I live in Como Italy and Airbnb complete destroyed the housing market. As a 33 years old single man, I can't find a place to live by myself. It's not only in the city centre but also in the surrounding area.
Baby baby baby. I'm headed to Barcelona in 30 days to kick off our 20 yr anniversary on a 10 night Spain / Portugal cruise. I hope we don't run into any rude people!
Short-term rentals have become a major problem in the Phoenix (AZ) suburbs where I live. Cities tried to pass ordinances placing limits on them. The governor prohibited such ordinances, but then had to backtrack due to public outrage. So many homes in Scottsdale, AZ, were bought by investors seeking to turn them into short-term rentals that the investors wound up losing money because there weren't enough tourists to occupy all of those STRs.
This is so true. I live in a border town to a National Park in the mountains and all the secret special places are now overrun with visitors. Ten years ago people had no idea these places existed and you had to ask a “local”.
Our babies are treating us to a transatlantic in a few weeks. We're staying in a hotel is Lisboa for a few days after. We have heard of the locals being driven out of the city by vacation rental market and didn't want to participate in that. I almost forgot to say our babies are now 30 something.
Wow, thank you for covering this tabu topic! I mentioned something like this on a community page and got banned. I have worked in Skagway AK for 8 summers. The change that I have seen is monumental. People used to shop on Broadway and go on tours only. Now, videos showing all trails, and rental cars available make the town crawling with people everywhere every day. On my day off which is rare, I have to stay in my room. No where to go to get a break at all, plus trash left behind all over the place in this once charming clean town. This was my last summer, I cannot do this anymore. The amount of people in this tiny town on any given day is way too much and next year will be even more.
You make great sense, baby 😉 I too, don't know what the answer is but maybe remembering to be respectful & being mindful when we're visiting different places is a good start..
Hello Captain Morgan🙋♀️ Very good video, Morgan. I wish people taking selfies would take one or two and move on recognizing there other people waiting for you to move out of the way but no, 10 min later there still there taking every angle of their pouty face🤪
Hey baby, you nailed it. The first time I went to Europe I was 7 years old in 1963. My mother was a native of Rome and we went from the US to visit her family. We stayed in my grandparents apartment in a beautiful part of Rome. We lived there like the Romans did. You know what they say,; "When in Rome do as the Romans do. " Having that experience at a young age set me on a path to life of a lot of travel, living out of the US for almost half of my life in Europe and Asia, and many incredible experiences and a million memories. I've lived in Germany, Japan, Korea, and Poland. About half of my time living in foreign countries was as an active duty soldier, in Germany and Japan, and as a civilian working for the Army in Korea and Germany. It's a good way to live and work in a foreign country without the hassle of visa, work permits etc. I had the opportunity to visit Venice in 1976 and it was beautiful and wasn't jammed full of tourists. I went back there a couple of times in recent years and unfortunately tourism has ruined one of the most unique and beautiful cities in the world. It's sad. I lived in Heidelberg, Germany from 2001 until 2008. Heidelberg is pretty small, especially the city center and living in a city full of tourists, especially in the summer is a real pain in the butt. You are right about tourists wanting to get those photos for Instagram, etc. People that are always point their camera to show off on social media miss a lot of what the area really is about. As you say, "check list tourists". I almost got trampled in t Louvre some years ago form the people rushing past famous artworks just to see, in in my opinion, the unremarkable Mona Lisa. Like you, I don't know the answer to the tourist problem. It's really ruining the travel experience all over the world. I'm glad I did a lot of travelling before it got to the state it's in now. I'm also glad that I got to live in Germany for 11 years, Japan 3 1/2 years, Korea 2 1/2 years and my current home Poland where I have a house with my wife for the last 16 years. Living in a country is the only way to truly understand the culture and the people. Pro tip in Barcelona. To the northeast of the city are small towns every 8-15 km along the coast. Hotels are cheaper, the small towns aren't as crowded, and lots of good reasonably priced restaurants. There is a train line along the coast that stops at all of these towns and it doesn't cost much for a ticket to Barcelona and the trains run often. Get a hotel on or near the beach and take the train to Barcelona when you want. Callela is about 20 minutes from Barcelona and it's a nice little town. There are many of them.
Basically you are saying there should be limits on the number of people allowed to travel like you did . Should travel be limited to people of a certain income level or demographic in your opinion ?
@@sarahann530 Yes. I'm a travel snob. The unwashed masses are ruining the experience for people who travel to learn, experience, and interact with other cultures. Nowadays many people travel because airfares are cheap, cruise can be cheap, and all they care about is basically showing off. Some people on cruise ships cruise to let everybody know what high status they've attained and how many cruises they've done. Many people travel so they can post photos on social media to show off. They don't care where they go as long as it's well known and popular. The Colosseum, the Eifel Tower, Mount Fuji, etc. They are so buy making photos and videos that they really can't absorb what they are seeing. People that go on a cruise ship, spend a few hours in various ports, and then come home and think they know anything about whatever countries and cities they experienced are somewhat delusional. Especially in destinations where the port areas cater to tourists and are barely representative of what the country is really like. It's even more so in Asia where the culture is totally different than western culture. Sadly many tourists are so self absorbed they forget their manners. They thing locals should speak English no matter where they go. They disregard local customs because they have no idea what those customs are. They expect whatever locale they are in to meet their preconceived and baseless ideas of should be there. They dress poorly, talk loudly and generally behave in an obnoxious manner. They think the local are there to take care of their every need just because they might spend some money. You don't have to be rich to travel the world. What you should be is somewhat informed before you go, be respectful of the local people and their customs, and behave in a normal and polite manner. When I travel or live in a foreign country I always have the attitude that I am a representative of the US and I want to create as good an impression as I can of my country and it's people. I am speaking in general. Of course there are polite and respectful tourists that appreciate what they are experiencing. But they are in the minority unfortunately. It seems to me that the tourism crisis is a perfect storm of airlines and cruise lines to relentlessly pursue money and tourists who for whatever reason feel insecure, alienated and needy. So they travel to feel better about themselves and they can improve their self esteem by showing the folks back home how cool they are. If people are insecure and have no self esteem at home, being in a foreign country isn't going to change anything. Humans stubbornly believe that if a solution to a problem doesn't work, they should just repeat it until it does work. They don't think there might be a different way to resolve their problem. I wish people would just stay in the US and got to Vegas or Disney. They won't know the difference and they can speak English and get a response in English. Then they could stop going all over the world and spoiling everything for those who truly appreciate and respect it.
@edstuff1198 Do you think the World would be better off without the US military tourists ? Thousands of them all over the World travelling en masse and most only speak English . A group of them got a beat down in Turkey recently do you think that was deserved ?
@@sarahann530 What's your point? The problem is far greater than the US military stationed around the world. I'm not the emperor of the world so I can't change the situation. It's probably too late for any changes. The world is changing and most of it isn't for the good. Most of the problems are caused because many people think money is the reason for living. They think billionaires are their heroes and want to be like them. Money didn't buy happiness in the past, it doesn't buy happiness now. That's too bad and I find it to be very very sad. I never made a lot of money in my life and I've been retired for a few years now and I'm very happy.
That is definitely a very valid point you make. I've gone to places with pretty high expectations myself. Now I've realised what's going on. Are you sure its just travel content creators? I think part of the problem is people who just want to be popular in the most negative way, since that's what draws the viewers. This is my own personal opinion: If social media had a trailer park outside of town no one want to go to, that would be tic toc.
Also, people need to remember how to act right when they are travelling and stop thinking, "I'm on vacation so I don't have to behave." Know what I mean?
White Sands Hotel... OK Morgan, we were "influenced" by you. We just stayed there on Thursday of last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 100% loved it. Very tourist, 'inclusive' friendly. ❤
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides Not when you leave at 5 a.m. for flight home.😊 VERY Quiet. 2 suggestions: pull up the carpet and replace with ceramic tile, and, install a "Morgan Approved" shower glass door😅
I have been traveling a lot more in the last 15 years & I’ve definitely noticed the changes. Last year was the first time I actually spent some time in London even though I’ve flown through there many times. I was so disappointed because it was crazy crowded & I felt like I never really got to see anything. We were in Europe for about two months and I said never again, and I loved these places in the past. Maybe it’s because I’m older now & I just can’t deal with it anymore. Baby, it’s so disappointing.
I’m 74 and I’m glad I had the chance to travel when I did, but I’m not giving up going to Europe. But I’ll never go to Rome for example. I’m not a masochist. Aloha.
@@MarilynMayaMendoza OMG Rome was absolute madness when I went there. I was on a cruise & took a shore excursion that included 3 hours at the Vatican. The worst 3 hours of my life. I hung around there walking around & eating some lunch & people wouldn’t leave me alone. The same at the Coliseum. I got back on the ship & immediately canceled my excursion to Florence the next day. I couldn’t handle it. Then I went to the Windjammer for an early supper because I’d been gone for like 8 hours. The place was practically empty so the attendants in there swarmed me just trying to be helpful but it was just too much. I went to my cabin after I ate & didn’t come out until morning. It was so bad. I don’t think I’ve ever had a worse day on a cruise, and I’ve had my share of days I just wasn’t feeling it on a cruise.
@@habracken8004 thank you for confirming my decision. My son works for an airline so he told me I could fly to Rome for free and then take a train wherever I wanted to go. Even when I was young and more mobile, I avoided Rome because of the chaos. Now I would have panic attack and the cobbled unbroken streets would probably send me to the hospital. Sending peaceful vibes from Hawaii .Aloha
I am not taking any babies with me to Barcelona in 3 weeks but I am binge watching videos about Barcelona (and yours was one of the first!). All "kidding" aside, I don't know what the solution is either except maybe teaching manners to some tourists might help!!!
Oh yes, that is a big part of it. People need to remember how to act right when travelling. The mindset of "I'm on vacation so I don't have to be polite or respectful." needs to stop! Have you seen my video about the people in the pool in Hawaii? Those are exactly the kind of people who shouldn't be allowed to travel anymore :-P
Two problems: The mega-ships are dumping way too many people in the ports, not to mention the foul air these ships bring. And there's way too many people doing cruising videos on TH-cam!!! 🙄
Our first cruise was 2007. How did we figure anything out?! We're heading to Barcelona in 2.5 weeks for 3 nights/4.5 days before a cruise. We're spending a lot of money! So many of the videos we've watched are about doing it in one day, or doing it really cheaply. We want to create our own experience, not recreate someone else's trip. But we also want to see EVERYTHING. We are very respectful people (Canadian!), and want to support the local economy. We're worried we'll be targeted anyway.
I took my baby everywhere on vacation with me back in the day before IG and googling places on the internet gave you long lists of things to do. I didnt know if they were kid friendly, but I found out the old fashioned way. I like seeing new places on TH-cam, but then finding local places on our own, too, wherever we go...especially for authentic food.
Hey Baby... Most of my travel was in the pre-internet era so I do very well recall the various guidebooks of the time (including all the "Enter name of Place" for so much/day (in dollars/pounds/lira/pesos/etc. offerings). I think a great advantage of that time was that you were actually exposed to cities, buildings, galleries or markets as 1st hand experiences rather than having virtually toured them online prior to even leaving home. To see the 3D versions of places you have already watched in detail on video is nice, but in my opinion detracts from the joy and the potential thrill of 1st hand exploration, and the discovery of personally significant and memorable locations.
As you said baby, the issue is complex. Daily tourist limits creates a lottery system for access slots that will lead to more class division, only the the wealthy can afford to get into places. But unchecked tourism can drive residents out of the area, creating more of a theme-park atmosphere instead of seeing authentic neighborhoods. The excitement generated by the Travel-tubers and Cruise-tubers sometimes motivates people just to check things off their bucket list, without any real appreciation for where they are going. Was recently in Pompeii and loved it, but heard so many others that were apparently just there because they watched 10 minutes of a video and did no other research before showing up, then ignored the guides.
In 2012, I went on a group tour to Shan State, Myanmar. Our minibus, with five other travelers, a non-English-speaking driver, and a translator, was great. One couple had met in Ethiopia. They had shared a hotel and struck up a conversation. While exploring Rangoon solo, I unexpectedly found myself in a hospital requiring surgery. The two-night stay and subsequent bandage changes were a memorable, albeit unplanned, part of my journey. Most of the doctors staff spoke excellent English, though a few had varying levels of proficiency. Interestingly, my insurance company had contacted the hospital but couldn't find an English-speaking member of staff. One evening, I stumbled upon a place to eat dinner that was really a long, narrow room where the owner did not seak English. After a few unsuccessful attempts to communicate, I decided to trust a local who spoke a little English choose my meal. It was rare to see a tourist of European background around. I wonder how many of those paths on slopes that turn to slippery mud now have stairs and where to follow a path you needed to walk through a stream which has leaches in it as there is no bridge.
This is so accurate. I went to Mallorca around 5-6 years ago, it was so nice and beautiful. This year, I went back OFF SEASON and all of the beaches and attractions were super crowded! One day it took us 1,5h to try to find a parking space by some of the nearby beaches. It was impossible so we went back to our hotel instead. So sad!
Gut, dass du auf das Hauptproblem der Vermietung von Ferienhäusern und Wohnungen hingewiesen hast. Gerade auf den Inseln (Kanaren z.B.) scheint das ein riesen Problem, dass die Einheimischen keine Wohnung finden. Touristen in Hotels sind nicht das Problem, da wird auch niemand etwas dagegen haben. Viele leben ja auch vom Tourismus. Gutes Video.
Hey Morgan love your videos, especially Sunday Sofa Time. You're 100% correct that there is no 'right' solution to the tourist 'problem'. So much depends on the income generated from this that many local people would be financially affected. Correct making babies is a whole lot of fun!!! Keep those videos coming.👍👍❤️
Oh baby! You got that right! I live in central WI near a very popular lake area. It is a love/hate with the tourists. We hate on them all summer due to obnoxious drinking and rude behavior but lose business ever single winter when they go back home. Thankfully in my area the county implemented a vaca rental vetting policy. If you plan to rent your home in this matter all your neighbors within so many yards receive a letter from the county that asks you if you approve or not. There is only 1 airbnb in our area. People just say no.
You are so right Morgan! As a content creator like yourself (Cruises, Travel, Rum and High Seas Piracy) I had a discovery on the last cruise ship I sailed on that I decided to keep close to the vest. The ship had a "secret" bar not listed on the deck plans nor is it mentioned as a bar on the list of bars aboard the ship. Yet this bar had all the high-end liquor brands and the most experienced bartender aboard the ship. I decided it was better to be kept a secret or it will lose its mystique. Lol! All the IG photos I took I purposely made the photos in a way so you couldn't tell where the photo was taken. I refrained from adding it to a TH-cam video. The ship officers would come to this bar to get cocktails etc too! No one asked me in the FB group that I was part of about it as I think they thought I was at the well-known popular ship bar on this ship's Promenade.
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides It is not a ship you would think has such a bar. I got to be good friends with a lot of the crew at the bar. Maybe because I was a Pirate! 😂
Exactly Morgan with TH-cam there all tons of videos that show all the once hidden little get aways.. Now people's expectations are higher expecting perfection on trips.but baby it is fun to travel.
I am 57 and love to travel with my family, when on vacation I really don’t watch many videos about the location. I go to Viator we find a different activity in the morning to do and then spend the afternoon just exploring the city in general. I have found just walking around is the best way to have a great time. And having babies is great but as they got older it’s more fun to travel with them.
I think that for locals, Airbnb has really been the gamechanger. It has changed the availability of flats and houses, in the sense that housing prices have gone up, even on small flats, to a point where they are unobtainable for young locals. Some places are beginning to recognise this, and are implementing legislature to combat it. Also things like resources of, say, water are becoming an issue, especially on islands like Lanzarote and Fuertaventura - they are very dry, and the pressure to supply potable water is high. I think Covid was a gamechanger for many, because suddenly locals got to see their town as it should be - not overrun by cruise guests, who may not even spend any money there on a ten hour stop. I would hate to be a local in Santorini. My aunt, who lives in Alicante, will look to see if there's a ship in town before going to the market - to avoid the crowds of people, who are just there to look, not buy. It makes you wonder what todays babies will get to experience...
Cruising is a big villain in part because they deserve it. There is very limited trickle down benefit to the community at large. Everyone goes to the tourist traps set up for the cruisers, and nobody goes anywhere else. And then there's the private islands and other venues run by the cruise lines. So if you run the best restaurant in the city but it's not on the cruisers radar, yeah, you're losing business. Spend a few days in Barcelona and explore - great! Spend a few hours with a cruise poet as your base and you'll just see what all the other cruisers see and nothing else.
This is why I'm usually not very interested in getting off at ports on a cruise. I don't want the touristy junk spots, which is what one gets at cruise ports, and any city that's not difficult to get to. But I don't have a solution when it comes to cruises. There are some places I plan to fly to after I get the surgery I need so that I can get around, and I'm just hoping they don't get too well-known before I can get there. They're just beautiful places, some of which I have a distant personal connection to, but beautiful places are always found out eventually. I found them from all the way over here!
I agree completely. Seems like everywhere is overcrowded and I think a little more grouchy. I do feel sorry for the locals. We had that issue here in the PNW our little hidden gems are no longer hidden. 😢 Babies don't travel well😅
Im not a "baby" to cry and complain, but i totally understand all that you have said here and it's sort of goes both ways, if tourism is is stopped or cut down, then so is the money going into a country /city. Without having millions of tourists each year they would lose a lot of money in the area, so I really think that they also need to think about very seriously about this when doing what some cities are doing and going to all our trying to ban tourists. They may be "cutting of there nose to spite there face"
Baby, Baby, Oh Baby! You made many good observations on this topic. Allow me to add another perspective. After COVID, the cruise lines had to work hard to bounce back and get out of debt. However, I think some "greed" has set in and they are ordering many over-size ships for mega crowds (6K--7K and UP!?!) . This is ridiculous! To expect any port to accept large/huge numbers of passengers, plus crew members! Not to mention more than one mega ship in a port at the same time! Bottom line: money...greed. No thought for the ports/cities/countries/citizens whot will be impacted. Your thoughts, Sir, are welcomed.
Loved this video, because it is "real". Between Barcelona and Venice not wanting my tourism dollars, my future travel plans will include not visiting either place. I live in a tourist area and hate what has happened to the Rehoboth Beach & Lewes Delaware communities where we first had to battle the tourists coming to the beach on the weekends with the traffic. Now, some moron decided this is the best place to retire. (Our communities have changed overnight with over development, and no infrastructure. ) So, yes, I can relate to Barcelona; Las Ramblas isn't so sweet anymore. But, this isn't 30 years ago, and like a baby, things grow. In the US we have places where cruise ships are not welcomed by everyone, like Bar Habor and Key West. Each community has to decide how best to approach the situation. Venice's tourist fee is one way for sure. The fees on the Air B&B or the VRBO are another solution. Lewes DE has tried to ban "short term rentals" . Just down the highway in Ocean City MD, the condos are flurishing.
I've never been on a cruise yet, but if l do go, and ending up on one of massive ships, for me the ship will be the destination 'cause of the size of those things. All the people can get off to go to port but l would rather stay on board and enjoy a mostly empty ship. The pool with no worries of securing a deck chair, a meal at the buffet with no one pushing me out of the way or touching the food without tongs. I think that would be a great cruise for me...plus, liked mentioned, everywhere is just getting too touristy and the experience would be ruined for me, so staying on the ship would suit me fine. This was a great video Morgan and made me think about cruising or traveling in itself. Thank You Sir.
1,) when I was a baby travelling was expensive. And now I know people who fly nearly every weekend to a different city as it is cheap. 2) there are countries where people were not allowed to travel - now they do 3) no variety in "top destinations" - there are some youtubers showing alternatives but they are accused of ruining these places as well, but I think the solution is to make the whole world hot spots and desireable destinations - so people dont concentrate on just a few cities. 4) there are copies of cities in China - sounded weird to me years ago - but if that helps Hallstadt to have less tourists - then why not?. You can even do selfies 😊
Hooo Baby! Great video. I have fallen victim to the issue of going to see a location and having it be completely disappointing. I think the videos are helpful but I still like to pick up a Rick Steve's travel book to cross reference and find something different. If it's outdated and the thing I wanted to see isn't around anymore, then I use the time to explore the area and find happy accidents. Thanks Morgan!
I live in a tourist town in the US and I totally agree with you. One of the unfortunate side effects of the pandemic was that it made SO MANY people decide to do their bucket lists NOW because you can’t be sure there’s a tomorrow. The same over tourism is happening here in the US with RVing, which is also VERY popular on TH-cam. Unfortunately, this means that there are alot of new tourists out there, who don’t seem to know (or care in some instances) how to be a good tourist (especially overseas). No one taught them the rules of the road, because they’re the first in their family to leave the US. Travel just wasn’t available to them, or not prioritized in the childhood, so they never learned. Like babies.
I've got quite a few sweet secret places that I never intend to do a video about - they're too special to ruin with tourists; I found these locations on my own, and others can too, by chance, and fall in love with locations.
I completely agree with you about scheduling activities during vacation. I like to take a hybrid approach: have a few places I'd like to see and things to do, and also some wandering time to just take in the unexpected sights and experiences. ☺️ Oh baby, you never know what you'll discover! 😉
I will be heading to barcelona next year for a 10 day cruise with stops in Italy end of October 2025. I tried hard to encourage my mom to do two weeks in Italy for this reason of overcrowding.
Morgan, Keep up the great video's. my wife and I have had five babies, now grown adults living happily on their own. Yep, I watched until the need. All the best.
But don't forget that tourists bring MONEY $$$$. Many businesses rely on tourist dollars, without which, they would go bankrupt, and lay off lots of employees.
It's the cruise industry that's ruining Barcelona, not tourism, the hotels are very happy being sold out. I live in an area where cruises dump hordes of passengers two days a week. Barcelona has this problem compounded
Totally agree! Funny enough, we are going to Barcelona next month. However, we are flying there, then going to Salou to check out PortAventura World for a few days. Then back to Barcelona for a couple days before our cruise that leaves from the port there. We have plans to go to the zoo and the aquarium with our babies 😂. No other "plans" other than to explore a bit.
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides being an hour from Orlando, we frequent the parks a lot. So we're excited to see what a once owned Universal park is like. From the videos I've seen, it seems amazing. We can't wait!
Everything you said is true, including fun to make babies. I used to live by Disneyland and hated summers, but mostly weekends in August. It was because of all the tourist going to Disneyland, it was hard to just drive by it to do normal everyday errands. Traffic and jaywalkers were really bad and I would find myself yelling for people to 'go home'.
This was a very smart video and I subscribed. I’ve had four babies so I did my duty. I visited Barcelona in 1973 when it was pretty empty. I remember walking the Ramblas and having someone take a photo of me and my fiancé. And then we went to a place where rotisserie chickens or outside, and you picked one to eat. But on the other hand, I never felt that the city was overly friendly. I lived in Madrid a year later, and of course this was when Franco the dictator was there, the streets were clean, but the people were afraid to speak. Police were everywhere. I remember that no one spoke to me because I was a woman traveling alone. What is the solution? Maybe a bit of minimalism, a little less greed. Leaving the places you visit cleaner, then you found it. Learning the language and taking a few less photos. Yes I know that’s not gonna happen, but some people are responsible tourists. I’m not going to tell you the beach in Hawaii near where I live. It wasn’t crowded, the scenery is beautiful and there was a lot of aloha. And I will say why it will stay that way. Maybe that’s the secret. Sorry for the long comment. I’m very interested in this subject. And I’m also a writer and a small TH-camr. That means I don’t make money from my content.😊. Aloha.
Unfortunately people also travel with expectations to be entertained which is understandable. However locals are not there to entertain tourists if they didn't hire on for the job.👩🏾🍼 I'm starting to think every popular destination should have a day of the week where cruise ships aren't scheduled. With seven days that should be doable with no overlap.
My Baby and I would and will continue to cruise around the Caribbean visiting all the Islands that openly welcome us and gladly take our fist full of American Dollars while we sip margaritas. We also discovered during COVID that we have our own Paradise just a 7 hr drive from home and no need to venture abroad.
Luckily we still find hidden places which might be boring to others but that are authentic. For example a beach, some houses and only two taverns in Greece. Places are still there. I also like to visit popular places but often it is not worth all the hype. I like the quiet spots more. Hey you are working on your second baby?😂 Can't wait for the next book!
One of my good friends (practically since I was a *baby*) lives in Barcelona now. He used to enjoy traveling/vacationing there, and a few years ago decided to move there permanently. He told me that there has been a lot of anger that Americans like him (and other non-Spaniards) are coming in and buying real estate because it makes it that much harder for locals to buy homes.
@@alisondavidow1721 I suspect permeant immigrants aren’t that a big factor in the Barcelona housing market. But as with everywhere else, it’s easy to demonize immigrants.
We live in a family neighborhood/housing development and now 10 years later we have an Airbnb across the street. I can't be a good neighborhood watch if I don't know who should be there.
Catalonia/Barcelona has lost business over the last decade because of red tape and there is a dislike of business. One of the few industries left is tourism...but if these locals get their way they can over-regulate and run tourism out of Catalonia. Catalonia doesn't even like it when the Spanish visit.
Morgan get point. I live on the cost in Texas, and when looking for a place, a lot had terms "no sub lease or monthly " to keep owner at location. 💡 Next door you and Marcus by, and rent to On unofficial travelers members only. Babies must be in bed by 7am -lol
I don’t have an answer either but I definitely can see it from both sides. I currently live in the Washington DC area and between the Cherry Blossom season & Labor Day it’s one of the most visited cities in the US. As someone who works in downtown DC it can get annoying when I’m trying to catch the train and people are blocking my path. However for a city like DC or Chicago where I’m from it’s only a minor annoyance because they have the infrastructure. It’s been almost 30 years since I’ve been to Barcelona so I don’t know if the infrastructure can handle the onslaught of tourists but if cities can’t I see how it can be a real problem.
Cruise travelers are such a small part of tourists in cities like Barcelona. Unfortunately, cruisers get much of the hate from the locals as we saw it the famous Squirt Gun videos. I think it is up to the Government of Barcelona to regulate the amount of short term rentals to help curb this problem. As far as Babies, I have been trying to make one for my entire adult life and have yet to become a Dad. But, I am definitely going to keep trying.
I’m wondering which tourist is being talked about. Since it says “tourist” and not “tourists” I can only imagine that they have a specific person that they don’t want there. 🤔
Shocking! A travel content creator realizing they are part of the problem. Watching Cruise TH-cam the attitude of “how dare they not want 4 ships with 5000 people on each arriving at the same time” (over and over and over)
I grew up in tourist town in New England, and while they are a royal pain in the butt, without them, the town/county and State would be in horrible financial condition. And the rent situation is the same, high end dollars demand higher rents, that box out those that work for a living. I bet if you ask the folks in Barcelona how they felt after a year of no tourists, they might have a different answer. And ooo baby... one week left of camp hosting...
I’ve kind of equated a lot of the anti-tourism group to being the same type of people that would move into a city find an apartment above the cool clubs then they start settling down have a baby and then they start complaining about the noise that the cool clubs make so when liquor licenses come up they get pushed out Even though the bars were there before they moved in.
Just this week I cancelled what WAS my bucket list trip, the Med out of Barcelona. 😏 We were booked on Allure for Sept 2025. I just can’t see spending that kind of money visiting a location where the locals hate me. I’ll stick to my favorite Caribbean islands TYVM.
We keep seeing cheap flights but it’s obvious they don’t want us there so I don’t waste my time. Feels like there’s a discrepancy between the gov and the locals because why do they keep offering such cheap flights if they are having this issue??
I just spent 4 nights in Waikiki in an airbnb. I ended up paying $75 a day in taxes and fees. When I booked I did look at the total cost. Hawaii has gone to taxing the tourist. Hotels in the location I wanted were more than twice the price. I live in a tourist area in Texa. There are houses built to be airbnb's. We are in an HOA that restricts things, but we don't want them. The people who bought 20 plus houses to rent are now selling the houses because they didn't get the rent they thought they would. I am on my 1st of 4 cruises to Australia/New Zealand...my once in a lifetime cruise. Maybe I should rejoin your channel to hear my name.
Very interesting points concerning the tourist problems. Babies are cute, but they cost a ton of money to raise, so locals who benefit from tourist would loss the benefit of extra $.
I think Morgan is responsible for 79-80% of the overtourism in Barcelona. And have you seen the crowds at Disney since Morgan has been talking about it?
I think it is about the ginormous cruise ships dumping thousands and thousands of day trippers into port cities. There is no room for overnite vacationers. There is no time to explore the attractions not adjacent to the port. The cruise passengers don't eat ashore (free food on the ship) except maybe a snack or sandwich to go. They don't want to waste the short hours they have in port sitting down for a leisurely meal. Hotels get no business. There are long lines everywhere. Tours are booked through the ship so the mom and pop businesses don't thrive. Worst of all the infrastructure just cannot handle the amount of people. Water, toilets, garbage, busses, taxis, clogged roads, crime. It takes its toll on the locals. Maybe if the cruiselines kept the mega ships at sea and going to private islands and limited the ships porting to 3000 or fewer passengers it would make everyone happier. Even babies.
Sadly, cruise industry (lines and businesses dependent upon them and allies) spent somewhere $600,000-$1,000,000 fighting against the Ship-Free Saturdays initiative, in a town where the previous most expensive ever local campaign spent $50,000 and most are in the $5,000-$20,000 range. Now, will they do something to address the reasons Ship-Free Saturdays seemed likely enough to pass that they dumped all of this money into a slick professional campaign, or pretend everything is fine because they won that one election?
I live in Como Italy and Airbnb complete destroyed the housing market.
As a 33 years old single man, I can't find a place to live by myself.
It's not only in the city centre but also in the surrounding area.
Baby baby baby. I'm headed to Barcelona in 30 days to kick off our 20 yr anniversary on a 10 night Spain / Portugal cruise. I hope we don't run into any rude people!
I hope you don't, either!
I remember watching Rick Steve for travel advice. I think he was the first vlogger.
And “old-time” television show. On PBS no less.
Short-term rentals have become a major problem in the Phoenix (AZ) suburbs where I live. Cities tried to pass ordinances placing limits on them. The governor prohibited such ordinances, but then had to backtrack due to public outrage. So many homes in Scottsdale, AZ, were bought by investors seeking to turn them into short-term rentals that the investors wound up losing money because there weren't enough tourists to occupy all of those STRs.
“Have lots of babies, I’ve heard it’s lots of fun to make em”. Lmao!!!!!!
Good, honest commentary on a complicated issue.
This is so true. I live in a border town to a National Park in the mountains and all the secret special places are now overrun with visitors. Ten years ago people had no idea these places existed and you had to ask a “local”.
Our babies are treating us to a transatlantic in a few weeks. We're staying in a hotel is Lisboa for a few days after. We have heard of the locals being driven out of the city by vacation rental market and didn't want to participate in that. I almost forgot to say our babies are now 30 something.
Wow, thank you for covering this tabu topic! I mentioned something like this on a community page and got banned. I have worked in Skagway AK for 8 summers. The change that I have seen is monumental. People used to shop on Broadway and go on tours only. Now, videos showing all trails, and rental cars available make the town crawling with people everywhere every day. On my day off which is rare, I have to stay in my room. No where to go to get a break at all, plus trash left behind all over the place in this once charming clean town. This was my last summer, I cannot do this anymore. The amount of people in this tiny town on any given day is way too much and next year will be even more.
That's too bad. We took a cruise to Alaska last year and at any given port there were 1 or 2 other cruise ships docked, so I can imagine.
AirBnB was a disaster idea from the get go.
I’ve tried it a few times and it never beats a hotel.
I remember buying a guide book for my first trip to NYC in college. Now my baby will probably not even know what one is.
You make great sense, baby 😉 I too, don't know what the answer is but maybe remembering to be respectful & being mindful when we're visiting different places is a good start..
Hello Captain Morgan🙋♀️
Very good video, Morgan. I wish people taking selfies would take one or two and move on recognizing there other people waiting for you to move out of the way but no, 10 min later there still there taking every angle of their pouty face🤪
Huge ships are overwhelming ports. We were recently in Skagway Alaska. There were four ships in port.
Skagway doesn’t exist without the ships.
Hey baby, you nailed it. The first time I went to Europe I was 7 years old in 1963. My mother was a native of Rome and we went from the US to visit her family. We stayed in my grandparents apartment in a beautiful part of Rome. We lived there like the Romans did. You know what they say,; "When in Rome do as the Romans do. "
Having that experience at a young age set me on a path to life of a lot of travel, living out of the US for almost half of my life in Europe and Asia, and many incredible experiences and a million memories. I've lived in Germany, Japan, Korea, and Poland. About half of my time living in foreign countries was as an active duty soldier, in Germany and Japan, and as a civilian working for the Army in Korea and Germany. It's a good way to live and work in a foreign country without the hassle of visa, work permits etc.
I had the opportunity to visit Venice in 1976 and it was beautiful and wasn't jammed full of tourists. I went back there a couple of times in recent years and unfortunately tourism has ruined one of the most unique and beautiful cities in the world. It's sad. I lived in Heidelberg, Germany from 2001 until 2008. Heidelberg is pretty small, especially the city center and living in a city full of tourists, especially in the summer is a real pain in the butt.
You are right about tourists wanting to get those photos for Instagram, etc. People that are always point their camera to show off on social media miss a lot of what the area really is about. As you say, "check list tourists". I almost got trampled in t Louvre some years ago form the people rushing past famous artworks just to see, in in my opinion, the unremarkable Mona Lisa.
Like you, I don't know the answer to the tourist problem. It's really ruining the travel experience all over the world. I'm glad I did a lot of travelling before it got to the state it's in now. I'm also glad that I got to live in Germany for 11 years, Japan 3 1/2 years, Korea 2 1/2 years and my current home Poland where I have a house with my wife for the last 16 years. Living in a country is the only way to truly understand the culture and the people.
Pro tip in Barcelona. To the northeast of the city are small towns every 8-15 km along the coast. Hotels are cheaper, the small towns aren't as crowded, and lots of good reasonably priced restaurants. There is a train line along the coast that stops at all of these towns and it doesn't cost much for a ticket to Barcelona and the trains run often. Get a hotel on or near the beach and take the train to Barcelona when you want. Callela is about 20 minutes from Barcelona and it's a nice little town. There are many of them.
Basically you are saying there should be limits on the number of people allowed to travel like you did . Should travel be limited to people of a certain income level or demographic in your opinion ?
@@sarahann530 Yes. I'm a travel snob. The unwashed masses are ruining the experience for people who travel to learn, experience, and interact with other cultures.
Nowadays many people travel because airfares are cheap, cruise can be cheap, and all they care about is basically showing off. Some people on cruise ships cruise to let everybody know what high status they've attained and how many cruises they've done.
Many people travel so they can post photos on social media to show off. They don't care where they go as long as it's well known and popular. The Colosseum, the Eifel Tower, Mount Fuji, etc. They are so buy making photos and videos that they really can't absorb what they are seeing.
People that go on a cruise ship, spend a few hours in various ports, and then come home and think they know anything about whatever countries and cities they experienced are somewhat delusional. Especially in destinations where the port areas cater to tourists and are barely representative of what the country is really like. It's even more so in Asia where the culture is totally different than western culture.
Sadly many tourists are so self absorbed they forget their manners. They thing locals should speak English no matter where they go. They disregard local customs because they have no idea what those customs are. They expect whatever locale they are in to meet their preconceived and baseless ideas of should be there. They dress poorly, talk loudly and generally behave in an obnoxious manner. They think the local are there to take care of their every need just because they might spend some money.
You don't have to be rich to travel the world. What you should be is somewhat informed before you go, be respectful of the local people and their customs, and behave in a normal and polite manner. When I travel or live in a foreign country I always have the attitude that I am a representative of the US and I want to create as good an impression as I can of my country and it's people.
I am speaking in general. Of course there are polite and respectful tourists that appreciate what they are experiencing. But they are in the minority unfortunately.
It seems to me that the tourism crisis is a perfect storm of airlines and cruise lines to relentlessly pursue money and tourists who for whatever reason feel insecure, alienated and needy. So they travel to feel better about themselves and they can improve their self esteem by showing the folks back home how cool they are. If people are insecure and have no self esteem at home, being in a foreign country isn't going to change anything. Humans stubbornly believe that if a solution to a problem doesn't work, they should just repeat it until it does work. They don't think there might be a different way to resolve their problem.
I wish people would just stay in the US and got to Vegas or Disney. They won't know the difference and they can speak English and get a response in English. Then they could stop going all over the world and spoiling everything for those who truly appreciate and respect it.
@edstuff1198 Do you think the World would be better off without the US military tourists ?
Thousands of them all over the World travelling en masse and most only speak English . A group of them got a beat down in Turkey recently do you think that was deserved ?
@@sarahann530 What's your point?
The problem is far greater than the US military stationed around the world. I'm not the emperor of the world so I can't change the situation. It's probably too late for any changes. The world is changing and most of it isn't for the good. Most of the problems are caused because many people think money is the reason for living. They think billionaires are their heroes and want to be like them. Money didn't buy happiness in the past, it doesn't buy happiness now. That's too bad and I find it to be very very sad. I never made a lot of money in my life and I've been retired for a few years now and I'm very happy.
That is definitely a very valid point you make. I've gone to places with pretty high expectations myself. Now I've realised what's going on.
Are you sure its just travel content creators? I think part of the problem is people who just want to be popular in the most negative way, since that's what draws the viewers.
This is my own personal opinion: If social media had a trailer park outside of town no one want to go to, that would be tic toc.
Also, people need to remember how to act right when they are travelling and stop thinking, "I'm on vacation so I don't have to behave." Know what I mean?
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides You are so right.
White Sands Hotel... OK Morgan, we were "influenced" by you. We just stayed there on Thursday of last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 100% loved it. Very tourist, 'inclusive' friendly. ❤
Yay! I’m glad you liked it! Were there any early morning screams from the hot tub? 😤
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides
Not when you leave at 5 a.m. for flight home.😊 VERY Quiet. 2 suggestions: pull up the carpet and replace with ceramic tile, and, install a "Morgan Approved" shower glass door😅
I have been traveling a lot more in the last 15 years & I’ve definitely noticed the changes. Last year was the first time I actually spent some time in London even though I’ve flown through there many times. I was so disappointed because it was crazy crowded & I felt like I never really got to see anything. We were in Europe for about two months and I said never again, and I loved these places in the past. Maybe it’s because I’m older now & I just can’t deal with it anymore. Baby, it’s so disappointing.
I’m 74 and I’m glad I had the chance to travel when I did, but I’m not giving up going to Europe. But I’ll never go to Rome for example. I’m not a masochist. Aloha.
@@MarilynMayaMendoza OMG Rome was absolute madness when I went there. I was on a cruise & took a shore excursion that included 3 hours at the Vatican. The worst 3 hours of my life. I hung around there walking around & eating some lunch & people wouldn’t leave me alone. The same at the Coliseum. I got back on the ship & immediately canceled my excursion to Florence the next day. I couldn’t handle it. Then I went to the Windjammer for an early supper because I’d been gone for like 8 hours. The place was practically empty so the attendants in there swarmed me just trying to be helpful but it was just too much. I went to my cabin after I ate & didn’t come out until morning. It was so bad. I don’t think I’ve ever had a worse day on a cruise, and I’ve had my share of days I just wasn’t feeling it on a cruise.
@@habracken8004 thank you for confirming my decision. My son works for an airline so he told me I could fly to Rome for free and then take a train wherever I wanted to go. Even when I was young and more mobile, I avoided Rome because of the chaos. Now I would have panic attack and the cobbled unbroken streets would probably send me to the hospital. Sending peaceful vibes from Hawaii .Aloha
I am not taking any babies with me to Barcelona in 3 weeks but I am binge watching videos about Barcelona (and yours was one of the first!). All "kidding" aside, I don't know what the solution is either except maybe teaching manners to some tourists might help!!!
Oh yes, that is a big part of it. People need to remember how to act right when travelling. The mindset of "I'm on vacation so I don't have to be polite or respectful." needs to stop! Have you seen my video about the people in the pool in Hawaii? Those are exactly the kind of people who shouldn't be allowed to travel anymore :-P
We're leaving on Resilient Lady from Barcelona in 3 weeks. Will you be on that cruise?
@@TracyKMainwaring Nope! I will be on the NCL Bliss from Los Angeles! Pretty much the other side of the planet :-P
Two problems: The mega-ships are dumping way too many people in the ports, not to mention the foul air these ships bring. And there's way too many people doing cruising videos on TH-cam!!! 🙄
Our first cruise was 2007. How did we figure anything out?!
We're heading to Barcelona in 2.5 weeks for 3 nights/4.5 days before a cruise. We're spending a lot of money! So many of the videos we've watched are about doing it in one day, or doing it really cheaply. We want to create our own experience, not recreate someone else's trip. But we also want to see EVERYTHING.
We are very respectful people (Canadian!), and want to support the local economy. We're worried we'll be targeted anyway.
I took my baby everywhere on vacation with me back in the day before IG and googling places on the internet gave you long lists of things to do. I didnt know if they were kid friendly, but I found out the old fashioned way. I like seeing new places on TH-cam, but then finding local places on our own, too, wherever we go...especially for authentic food.
Hey Baby...
Most of my travel was in the pre-internet era so I do very well recall the various guidebooks of the time (including all the "Enter name of Place" for so much/day (in dollars/pounds/lira/pesos/etc. offerings).
I think a great advantage of that time was that you were actually exposed to cities, buildings, galleries or markets as 1st hand experiences rather than having virtually toured them online prior to even leaving home.
To see the 3D versions of places you have already watched in detail on video is nice, but in my opinion detracts from the joy and the potential thrill of 1st hand exploration, and the discovery of personally significant and memorable locations.
I totally agree with you
As you said baby, the issue is complex. Daily tourist limits creates a lottery system for access slots that will lead to more class division, only the the wealthy can afford to get into places. But unchecked tourism can drive residents out of the area, creating more of a theme-park atmosphere instead of seeing authentic neighborhoods.
The excitement generated by the Travel-tubers and Cruise-tubers sometimes motivates people just to check things off their bucket list, without any real appreciation for where they are going. Was recently in Pompeii and loved it, but heard so many others that were apparently just there because they watched 10 minutes of a video and did no other research before showing up, then ignored the guides.
In 2012, I went on a group tour to Shan State, Myanmar. Our minibus, with five other travelers, a non-English-speaking driver, and a translator, was great. One couple had met in Ethiopia. They had shared a hotel and struck up a conversation.
While exploring Rangoon solo, I unexpectedly found myself in a hospital requiring surgery. The two-night stay and subsequent bandage changes were a memorable, albeit unplanned, part of my journey. Most of the doctors staff spoke excellent English, though a few had varying levels of proficiency. Interestingly, my insurance company had contacted the hospital but couldn't find an English-speaking member of staff.
One evening, I stumbled upon a place to eat dinner that was really a long, narrow room where the owner did not seak English. After a few unsuccessful attempts to communicate, I decided to trust a local who spoke a little English choose my meal. It was rare to see a tourist of European background around. I wonder how many of those paths on slopes that turn to slippery mud now have stairs and where to follow a path you needed to walk through a stream which has leaches in it as there is no bridge.
This is so accurate. I went to Mallorca around 5-6 years ago, it was so nice and beautiful. This year, I went back OFF SEASON and all of the beaches and attractions were super crowded! One day it took us 1,5h to try to find a parking space by some of the nearby beaches. It was impossible so we went back to our hotel instead. So sad!
I so agree with your content. Well said!
Gut, dass du auf das Hauptproblem der Vermietung von Ferienhäusern und Wohnungen hingewiesen hast. Gerade auf den Inseln (Kanaren z.B.) scheint das ein riesen Problem, dass die Einheimischen keine Wohnung finden. Touristen in Hotels sind nicht das Problem, da wird auch niemand etwas dagegen haben. Viele leben ja auch vom Tourismus. Gutes Video.
Hey Morgan love your videos, especially Sunday Sofa Time. You're 100% correct that there is no 'right' solution to the tourist 'problem'. So much depends on the income generated from this that many local people would be financially affected. Correct making babies is a whole lot of fun!!! Keep those videos coming.👍👍❤️
Oh baby! You got that right! I live in central WI near a very popular lake area. It is a love/hate with the tourists. We hate on them all summer due to obnoxious drinking and rude behavior but lose business ever single winter when they go back home. Thankfully in my area the county implemented a vaca rental vetting policy. If you plan to rent your home in this matter all your neighbors within so many yards receive a letter from the county that asks you if you approve or not. There is only 1 airbnb in our area. People just say no.
You are so right Morgan! As a content creator like yourself (Cruises, Travel, Rum and High Seas Piracy) I had a discovery on the last cruise ship I sailed on that I decided to keep close to the vest. The ship had a "secret" bar not listed on the deck plans nor is it mentioned as a bar on the list of bars aboard the ship. Yet this bar had all the high-end liquor brands and the most experienced bartender aboard the ship. I decided it was better to be kept a secret or it will lose its mystique. Lol! All the IG photos I took I purposely made the photos in a way so you couldn't tell where the photo was taken. I refrained from adding it to a TH-cam video. The ship officers would come to this bar to get cocktails etc too! No one asked me in the FB group that I was part of about it as I think they thought I was at the well-known popular ship bar on this ship's Promenade.
Oh wow. Now I'm so curious what ship it is!!!
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides It is not a ship you would think has such a bar. I got to be good friends with a lot of the crew at the bar. Maybe because I was a Pirate! 😂
Exactly Morgan with TH-cam there all tons of videos that show all the once hidden little get aways.. Now people's expectations are higher expecting perfection on trips.but baby it is fun to travel.
Playing my baby grand piano and mulling over the observations you've made. Always enjoy your thought provoking videos❤
We are going on a cruise ending in Barcelona a few weeks from now. I ordered your book and I am looking forward to reading it.
I love your honesty and real shots. You and Sheri are the only ones I watch anymore!!
I am 57 and love to travel with my family, when on vacation I really don’t watch many videos about the location. I go to Viator we find a different activity in the morning to do and then spend the afternoon just exploring the city in general. I have found just walking around is the best way to have a great time. And having babies is great but as they got older it’s more fun to travel with them.
I think that for locals, Airbnb has really been the gamechanger. It has changed the availability of flats and houses, in the sense that housing prices have gone up, even on small flats, to a point where they are unobtainable for young locals. Some places are beginning to recognise this, and are implementing legislature to combat it. Also things like resources of, say, water are becoming an issue, especially on islands like Lanzarote and Fuertaventura - they are very dry, and the pressure to supply potable water is high.
I think Covid was a gamechanger for many, because suddenly locals got to see their town as it should be - not overrun by cruise guests, who may not even spend any money there on a ten hour stop. I would hate to be a local in Santorini. My aunt, who lives in Alicante, will look to see if there's a ship in town before going to the market - to avoid the crowds of people, who are just there to look, not buy.
It makes you wonder what todays babies will get to experience...
Cruising is a big villain in part because they deserve it. There is very limited trickle down benefit to the community at large. Everyone goes to the tourist traps set up for the cruisers, and nobody goes anywhere else. And then there's the private islands and other venues run by the cruise lines. So if you run the best restaurant in the city but it's not on the cruisers radar, yeah, you're losing business. Spend a few days in Barcelona and explore - great! Spend a few hours with a cruise poet as your base and you'll just see what all the other cruisers see and nothing else.
Yes it's a complicated issue Morgan! We enjoy an AirBnB especially travelling with our "babies" (ages 23 and 27.)
This is why I'm usually not very interested in getting off at ports on a cruise. I don't want the touristy junk spots, which is what one gets at cruise ports, and any city that's not difficult to get to. But I don't have a solution when it comes to cruises. There are some places I plan to fly to after I get the surgery I need so that I can get around, and I'm just hoping they don't get too well-known before I can get there. They're just beautiful places, some of which I have a distant personal connection to, but beautiful places are always found out eventually. I found them from all the way over here!
I agree completely. Seems like everywhere is overcrowded and I think a little more grouchy. I do feel sorry for the locals. We had that issue here in the PNW our little hidden gems are no longer hidden. 😢 Babies don't travel well😅
Im not a "baby" to cry and complain, but i totally understand all that you have said here and it's sort of goes both ways, if tourism is is stopped or cut down, then so is the money going into a country /city. Without having millions of tourists each year they would lose a lot of money in the area, so I really think that they also need to think about very seriously about this when doing what some cities are doing and going to all our trying to ban tourists. They may be "cutting of there nose to spite there face"
Baby, Baby, Oh Baby! You made many good observations on this topic. Allow me to add another perspective. After COVID, the cruise lines had to work hard to bounce back and get out of debt. However, I think some "greed" has set in and they are ordering many over-size ships for mega crowds (6K--7K and UP!?!) . This is ridiculous! To expect any port to accept large/huge numbers of passengers, plus crew members! Not to mention more than one mega ship in a port at the same time! Bottom line: money...greed. No thought for the ports/cities/countries/citizens whot will be impacted. Your thoughts, Sir, are welcomed.
So very true, Morgan 💯. (The destinations need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water)
Oh Baby! That ending took an unexpected turn.
Loved this video, because it is "real". Between Barcelona and Venice not wanting my tourism dollars, my future travel plans will include not visiting either place. I live in a tourist area and hate what has happened to the Rehoboth Beach & Lewes Delaware communities where we first had to battle the tourists coming to the beach on the weekends with the traffic. Now, some moron decided this is the best place to retire. (Our communities have changed overnight with over development, and no infrastructure. ) So, yes, I can relate to Barcelona; Las Ramblas isn't so sweet anymore. But, this isn't 30 years ago, and like a baby, things grow. In the US we have places where cruise ships are not welcomed by everyone, like Bar Habor and Key West. Each community has to decide how best to approach the situation. Venice's tourist fee is one way for sure. The fees on the Air B&B or the VRBO are another solution. Lewes DE has tried to ban "short term rentals" . Just down the highway in Ocean City MD, the condos are flurishing.
I've never been on a cruise yet, but if l do go, and ending up on one of massive ships, for me the ship will be the destination 'cause of the size of those things. All the people can get off to go to port but l would rather stay on board and enjoy a mostly empty ship. The pool with no worries of securing a deck chair, a meal at the buffet with no one pushing me out of the way or touching the food without tongs. I think that would be a great cruise for me...plus, liked mentioned, everywhere is just getting too touristy and the experience would be ruined for me, so staying on the ship would suit me fine. This was a great video Morgan and made me think about cruising or traveling in itself. Thank You Sir.
1,) when I was a baby travelling was expensive. And now I know people who fly nearly every weekend to a different city as it is cheap.
2) there are countries where people were not allowed to travel - now they do
3) no variety in "top destinations" - there are some youtubers showing alternatives but they are accused of ruining these places as well, but I think the solution is to make the whole world hot spots and desireable destinations - so people dont concentrate on just a few cities.
4) there are copies of cities in China - sounded weird to me years ago - but if that helps Hallstadt to have less tourists - then why not?. You can even do selfies 😊
Hooo Baby! Great video. I have fallen victim to the issue of going to see a location and having it be completely disappointing. I think the videos are helpful but I still like to pick up a Rick Steve's travel book to cross reference and find something different. If it's outdated and the thing I wanted to see isn't around anymore, then I use the time to explore the area and find happy accidents. Thanks Morgan!
I live in a tourist town in the US and I totally agree with you. One of the unfortunate side effects of the pandemic was that it made SO MANY people decide to do their bucket lists NOW because you can’t be sure there’s a tomorrow. The same over tourism is happening here in the US with RVing, which is also VERY popular on TH-cam. Unfortunately, this
means that there are alot of new tourists out there, who don’t seem to know (or care in some instances) how to be a good tourist (especially overseas). No one taught them the rules of the road, because they’re the first in their family to leave the US. Travel just wasn’t available to them, or not prioritized in the childhood, so they never learned. Like babies.
I've got quite a few sweet secret places that I never intend to do a video about - they're too special to ruin with tourists; I found these locations on my own, and others can too, by chance, and fall in love with locations.
I don’t have any babies to take on vacation with me. I don’t think my cat would appreciate traveling with me either
Baby, baby, baby...your videos rock! 👏👏👏
I completely agree with you about scheduling activities during vacation. I like to take a hybrid approach: have a few places I'd like to see and things to do, and also some wandering time to just take in the unexpected sights and experiences. ☺️ Oh baby, you never know what you'll discover! 😉
I will be heading to barcelona next year for a 10 day cruise with stops in Italy end of October 2025. I tried hard to encourage my mom to do two weeks in Italy for this reason of overcrowding.
One of the solutions is to put enough social pressure on tourists to exhibit good, respectful behavior!
Morgan, Keep up the great video's. my wife and I have had five babies, now grown adults living happily on their own. Yep, I watched until the need. All the best.
But don't forget that tourists bring MONEY $$$$. Many businesses rely on tourist dollars, without which, they would go bankrupt, and lay off lots of employees.
It's the cruise industry that's ruining Barcelona, not tourism, the hotels are very happy being sold out. I live in an area where cruises dump hordes of passengers two days a week. Barcelona has this problem compounded
Totally agree! Funny enough, we are going to Barcelona next month. However, we are flying there, then going to Salou to check out PortAventura World for a few days. Then back to Barcelona for a couple days before our cruise that leaves from the port there. We have plans to go to the zoo and the aquarium with our babies 😂. No other "plans" other than to explore a bit.
Port Aventura is fantastic!
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides being an hour from Orlando, we frequent the parks a lot. So we're excited to see what a once owned Universal park is like. From the videos I've seen, it seems amazing. We can't wait!
Yup watched till the end. We had two babies that are all grown up now, and have their own families now.
Everything you said is true, including fun to make babies. I used to live by Disneyland and hated summers, but mostly weekends in August. It was because of all the tourist going to Disneyland, it was hard to just drive by it to do normal everyday errands. Traffic and jaywalkers were really bad and I would find myself yelling for people to 'go home'.
This was a very smart video and I subscribed. I’ve had four babies so I did my duty. I visited Barcelona in 1973 when it was pretty empty. I remember walking the Ramblas and having someone take a photo of me and my fiancé. And then we went to a place where rotisserie chickens or outside, and you picked one to eat. But on the other hand, I never felt that the city was overly friendly. I lived in Madrid a year later, and of course this was when Franco the dictator was there, the streets were clean, but the people were afraid to speak. Police were everywhere. I remember that no one spoke to me because I was a woman traveling alone. What is the solution? Maybe a bit of minimalism, a little less greed.
Leaving the places you visit cleaner, then you found it. Learning the language and taking a few less photos. Yes I know that’s not gonna happen, but some people are responsible tourists.
I’m not going to tell you the beach in Hawaii near where I live. It wasn’t crowded, the scenery is beautiful and there was a lot of aloha. And I will say why it will stay that way. Maybe that’s the secret. Sorry for the long comment. I’m very interested in this subject. And I’m also a writer and a small TH-camr. That means I don’t make money from my content.😊. Aloha.
Unfortunately people also travel with expectations to be entertained which is understandable. However locals are not there to entertain tourists if they didn't hire on for the job.👩🏾🍼
I'm starting to think every popular destination should have a day of the week where cruise ships aren't scheduled. With seven days that should be doable with no overlap.
My Baby and I would and will continue to cruise around the Caribbean visiting all the Islands that openly welcome us and gladly take our fist full of American Dollars while we sip margaritas. We also discovered during COVID that we have our own Paradise just a 7 hr drive from home and no need to venture abroad.
I watched until the end & I haven't produced any babies. Lol
Luckily we still find hidden places which might be boring to others but that are authentic. For example a beach, some houses and only two taverns in Greece. Places are still there. I also like to visit popular places but often it is not worth all the hype. I like the quiet spots more. Hey you are working on your second baby?😂 Can't wait for the next book!
Tourism can at times get so popular that it can result in the baby getting thrown out with the bath water if folks are not careful. 😁
One of my good friends (practically since I was a *baby*) lives in Barcelona now. He used to enjoy traveling/vacationing there, and a few years ago decided to move there permanently. He told me that there has been a lot of anger that Americans like him (and other non-Spaniards) are coming in and buying real estate because it makes it that much harder for locals to buy homes.
THIS, The "permanent" visitors are the problem.
@@alisondavidow1721 I suspect permeant immigrants aren’t that a big factor in the Barcelona housing market. But as with everywhere else, it’s easy to demonize immigrants.
We live in a family neighborhood/housing development and now 10 years later we have an Airbnb across the street. I can't be a good neighborhood watch if I don't know who should be there.
Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater! 😂 Great video.😊
Catalonia/Barcelona has lost business over the last decade because of red tape and there is a dislike of business. One of the few industries left is tourism...but if these locals get their way they can over-regulate and run tourism out of Catalonia. Catalonia doesn't even like it when the Spanish visit.
Morgan get point. I live on the cost in Texas, and when looking for a place, a lot had terms "no sub lease or monthly " to keep owner at location. 💡 Next door you and Marcus by, and rent to On unofficial travelers members only. Babies must be in bed by 7am -lol
I don’t have an answer either but I definitely can see it from both sides. I currently live in the Washington DC area and between the Cherry Blossom season & Labor Day it’s one of the most visited cities in the US. As someone who works in downtown DC it can get annoying when I’m trying to catch the train and people are blocking my path. However for a city like DC or Chicago where I’m from it’s only a minor annoyance because they have the infrastructure. It’s been almost 30 years since I’ve been to Barcelona so I don’t know if the infrastructure can handle the onslaught of tourists but if cities can’t I see how it can be a real problem.
I never traveled long distances with babies. That never seemed like a way to enjoy travel to me!
Cruise travelers are such a small part of tourists in cities like Barcelona. Unfortunately, cruisers get much of the hate from the locals as we saw it the famous Squirt Gun videos. I think it is up to the Government of Barcelona to regulate the amount of short term rentals to help curb this problem. As far as Babies, I have been trying to make one for my entire adult life and have yet to become a Dad. But, I am definitely going to keep trying.
I’m wondering which tourist is being talked about. Since it says “tourist” and not “tourists” I can only imagine that they have a specific person that they don’t want there. 🤔
Shocking! A travel content creator realizing they are part of the problem. Watching Cruise TH-cam the attitude of “how dare they not want 4 ships with 5000 people on each arriving at the same time” (over and over and over)
I grew up in tourist town in New England, and while they are a royal pain in the butt, without them, the town/county and State would be in horrible financial condition. And the rent situation is the same, high end dollars demand higher rents, that box out those that work for a living. I bet if you ask the folks in Barcelona how they felt after a year of no tourists, they might have a different answer. And ooo baby... one week left of camp hosting...
I’ve kind of equated a lot of the anti-tourism group to being the same type of people that would move into a city find an apartment above the cool clubs then they start settling down have a baby and then they start complaining about the noise that the cool clubs make so when liquor licenses come up they get pushed out Even though the bars were there before they moved in.
Or the people who move into a house next to Disneyland and then complain about the nightly fireworks. That's a real thing!
Just this week I cancelled what WAS my bucket list trip, the Med out of Barcelona. 😏
We were booked on Allure for Sept 2025. I just can’t see spending that kind of money visiting a location where the locals hate me. I’ll stick to my favorite Caribbean islands TYVM.
Oh no. So what are you doing instead?
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides 8 night Southern Caribbean. It’s our comfort zone.
Good perspective. Happy I cruise baby free
We keep seeing cheap flights but it’s obvious they don’t want us there so I don’t waste my time. Feels like there’s a discrepancy between the gov and the locals because why do they keep offering such cheap flights if they are having this issue??
I just spent 4 nights in Waikiki in an airbnb. I ended up paying $75 a day in taxes and fees. When I booked I did look at the total cost. Hawaii has gone to taxing the tourist. Hotels in the location I wanted were more than twice the price. I live in a tourist area in Texa. There are houses built to be airbnb's. We are in an HOA that restricts things, but we don't want them. The people who bought 20 plus houses to rent are now selling the houses because they didn't get the rent they thought they would. I am on my 1st of 4 cruises to Australia/New Zealand...my once in a lifetime cruise. Maybe I should rejoin your channel to hear my name.
We always need more babies!
Thanks for the fun videos.
Very interesting points concerning the tourist problems. Babies are cute, but they cost a ton of money to raise, so locals who benefit from tourist would loss the benefit of extra $.
I think Morgan is responsible for 79-80% of the overtourism in Barcelona. And have you seen the crowds at Disney since Morgan has been talking about it?
I know, right? ;-P
I think it is about the ginormous cruise ships dumping thousands and thousands of day trippers into port cities. There is no room for overnite vacationers. There is no time to explore the attractions not adjacent to the port. The cruise passengers don't eat ashore (free food on the ship) except maybe a snack or sandwich to go. They don't want to waste the short hours they have in port sitting down for a leisurely meal. Hotels get no business. There are long lines everywhere. Tours are booked through the ship so the mom and pop businesses don't thrive. Worst of all the infrastructure just cannot handle the amount of people. Water, toilets, garbage, busses, taxis, clogged roads, crime. It takes its toll on the locals. Maybe if the cruiselines kept the mega ships at sea and going to private islands and limited the ships porting to 3000 or fewer passengers it would make everyone happier. Even babies.
Taking a baby on holiday is a nightmare
Baby …..have a fantastic week.!
You hardly even have to go anywhere with Google Maps and Google Earth.
One day a week no cruise ships. Juneau may be trying this. Babies are cute😂
Sadly, cruise industry (lines and businesses dependent upon them and allies) spent somewhere $600,000-$1,000,000 fighting against the Ship-Free Saturdays initiative, in a town where the previous most expensive ever local campaign spent $50,000 and most are in the $5,000-$20,000 range. Now, will they do something to address the reasons Ship-Free Saturdays seemed likely enough to pass that they dumped all of this money into a slick professional campaign, or pretend everything is fine because they won that one election?
I find animal babies are reliably cuter than human babies. It's tough to say that to the parents, though.
Yes!!!!!
We made a baby on a cruise ship. 😂
Good Evening Morgan
Gotta love how babies are made! 😂😂😂
I love to travel the world with my "babies" - they are 34 and 36 😄
Hey baby! Do you think part of this is tourists behaving worse than the average toddler?❤😂❤
Oh baby!