Castlerigg Stone Circle, Cumbria
I am not sure what the solution is, but Tourism does seem to becoming a problem in so many places. Hostility in many Tourist hot-sports to visitors appears to be on the increase. Car Parks overflowing, Country Lanes blocked, visitor facilities not coping*…… and yes, I must be part of the problem, as for years I have travelled far and near.
Hot-Spots have always been busy, but the numbers seem to have reached bursting point at many locations. Now once quiet areas are rapidly becoming new hot-spots. Worrying is that many such hot-spots are not man made destinations, but natural areas of beauty.
Then we also have to recognise that many locations are where people live and work…. and tourism is causing not just inconvenience but for some distress.
Not sure what the solution is. Tourism has been the lifeblood for many, but now many question this explosion and its sustainability.
*Nor has the current poor state of finances for Local Authorities helped, Toilets Closed, Visitor/Tourist Information Centres closed or operating under restrictions. National Parks struggling to balance decreasing budgets. Parking restrictions causing further congestions rather than easing situations. Add to that Housing out of reach of many who work in the tourist/hospitality industry… so travel to work occurs over longer distances. Property that does come on the market snapped up as a business opportunity not a place to live.
Reports in the media, from home and overseas, record the increase in these complex conflicting interests…. and one has to puzzle as to how we got to this situation.
After Covid and restrictions here in the UK eased, it was perhaps understandable that folk, released from the enforced ‘captivity’ were desperate to get out and about in our countryside. Overseas travel was not possible, so destinations across the UK becoming the obvious locations for both weekend escapes and longer holidays. Some said it was an understandable short term issue…. now in 2024 it is obviously not.
All in All... a bit of a mess…. I could also add Climate Change concerns, but that is another issue. I can only see the current conflict of interests getting worse. Some locations imposing or thinking of imposing a ‘Tourist Tax’ for each day of a visit. Nor, I admit, do I have any solutions to suggest.
Just a thought for this Thursday…. and as always ….
Please Remember ….
Stay Safe …. Be Kind…. Look After Each Other
9th May
(C) David Oakes 2024
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 
A very complex problem which we have all contributed to but are unwilling to fix.
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It is complex, Just the housing issue (and not just for Tourist locations) is the big issue. It all started to go wrong when the Banks decided that ‘Buy to Let’ was a good option. Houses became a business not a home.
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And now everyone expects to make a profit from their home rather than growing old alongside it.
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Our ever expanding population certainly doesn’t help…..
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True…but as everybody is supposedly short of money, you wonder where folk get the money from…tourism isnt cheap
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