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I live in Southern California.. I don't blame people coming to visit!
I've felt welcome everywhere I have traveled (30+ states and 20+ countries, some multiple times) with the exception of Morocco and maybe Jamaica
I like visiting southern CA because they treat tourists just like any other person there. They know why CA appeals to tourists because so many moved there from elsewhere in the first place. It’s a shame that some residents of other states automatically badmouth or shun them just because of where their home is. I’ve heard the sentiment enough times to cringe when I read accounts like what the poster above encountered in Helena, MT.
Same with the shore and the "Bennies" (name for summer people). The traffic gets horrendous, the teenagers and young adults come down and get drunk out of their minds and sometimes wreak havoc, but it's a huge part of the economy here, too. A bad summer can ruin businesses.
I'm a native NY'er but never heard the term "Bennies". Of course, when you speak of "the shore" I know you mean New Jersey, which is not the same as when we've gone to "the beach."
So, do you know the origin of the term "Bennies"? Thanks!
I live in San Diego. Can't stand the tourists. Every summer we get inundated by people from AZ and Vegas. They take up all the parking at the beach, clog all the restaurants/bars, traffic issues, etc...
I don't work in the tourist industry, so they are nothing but a negative to me.
The Airbnb thread revealed some "not in my backyard" feelings about tourists. And as this is the travel forum most of the posters here have had to have been tourists themselves at some point.
So I'm wondering, how do you feel about tourists coming to your area? Are they an annoyance? Welcomed with open arms and celebrated? A necessary evil for the economy?
As a tourist yourself have you ever been anywhere that you felt truly unwelcome? Do you notice a difference when you stay in "tourist areas" versus mixing with the residents? Do you make an effort to blend in or do you think it's really not necessary?
If I become aware of tourists visiting here, I wonder how bleak their lives must be where they live, to pay money to spend time in this place. The only entertainment that exists here for me, is what I provide for myself.
I live in a ski resort, without tourists we would cease to exist. It gets crowded in season but it's also the reason for our paychecks. We choose to live here for the quality of life, tourists spend thousands a week to experience a small taste of what we have every day, so I'm grateful for the tourists.
I live in San Diego. Can't stand the tourists. Every summer we get inundated by people from AZ and Vegas. They take up all the parking at the beach, clog all the restaurants/bars, traffic issues, etc...
I don't work in the tourist industry, so they are nothing but a negative to me.
My two cents.
I live in the greater Charleston, SC area .... see above for the rest.
I think it's nice that so many people make bucket list trips to see what I get to see on a daily basis. Their enthusiasm reminds me of how beautiful it is here.
I do wish they'd consistently pull over and let people pass, rather than blocking traffic with slow RVs or when watching wildlife.
I'm a native NY'er but never heard the term "Bennies". Of course, when you speak of "the shore" I know you mean New Jersey, which is not the same as when we've gone to "the beach."
So, do you know the origin of the term "Bennies"? Thanks!
They say it comes from old days when people would come to the shore from the urban areas by rail on the Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark line.
I moved down the shore from North Jersey, but when I'm here, I go to the beach. I'm already at the shore (actually about five miles inland).
I think it's nice that so many people make bucket list trips to see what I get to see on a daily basis. Their enthusiasm reminds me of how beautiful it is here.
I do wish they'd consistently pull over and let people pass, rather than blocking traffic with slow RVs or when watching wildlife.
Pretty much what they said!
This is Hawaii. We have tourists. Some of them are entitled, they are in the midst of their 'Hawaiian Vacation', they spent a lot of money to get here but what do we care, really?
Yeah, they spend a lot on their hotel, but who owns the hotels and where does the money go? Locals don't own the hotels and the money goes off to the corporate offices somewhere else. The hotel hires locals at service wages but the profits are sent and spent somewhere off island. All we get out of it is a service wage job and lack of access to what used to be a nice beach.
There's not as much long term rental housing anymore since so much of it has gone to Air BnB or VRBO vacation rentals. And even those are owned by folks who don't live around here. The laws were changed last January to require the Air BnB/VRBO owner to live on site, maybe that will help. Folks from other places were buying houses and renting them by the week. Not even buying them to ever live in, purely for profit and that's less housing for folks who live here - in an already tight housing area.
We also get a lot of folks who visit and then want to move here. They bring in money made in a much lower cost of living area and buy houses for a lot more money than the local folks can afford. They're willing to move here and work at half their mainland wage in order to live in Hawaii. Which keeps the housing prices high and wages low in Hawaii even for the non-service jobs.
So, yeah, it's a tourist area and a tourist driven economy to some extent, but what with the pressure on housing and prices, not to mention just the additional traffic and extra people all over the place, it's kinda hard to be glad to see them. As a generic group 'tourists' they're annoying, but when you meet them one on one, then they're generally nice people.
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I'm already at the shore (actually about five miles inland).
