Tourist Go Home - A Leftist Deep Dive

[@schweijk]

Well said. Greetings from Switzerland.

[@MartijnPennings]

I've lived in Amsterdam for 25 years, so I truly understand what you're saying. It strikes me that the process of turning a place into something else by catering to people other than the inhabitants is exactly what gentrification does.

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@MartijnPennings there's definitely some strong overlap yes. I thought about making that comparison in this video but ultimately decided that gentrification is its own issue in many ways and I wanted to stay focused on tourism here. But yes I hear what you're saying and agree.

[@mrtndrr7078]

Amazing, thank you so much for that! Working in gastronomy and being a frequent traveler myself - it mirrors my feelings and experiences perfectly.

[@MartijnPennings]

Amsterdam has been trying to fight overtourism for some years now. A symbolic starting point was the removal of the big sign "I AM-sterdam" where tons of tourists would take selfies in 2018. Since then the local government has tried (among other regulations): - not giving permits to new hotels being built - alcohol bans and weed bans in certain public spaces such as red light district - restricting short-term rentals such as AirBnB to 60 days per year per unit - buying up buildings in red light district and giving them other purpose - halving the number of cruise ships permitted per year - ad campaigns in the UK urging stag and hen dos (bachelor parties) not to come to amsterdam - banning tourist busses from the center - ad campaigns to inform tourists of other destinations than the center of Amsterdam to try and prevent overcrowding - changing closing hours of bars and weed shops - In the future, they're even planning to move the entire red light district (that means, the sex workers and their activities, not the buildings themselves) out of the center. and many, many more larger and smaller regulations. Results: 2023 had a record number of visitors with 22 million overnight stays and it is projected to grow with about 1 million per year in the coming years. Without all of these measures it might be more, but of course that's hard to say.

[@JeremyPickett]

3:50 in. I dont know where this is going to go, me and my fellow travelers live by the same ethics that campers, climbers, photographers, etc. go by. Or at least the ones i get along with: leave nothing but footprints, and leave every location slightly better than you found it.

[@JeremyPickett]

I apologize, I did not finish the video. I will revisit. At 9:36 when the likely off-hand comment, "businesses that *liberals* want you to believe...", I had to stop. This issue is non-partisan. What is being described is monetary velocity. This is a concept in economics, and it gets thrown around like a 'hot potato'. No, I strongly disagree that what is described has anything to do with ones politics. Absolutely, positively no ill will or shade. It is refreshing to hear this even being discussed. And lively debates can and are wonderful. I chose to not engage in a discussion that is an expression of economic theory when past through a lens of politicization. (Puts on flame proof suit 🙃😎)

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@JeremyPickett Fair enough. To clarify though I use the term "liberal" in its economic sense here, ie proponents of free market capitalism. Also though I cannot disagree enough with your assertion that politics and economics are somehow separate things that should not be considered together. They are in-fact deeply intermingled and in many ways one and the same. Ignoring this fact, acting like "economics" is merely a hard science that exists in a vacuum, is a core piece of both Neoliberalism and Capitalist Realism.

[@JeremyPickett]

@sorenrehkopf1312 Excellent to hear a reasoned, thoughtful response. I won't even attempt to craft rebuttals by point, that would be a novel :D :D Liberal, Liberal (yes I used the same word twice, they mean different things contextually) and neoliberal are different. Politics and economics *are* different , and I'm not saying this to be overly pedantic or argumentative. You can get a phD in economics. You can get a phD in political science. Yes, they hang out with each other. And to us an analogy, it is similar to "Is each Beatle a different person, or are they the same?"

[@JeremyPickett]

@sorenrehkopf1312 (oh, and subbed. We may disagree, but your work is top notch)

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@JeremyPickett thanks! I can always appreciate some respectful disagreement.

[@Myria83]

18:00 What about American/Canadian/UK "expats", who tend to consider themself as "long-term tourists" of sorts, not immigrants ('cause immigrants are supposed to be poor, in their opinion)? Tuscany (where I live) is literally flooded with expats. Has been for a while now, but after Covid receded, the numbers have climbed higher and higher.

[@Roberto-xc5xy]

So refugees ok, but tourists not ok??? Is that it?? LOL

[@Myria83]

@@Roberto-xc5xy I didn't mention either. Rich expats are neither refugees nor tourists.

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@Myria83 Yeah I think "expats" and "digital nomads" are interesting and I would mostly exclude them from my brief comparison to immigrants here. I don't think they're exactly the same as tourists but there is definitely some strong overlap especially in the power dynamics. The fact that they want to use these special terms for themselves rather than just calling themselves "immigrants" probably indicates some bad cultural dynamics as well. I haven't done enough research to have a more fully fleshed out view than that right now though. Thanks for bringing it up!

[@MartijnPennings]

Amsterdam has many expats as well, and the problem is predominantly with the power dynamic; many expats work for big and/or rich companies who have access to housing, simply because they can pay more than locals. Affordable housing is one of the biggest problems in Amsterdam; social housing makes up 40% of the market and still wait lists for social housing are 12-15 years. Rich companies take houses off the rest of the 60% free market to give them to expat employees. These expats may be here only for a few weeks or months, but because they don't feel they're a local, only a visitor, they don't feel responsible for their behavior.

[@darkspeed62]

This video would be far more interesting if it was presented in a more documentary style with graphics, charts, and data other than tweets and comments appearing on screen as you mutter away for an entire hour.

[@jeremydao]

Great in-depth analysis on this topic. As someone who travels a lot and shares the same politics as you, this has been something that has been on my mind, but I hadn't been able to find an analysis of this scope. The content on traveling that I see online does cater toward the "Tourist" and feels very colonial, not traveling to be in the culture, but take from it. This is a discussion that should be had and I'm glad you made a video on it. Hope to see more pieces like this in the future!

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

So glad you liked it! It was a lot to think through and work through for myself as well. Hoping to do more vids like this in the future yeah!

[@5DollarRemakes]

Love this style of video mate. Reminds me of some of my anthropology classes in uni.

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@5DollarRemakes Thanks mate! I definitely take that as a compliment. 😮🙏

[@mick0matic]

If only those genius leaders would realise WHY people keep going to the same hotspots and realise hmmm MAYBE MAKE THE ENTIRE COUNTY GOOD?! Same with Amsterdam, the center is great, everything outside is garbage, offcourse the center is now super overcrowded. The core problem is bad modern citydesign and not creating more points of interest to spread the load

[@Grimberian72]

wow thank for sharing! i have some conflict! aming to take the dog for a walk at 1 in the morning and reflect!

[@AspavientosPC]

I'm from Spain, and tourism has always been in my mind a driver of many economic decisions that shape Spain today. De facto economic and political centralization into a few big cities, the precarization of jobs (especially in the hospitality industry), increases in the cost of living, brain drain and lack of funding to national industry... These are economic trajectories that you'll see almost everywhere in the world, but Spain's is definitely shaped by a mass tourism industry and to a lesser degree retirees. The segments were you mention the fact that the tourist-resident power differentials replicate themselves within the country is extremely poignant. Many places in Spain, often those one degree smaller than the biggest destinations, are often flooded with national tourists that show the same sense of entitlement as foreign tourists. In addition, speaking from my experience as well, not only do you see former colonies twist their local economies to suit the interests of their former colonizers, they also often tailor themselves to the national elites (who may themselves have inherited something from colonial rule) in the same way. I fell like a whole other essay could be made on the similarities between the identity-coalescing effects of tourism and the nation-state. So many violent processes designed to bring radical, subversive, divergent, or alternative cultural elements into line with the "identity of the nation" are mirrored between the two. Spain's dictatorship was characterized by the rejection and persecution of those elements not considered Spanish: languages, cultures, peoples, histories, and identities. And so, economic interests hammer down these same elements into a uniform, coherent, marketable singular package of Spain™. Pintxos from the north are now Tapas™, flamenco from the roma of the south are now Spanish™. As an addendum to your suggestions on how to be a better tourist, I have one final recommendation: travel to where you have friends. This makes sure you have room and board, you'll know what to do and not to do once you're there, you'll be less likely to fall into the tourist traps that complicate life for residents, and sometimes you'll discover places that not a lot of people go to and thus will not add onto the overtourism. Not possible for everyone obviously, but for those who can it's a good place to start. Haven't watched the video yet but from your TikTok's I know for a fact it'll be a banger! I'll edit this comment with my own thoughts as a national. FINAL EDIT: Banger confirmed!

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@AspavientosPC thanks for your perspective! Looking forward to hearing your updated thoughts after watching!

[@kambrose1549]

Our economy is not healthy at all. For creatives here tourist visitors are their main source of income. They spend in the local economy themselves and enrich the too. It's too many tourists like the mega cruise ships deliver that are just out of all proportion to the place visited . They are a menace

[@RR-us1lt]

the cruise ship tourists mainly spend on the ship. the few establishments they do visit on land are megacorp garbage like mcdonalds. they shit up the place and contribute nothing.

[@LadyAcee]

not me going to buy MASSIVE super soaker guns.

[@Roberto-xc5xy]

Are you going to target refugees as well??? LOL ... Maybe you should welcome some in your home???

[@lightwishatnight]

i miss your tiktoks! glad to see you, tho!

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@lightwishatnight Thanks! I'll be back on tt more in the future. Spending more energy on other projects lately tho!

[@christopherberry8519]

We are swamped in Crete by All-inclusive hotels mostly with foreign ownership. People are starting to complain about the price of rubbish apartments - and yet air bnb is upgrading the stock and satisfying a demand that brings money to the city - as opposed to the all inclusive model of sucking up the cheaper labour. These all inclusives are looking to import cheap seasonal labour from outside the EU when our local population's wages and job prospects are vanishing. Greece is a former colony of the ottoman empire that is now in Europe being colonized for tourism... also having been sucked dry by the German occupation. Crete survives because of this tourism to a large degree because a disproportionate amount of resources is occupied by the multi-national chains. Water, beachfront and zoning is dictated by companies with no incentive to treat the local population fairly. Swimming pools v drinking water kind of antagonism. And when the government puts incentives in place to grow this segment of the economy - because administratively it's more effective (and they obviously get some kind of kick-back) then it's obvious that the population will have no option but to push back. The disingenuous and corrupt policy adopted by big tourism is to then accuse airbnb owners of killing the tourism and housing markets... Here, quite the opposite is happening. Units are getting upgraded - especially ones that were very much sub-standard and the amount that airbnb tourists spend in the local economy is far more with locally owned businesses. It's just easier to support this criticism as a politician than to admit that housing policies and absent transportation policies mean that people can't live in neighbourhoods - that have been poorly administered for years. Major metros - Athens, Barcelona, Rome have plenty of capacity to absorb, develop and grow - but instead of incentivising local property ownership and development - with tax breaks for long-term leases, they incentivise corporate exploitation of short-term rentals. Europe had waves of social housing, council housing and redevelopment - but they have all stopped. There simply needs to be new waves of government supported projects of people building their own homes at lower cost to bring down the prices alongside short-term development.

[@Adikova97]

I went there this November and thought it was fine, nobody seemed to take issue. I guess it's different off-season

[@Grimberian72]

am still a little torn! but i do hear your argument..

[@Tuberculum-impar]

you should see Mallorca andi Ibiza 🤯

[@andrewlau9873]

Soren, I watched 30 minutes of your video and decided to quit. Generally speaking, the West want "other countries' money but don't come into our countries personally" mentality. We complain that foreigners bought our properties, thus pushed up property prices. Well, why not complain to the sellers of the properties. We never complain the foreigners/immigrants buying furniture as long as they go back to their own countries afterwards. Everything is fine, but just Not in My Own Backyard! Most of us like to travel, relax a little when we have saved up enough money. We may go abroad or go to explore the other side of our own country. However, based on your analysis, people from California should not visit Texas because the culture/way of living may be different. It is very simple to stop tourism. Figure out where majority of tourists came from; then do regular advertising (in their own countries) to tell them that that are NOT welcome to Spain! I, for one, will stop going to Spain, if I am not welcome. Thanks.

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@andrewlau9873 It sounds like you are greatly oversimplifying the points I'm making here and projecting some conclusions that I am not actually arguing for. Maybe the vid just isn't for you and that's ok! To consider as you leave though, I am not talking about tourism in only the west or the global north here. I have a whole section calling out how this is actually a bigger problem in other parts of the world. Furthermore, branding anti-tourist sentiment as NIMBYism is simply disingenuous. Most people concerned about tourism also want more density and housing near them! Myself included! Either way thanks for your thoughts and you're welcome back if you'd like to think through things further. 👋

[@andrewlau9873]

@@sorenrehkopf1312 I appreciate your prompt response. City planning, building more affordable housing etc. are governments' responsibilities. Locals putting blame and discontent on tourists is not the right way of doing it. In life, whatever we do, positives and negatives will come with it. Although, I must say that tourists should do a little more homework on places that they will visit, in order to abide local rules and customs. Tourists must behave and present themselves responsibly. Thank you.

[@Grimberian72]

you had me right reeled unto 27:33 i can only smh now! you write off you own argument...

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@Grimberian72 How do you mean?

[@Grimberian72]

@@sorenrehkopf1312 i watched a little more, am stuck inbetween the arguments, i enjoyed it !your good (Y)

[@Grimberian72]

@@sorenrehkopf1312 I COME FROM A PLACE WHERE THE TOWN DIES WHEN THE TOURIST GO HOME, BUT ALSO THE LOCALS HAVE NOWHERE TO LIVE! am still bugged out lol

[@andresgarciacastro1783]

Tourism leads to poverty.

[@smvsspould]

Meh, I dont have a de facto right to live in a specific place because my parents did, if I can't afford to live somewhere I'll leave. If someone wants to travel and spend money, and businesses decide they can get more money from that than me living there, then thats what the businesses can choose to cater for. I can whine about that, or I can move.

[@Myria83]

And that's how you lose 90% of what makes a location attractive: culture, folklore, cuisine, etc...

[@smvsspould]

​@@Myria83Then if enough tourists think it's no longer a place worth visiting, they'll stop coming, there's less competition for housing and people move back in and the cycle continues and levels out. It's not some big disaster.

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

@@smvsspould this view is deeply rooted in what's known as "Capitalist Realism". No actual human concerns matter and no one has a right to anything, the only thing that is real is the unassailable logic of capital and profit and human lives are merely incidental to that. This is the mentality of "the money in tourism" which I argue against in this video. You're allowed to hold that view if you want but it is a bad and dehumanizing one.

[@smvsspould]

​@@sorenrehkopf1312I don't feel that there should be unfettered capitalism in all areas and no regard to human life at all. I believe in universal healthcare, I believe in subsidised transit, I think for a long time women have been subjugated, I believe corporations should support minorities even if it isn't in their financial interest. I don't think suggesting that someone doesn't have a birthright to expensive real estate by virtue of the location of their birth is the same as suggesting "No actual human concerns matters". My parents brought me up in a village that's just off an arterial road in Staffordshire, UK. As such, it's got good connections and is in a pretty location, and business people use it as a hub with hotels and bnbs springing up. My parents worked hard over decades to be able to afford a house there. Why should I expect that handed to me on a platter? I moved to a cheaper part of a city (Birmingham) that also has some tourism, but not much as it's far from the coast. As such, I've got reasonable housing costs, can save money and am on the trajectory to being able to move to a more affluent area someday.

[@smvsspould]

​@@sorenrehkopf1312I do believe in many human concerns and rights, I just don't believe you have the right to a piece of real estate through heritage.

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

The way you say TWO RISM and vocal fry makes me hate you, bro. And it's just whining priveledged NIMBYs. Saved everyone an hour of time.

[@Myria83]

Your loss. 🤷‍♀ The video is very interesting.

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

@@Myria83 Ever heard of "opportunity cost"? Your premise is faulty.

[@Myria83]

@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 And what is "my premise" supposed to be? (I'm a development economist, by the way: I know what opportunity costs are, but I've no idea what you might be inferring by a simple "the video is interesting".)

[@sorenrehkopf1312]

Awww darn 😞

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

@@Myria83i guess "developed" doesn't necessarily mean "strong reading comprehension". Your premise was that I "lost" something by not wasting an entire hour of my time on this video. By watching or engaging in something more valuable or far more "interesting" I "gain", rather than "lose" something. And opportunity cost is basically the principle of time-value exchange demonstrated. Come on, man.