4 ms·
I live in a town with a resident population of about 140,000. It attracts a lot of tourists. I live in a flat with a neighbouring flat that is run as an unhoste
by denton-scratch 3y ago
I live in a town with a resident population of about 140,000. It attracts a lot of tourists. I live in a flat with a neighbouring flat that is run as an unhosted AirBnB.
I'm sure the presence of tourists helps some shops stay open; but not the kind of shops that I use. Tourists don't use butchers, greengrocers, tool and hardware stores. They use tourist shops, which consequently multiply.
Today (as every day) I went to the shops. I got caught on the pavement/sidewalk behind a column of about 50 overseas visitors, following a tour guide. That column crashed into a similar column going in the opposite direction. This was the High Street, i.e. the main drag; it wasn't feasible to step into the carriageway, because there was traffic. In my view we have way too many tourists, and their guides don't extert enough control.
I regularly have my doorbell pressed by AirBnB guests who can't get in, and expect me to do something about it. This is frequently at night. There have been a few loud parties, including one with underage girls. I've been sworn at and threatened a few times.
The Council is trying to shut down this operator. They told the operator they were in violation of regulations (we're zoned as residential). They appealled. The Council won the appeal. I think they must have now appealled to the Secretary of State; they're still operating. This has taken over a year.
I would like it if my neighbour were the same person that was my neighbour yesterday. I have no "proper" neighbours.
- bombcar 3y agoThe “touristification” of towns has happened time and time again, and shouldn’t be encouraged without some forms of restraint. My small town isn’t touristy and the CBD is walkable and real and has places I go (and visitors can go, too, of course) like groceries, banks, etc. A friend lives in a nearby slightly larger small town that is a tourist destination and his “downtown” is a sea of gift shops and restaurants and nothing much else. To get groceries and supplies he has to go to the outskirts or the next town over.