thecheshirecat on Overtourism. Is it all AirBnB’s fault?
Overtourism has been with us for a while, hasn’t it? Ask a Venetian, or a Cornishman living just off the A30 wanting to nip to Sainsburys, or the resident of a Caribbean island dwelling in the shadow of cruise ships taller than the highest peak on their island. Yet 2024 seemed to be the year that the local worm turned, with protests against mass tourism in all sorts of place, Barcelona and the Balaerics being two prominent examples. It seems to me that AirBnB gets a lot of the flak for this. I’m yet to be convinced that this flak is justified. To me, it appears that they have become a conductor for wrath, being perceived as yet another too-successful American tech company, who must be dodgy by association.
I use AirBnB. I think it’s great. My geographical knowledge is excellent; when I go on a trip, I usually know exactly where I want to be. AirBnB is highly effective at finding me accommodation at or near that very location. Let me give you examples. In the past, I have cycled Lands End – John o Groats, the length of the Pyrenees » Continue Reading.