I know that for example in Japan, they are even installing a barrier to obstruct the view of Mt. Fuji, because the nearby towns are starting to get fed up with an overflow of tourists who stop at one particular spot just to take pictures of the mountain. That is not the only issue with the overflow of tourists within their country, in Kyoto specifically, it is way too crowded. What annoys me the most is about them taking pictures of Geisha everywhere, I get it they want to snap a picture, but keep in mind that they are humans and need some space. (They are now issuing a ¥10000 fine for violators.)
During the time Logan Paul visited Japan was the worst, as he went to the suicide forest and recorded footage of a DEAD BODY then proceed to laugh, he took the video down after receiving a ton of backlash. He's not the only one, Johnny Somali also did some shit that landed him in jail, such as entering a construction site, using a random guests room number to get himself 'free' breakfast without realizing that guest will be billed upon them checking out, all due to his stupid actions. Streamers like him who visit Japan are just dumb, taking advantage of others.
Japan is now enforcing stricter rules regarding filming in public, there are even businesses that forbid both video and photography, so no streaming IRL. In general, Japanese are fed up and pissed off about tourists who disrespect their customs or completely disregard their culture, there are even foreigners who throw trash on the floor (due to Japan not having bins everywhere, even in public, they only exist at designated areas) so you have no choice but to carry your trash with you. They even throw trash not from the konbini into their bins!
There are even sacred sites in Japan (like shrines or temples) that have been vandalized, desecrated all because of tourist interaction, which is sad because it’s damaged, losing the integrity on why it’s important. There was a bamboo forest in which someone CARVED their initials on it, like “Don’t destroy the bamboo!” It pisses me off that they desecrate a site you are NOT meant to be treading on at all.
In hindsight:
- Does Greece have an over tourism problem? If so, how bad is it?
- Are there any Greek sacred spots or monuments that have been desecrated by tourists?
- Are there instances of behaviors coming from tourists that annoy Greek people to the point the authorities are cracking down on bad behavior imposing harsher penalties or deportation?
- Do you know any sites that often get photographed way too often that people are considering on creating a barricade to obstruct the view of said place or site?
by No_Pomegranate7134
13 comments
Greece definitely has a big problem because there is no plan to accommodate increased tourism, and its only a matter of time before numerous local communities go extinct.
Yes but we don’t bother because otherwise we will become extinct
Not a huge problem but… Have you seen these photos of people posing at the edge of the Oia village in Santorini with the sun setting in the background? There is such a queue for the best spot that people have to queue earlier and earlier if they want to have a photo before their vacation ends.
No, there is very few places that are overcrowded and greek cities are dense anyway.
And greeks are more than ok with having their personal space violated
Certain places have problems stemming from tourism. Others do not. But I don’t think they are identical to Japan’s.
For example, in certain places, the issue with tourism isn’t just that the tourists don’t respect the local culture, it’s deeper than that. Mykonos for example has been colonized by tourists; the local culture hasn’t been the dominant culture in decades. Of course, much of the blame can be attributed to the locals, or so I think.
In other places, say Crete, or many Athenian neighborhoods, locals can’t afford rent partly because of the Airbnb situation or short term rentals in general.
Some years back there was a big problem with young British (primarily) tourists getting wasted and causing troubles. Not sure what’s the situation now.
Then, in a country with many archaelogical sites, it’s expected that many tourists won’t be informed enough, or sensitive enough, to follow the rules (touching, photographing or whatever it might be) regarding those sites. But I’m sure Greek tourists are just as ignorant as foreign ones on this issue.
Of course, one of the greatest problems is the privatization of public spaces (beaches etc).
In general, every tourist destination has problems stemming from tourism. It’s difficult not to have intented or unintented consequences.
>Does Greece have an over tourism problem?
Tourism is about 20% of Greek GDP. We can never have a “tourism problem”.
>Are there instances of behaviors coming from tourists that annoy Greek people
Greek people are mostly annoyed by other Greek people, so extras are fine.
>Do you know any sites that often get photographed way too often that people are considering on creating a barricade to obstruct the view of said place or site?
No. It looks like we need more tourism for that.
Well it’s touristy for sure but that touristy only in some places like Oia , Malia , South Corfu , Kos , Mykonos and Rodos.
No
Some popular spots for pics can get crowded – Shipwreck in Zakynthos, Santorini sunsets, other instagram spots… some sites are also crowded during peak season like the Acropolis and maybe some other cultural sites. The locals’ existence depends on tourism for many people so they will tolerate a lot because it’s mostly seasonal (July-August being the worst). Most Greeks involved in tourism are also very friendly and hospitable. Even those that aren’t involved are used to it. Once October rolls around things slow down a lot. No deterrents are needed, oftentimes, the natural bullshit of Greek culture and systems and some behaviour of its citizens is enough to turn tourists off from ever coming back, lol. My favourite is watching the expression of British tourists when a ferry boat pulls in and they realize that nobody respects the queue, everyone just rushes in and it’s utter chaos. Same with anything involving a queue – the notion of orderly behaviour is hard to grasp for some of the folks, especially the older ones. It’s gotten better but chaos is at the core of how things work in Greece. Chaos, luck, and a bit of practical intuition.
The biggest problem is that accommodation in tourist area is Airbnb and rooms to let and Greek teachers, doctors and locals in general find it really really hard to find a decent house to live in
Yes.
There are definitely problems caused the oversaturation in the tourism industry. In the housing market Greeks are slowly being pushed out by expats.
Now about the instances of bad behaviors, I’ve worked in the industry for a few years and my eyes have seen a lot. Disrespect and sexual harassment of the staff. Drunk tourists groping locals, peeing and puking on the street. Instances where we found shit on the room safe, and waiting for the poor staff to clean it. And you will never hear most of them because it will be bad for tourism.
Tourists mostly go to the islands, so the mainland isn’t as affected by them.
Usually in places like Crete(our largest island), British tourists tend to get very intoxicated and engage in various acts of public indecency and that includes fights.
As someone who is fascinated by Japan and its history, I am quite saddened to know that shrines are being vandalized by unruly tourists, especially the kind that fetishize your homeland.