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I lived in Asia for nearly four years. Since 2015 and came back home a few months ago. It was surreal to see the level of tourism increase between my favorite

I lived in Asia for nearly four years. Since 2015 and came back home a few months ago. It was surreal to see the level of tourism increase between my favorite places. And I am convinced this is a bad thing because it steals the soul of the said environment. People become more comfortable with greed. I was in Cambodia in late 2015,and was quite happy with pricing of things, even if often charged a premium. Then, I returned earlier this year for a holiday and quickly learned that prices have soared, and sellers don't care if you put your fruit and vegetables back. This was a huge warning for me personally. In short, a lot of these places are becoming the exact same thing anywhere you go. An opportunity to grab money from foreigners, whilst putting culture as the very last thing for others to see and experience. Anyway, I am probably just ranting. I do love Asia but the effects of mass tourism are very real.

CydeWeys 7y ago
Is it really greed? Sounds more like market pricing at work to me. The people who live there deserve a good living too, right? So long as their country is being flooded by tourists anyway they might as start enjoying a somewhat comparable standard of living. Prices are soaring because tourism is soaring. Don't be mad at the people responding rationally to market forces and enjoying a higher standard of living; be mad at the tourists. And as someone who isn't from there and only lived there for a few years, you have more in common with the tourists than the locals.
- skilled 7y ago
  Actually, I have more "foreign local" friends than people I know in my country of birth. It wasn't a choice per se, but it just so happened that I found a lot of interesting people to connect with. I understand your point, it's valid. But I will add that local markets, in Cambodia for example, will sit on mangoes and papaya until they rot, and still charge a premium despite the product being borderline inedible. Oh, and I am very well aware of local prices. If you take a local with you to theater or even grocery shopping, you'll astound yourself at the "premium" that you get charged as a foreigner.
  - CydeWeys 7y ago
    Food waste is hardly unique to developing countries though! Nearly half of all food that's produced in developed nations ends up not being eaten; it's thrown out at various points in the pipeline. From a food waste criterion, the developing world is actually much better.
- ilkan 7y ago
  When I visited Thailand the tour guide said "Don't go around talking about how cheap things are because 1) it's priced for the locals who don't make as much as you do and 2) it may imply that you think they're inferior to you". And of course it was still the first thing many people said, chuckling with glee...
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
Given enough time every tourism destination turns into a morally bankrupt cesspool that puts up a "brand image" to attract tourists who's wallets can be mined. Of course, eventually the locals start behaving the same way to each other and you can expect that everyone will screw everyone for personal gain. The people living there either drink the cool-aid and embrace the facade, GTFO or do a lot of drugs to cope. Source: Grew up in a town where tourism was the only industry.
- buboard 7y ago
  I agree. Show me a tourist-only country that is not "third world" level It's kind of obvious - tourism requires low skilled laborers.
  - rhino369 7y ago
    I think its more the fact that if it wasn't third worldish it wouldn't be tourist only.
    - buboard 7y ago
      vicious cycle - similar to the resource curse
  - umeshunni 7y ago
    > Show me a tourist-only country that is not "third world" level Iceland (3 tourists per resident - 70,056.87 USD GDP per capita)
    - buboard 7y ago
      > As of 2016, the tourism industry is estimated to contribute about 10 percent to the Icelandic GDP;
      - briandear 7y ago
        Tourism is 9.6% of France’s GDP as well.
pastor_elm 7y ago
>People become more comfortable with greed. Maybe the greedy one was the guy who thought he could pay pennies from his Western salary because he's dealing with third world vendors who should be satisfied living a third world lifestyle.
- skilled 7y ago
  I lived on both sides; a lavish villa lifestyle and a humble jungle hut. And I learned the hard way that the humble little jungle hut is the way to go if you wish to immerse yourself in your environment. A lavish lifestyle comes at the expense of being treated like a bag of money, which can taint a very false picture of a "happy" travel experience. Then again, those are just my personal thoughts and opinions. Everyone has the right to enjoy themselves as they find appropriate.
Scoundreller 7y ago
> and sellers don't care if you put your fruit and vegetables back. What does this mean?
- dspig 7y ago
  That they won't haggle? - take it or leave it. But yes, even worse would be "you picked it up, so you must buy it at the given price"
- stdbrouw 7y ago
  When you're trying to haggle down the price, you can put back the goods you're interested in, in order to show that at a particular price point it's a no go for you. If the seller doesn't respond by offering a lower price, that might indicate they don't care about the lost sale because they figure the next schlub who comes along will pay more.
VMG 7y ago
Complaining about prices in Cambodia is pretty greedy indeed

CydeWeys 7y ago

Is it really greed? Sounds more like market pricing at work to me. The people who live there deserve a good living too, right? So long as their country is being flooded by tourists anyway they might as start enjoying a somewhat comparable standard of living. Prices are soaring because tourism is soaring. Don't be mad at the people responding rationally to market forces and enjoying a higher standard of living; be mad at the tourists. And as someone who isn't from there and only lived there for a few years, you have more in common with the tourists than the locals.

skilled 7y ago
Actually, I have more "foreign local" friends than people I know in my country of birth. It wasn't a choice per se, but it just so happened that I found a lot of interesting people to connect with. I understand your point, it's valid. But I will add that local markets, in Cambodia for example, will sit on mangoes and papaya until they rot, and still charge a premium despite the product being borderline inedible. Oh, and I am very well aware of local prices. If you take a local with you to theater or even grocery shopping, you'll astound yourself at the "premium" that you get charged as a foreigner.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  Food waste is hardly unique to developing countries though! Nearly half of all food that's produced in developed nations ends up not being eaten; it's thrown out at various points in the pipeline. From a food waste criterion, the developing world is actually much better.
ilkan 7y ago
When I visited Thailand the tour guide said "Don't go around talking about how cheap things are because 1) it's priced for the locals who don't make as much as you do and 2) it may imply that you think they're inferior to you". And of course it was still the first thing many people said, chuckling with glee...

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

Given enough time every tourism destination turns into a morally bankrupt cesspool that puts up a "brand image" to attract tourists who's wallets can be mined. Of course, eventually the locals start behaving the same way to each other and you can expect that everyone will screw everyone for personal gain. The people living there either drink the cool-aid and embrace the facade, GTFO or do a lot of drugs to cope. Source: Grew up in a town where tourism was the only industry.

buboard 7y ago
I agree. Show me a tourist-only country that is not "third world" level It's kind of obvious - tourism requires low skilled laborers.
- rhino369 7y ago
  I think its more the fact that if it wasn't third worldish it wouldn't be tourist only.
  - buboard 7y ago
    vicious cycle - similar to the resource curse
- umeshunni 7y ago
  > Show me a tourist-only country that is not "third world" level Iceland (3 tourists per resident - 70,056.87 USD GDP per capita)
  - buboard 7y ago
    > As of 2016, the tourism industry is estimated to contribute about 10 percent to the Icelandic GDP;
    - briandear 7y ago
      Tourism is 9.6% of France’s GDP as well.

pastor_elm 7y ago

>People become more comfortable with greed. Maybe the greedy one was the guy who thought he could pay pennies from his Western salary because he's dealing with third world vendors who should be satisfied living a third world lifestyle.

skilled 7y ago
I lived on both sides; a lavish villa lifestyle and a humble jungle hut. And I learned the hard way that the humble little jungle hut is the way to go if you wish to immerse yourself in your environment. A lavish lifestyle comes at the expense of being treated like a bag of money, which can taint a very false picture of a "happy" travel experience. Then again, those are just my personal thoughts and opinions. Everyone has the right to enjoy themselves as they find appropriate.

Scoundreller 7y ago

> and sellers don't care if you put your fruit and vegetables back. What does this mean?

dspig 7y ago
That they won't haggle? - take it or leave it. But yes, even worse would be "you picked it up, so you must buy it at the given price"
stdbrouw 7y ago
When you're trying to haggle down the price, you can put back the goods you're interested in, in order to show that at a particular price point it's a no go for you. If the seller doesn't respond by offering a lower price, that might indicate they don't care about the lost sale because they figure the next schlub who comes along will pay more.

VMG 7y ago

Complaining about prices in Cambodia is pretty greedy indeed