Mass tourism has caused protests around the world […]
As Brazil seeks to surpass the (stationary) six million foreign tourists a year, destinations that have done their homework are starting to throw in the towel, faced with the pressure of mass tourism.
Here, the “giant by nature” can only put a yellow smile on his face to celebrate the small 760 thousand foreigners who land in Rio de Janeiro, for example, in the first half of 2024, according to recent data from the Federal Police. Ministry of Tourism and Embratur.
In other words, there are less than a million tourists in what is known as one of the most beautiful cities on the planet (and anyone who has been to Rio, after having traveled the world, knows that the title is not an exaggeration).
The Statue of Liberty alone, in New York, received 3.7 million visitors in 2023, according to the NPS (National Park Service). If we compare it to the Eiffel Tower, the numbers (and our shame) double. Each year, this metal structure of questionable taste attracts 7 million tourists to the French capital.
In other words, the “implacable colossus” loses its place in favor of two monuments (which are not even those things).
At the national level we are even more ashamed.
France, the most visited country in the world, received more than 100 million visitors in 2023, according to the WTO (World Tourism Organization), an agency of the United Nations (United Nations).
The list continues with Spain (85.2 million), the United States (66.5 million), Italy (57.2 million) and Turkey (55.2 million).
However, in the world of tourism, not all numbers are celebrated.
mass tourism
If Brazil lacks foreign tourists, some destinations have an excess of them.
Residents have been protesting in Catalonia for a long time now. In the capital Barcelona, one of the most visited destinations in Spain, mass tourism goes hand in hand tourism-phobesTHE.
And it splashes water in the faces of tourists, who barely have time to read the “Tourist Go Home” signs, in a clear moment of “repudiation of the touristification” of destinations, as Spanish researcher Alan Guaglieri Domínguez recalls.
This also left room for rental bicycles and the (until then) celebrated sector of short-term rental apartments.
Venice, angered by rising rents, is another example, as is Prague in the Czech Republic; Amsterdam, which has already banned the construction of new hotels; and Lisbon, which has canceled the issuing of new licenses for platforms like Airbnb.
As Lisa Stüve recalls in an article for DW (Deutsche Welle), “the lives of some are the stage for the experiences of others.”
For you, a 9:00-6:00 worker with vacation once a year, tourism is synonymous with leisure and rest. But it is not just a trip, it is an economy in motion, it is politics in action and an efficient thermometer that says a lot about the infrastructure available to those who come from outside.
This powerful industry is expected to have a global turnover of around $11 trillion by 2024, according to projections by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Therefore, in an article published in the Revista do Centro de Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do SESC, Domínguez states that one way to understand the relationship between tourism development and its social impact is the “irritability index” proposed by George Doxey, in 1975.
For Doxey, a tourist destination evolves in four stages: euphoria (1), when locals celebrate the arrival of tourists, followed by apathy (2), discomfort (3) and antagonism (4), depending on the arrival of the tourist flow. . foreign tourists.
The Irridex, as the index is also known, is the subject of questions and criticism (but this is already a problem that we leave to tourism experts to solve).
In amateur and lazy terms, it’s like spitting in your own food.
With very few exceptions, every destination wants to have tourists to call their own, and when they do, they resent the loss of space, as is happening in Europe, the largest source and recipient of tourists.
Meanwhile, the nation, in its splendid cradle, skates in “euphoria”, waiting for the works for the 2014 World Cup to be delivered.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
