there are one of a kind things to see in those popular destinations. That's why they are popular. Venice for example stinks, is crowded, and covered in bird shit. I would never go back, but I'm happy I visited before it sinks into the water at some point.
Allower 8y ago
Because people are animals, they dont think, they just do what the other humans they do did.
netsharc 8y ago
I'm amazed that you're amazed. It's the bucket listing isn't it. Somehow we all want to experience Paris, New York or Switzerland before we die. I wonder why. There was another HN thread about tourism and travel once, and someone argued, at least with "tourist traps" you know you'll be having an experience, if you do your own thing (that's never been done before) you might end up being disappointed. And travel/free time is limited. But yeah, the thing promised (e.g. Paris: a magical romantic city) vs the reality (a metropolitan with people who can be rude, plus other obnoxious tourists) differ, I guess your standard tourist lies to themselves saying they're having a great time. Which is easier with Instagram, you curate your own memory, and as a bonus you get validation from other people while doing it. Life is weird...

ghaff 8y ago

That's probably making the assumption that "a little more off the beaten path" is on most people's selection criteria. The evidence suggests it's not and the Internet (and cheap flights) just makes it so easy to pick the obvious "best" places. And, if anything, social media like Instagram probably increase the desire of people to visit the iconic places so that they can share them online. TBH though, for a lot of places like Paris, going outside of peak times--assuming you have the flexibility--go a long way towards decreasing the crowds factor, at least away from the "must see" sites.

matwood 8y ago

I love getting off the beaten path, but there are one of a kind things to see in those popular destinations. That's why they are popular. Venice for example stinks, is crowded, and covered in bird shit. I would never go back, but I'm happy I visited before it sinks into the water at some point.

Allower 8y ago

Because people are animals, they dont think, they just do what the other humans they do did.

netsharc 8y ago

I'm amazed that you're amazed. It's the bucket listing isn't it. Somehow we all want to experience Paris, New York or Switzerland before we die. I wonder why. There was another HN thread about tourism and travel once, and someone argued, at least with "tourist traps" you know you'll be having an experience, if you do your own thing (that's never been done before) you might end up being disappointed. And travel/free time is limited. But yeah, the thing promised (e.g. Paris: a magical romantic city) vs the reality (a metropolitan with people who can be rude, plus other obnoxious tourists) differ, I guess your standard tourist lies to themselves saying they're having a great time. Which is easier with Instagram, you curate your own memory, and as a bonus you get validation from other people while doing it. Life is weird...