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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Silly question, but super crowded + super expensive, more than ever before, how are all these other people getting $$? Where are they all coming from?
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"Travel hacking" with credit card points is a popular strategy nowadays. You can easily cover the cost of flights and hotels, and just have to pay for food, activities, etc. [/quote]

In Europe, it’s mostly Chinese tourists (before the pandemic and they’re now starting to come back), Americans and Indians. The sheer amount of people is overwhelming to small European destinations. I really miss the 90s :(((
The explosion in tourism is in large part driven by the massive growth in the global affluent classes. Tourists now come from all over the world. I remember when I went to Kazakhstan (talk about off the beaten path) and encountered a family group from Brazil. Brazil! Airfare is as cheap as it's ever been when adjusting for inflation. When you go to any of the popular global tourist destinations, Americans are only a small minority of the total tourist population. When I remember back to the 1990s, most tourists in Europe seemed to be either Europeans, Americans or Japanese. But now they are really from all over the world. [/quote][/quote]

You're right, PPs. I remember Europe from the 1970s (I spent 4 years in several European countries as a teen) when the only people who could afford to travel there were other Europeans (mostly from western and Northern Europe), Americans, and the odd Japanese tourist and when t you just wouldn't see the crowds that you do now. As a PP correctly said, the growth of global affluence has definitely led to an explosion in tourism. I would also add to that the role of social media in turning overseas travel into a marker of higher social class and "sophistication" and creating aspirations surrounding global travel akin to those that attach to coveted consumer goods. Basically, what we're seeing is the commodification of culture and tourism. The downside is that today's tourist experience loses most of its authenticity and local cultures are forever transformed in an attempt to meet tourist fantasies and expectations which are, in turn, driven by social media. I have roots in S. Europe and have watched this process intensify over the years as locals scramble to keep up with tourist expectations created by Instagram and TikTok. I'm at a stage in life where I can afford to go anywhere and spend many thousands on individual trips, but I have lost the desire to do so because it's all so fake and crowded.[/quote]

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