8-5-24

OVER-TOURISM IS AFFECTING RESIDENTS ADVERSELY

It’s been going on since I can remember, but the increase in tourists and snap shooters in the past ten years has become unbearable in certain locales. Just last summer, I saw it happening in the National Parks, Paris and London, and this year it has reached a breaking point as many flock to the Olympic Games in Europe. From idyllic settings like Santorini, Greece to Hallstatt, Austria, residents are protesting, occupying roads of entry, barricading “selfie” spots, and taking over the beaches. I don’t really blame them. It’s part of the reason I switched from being a travel photographer for a dozen years to an automotive filmmaker in 2004. I was seeing the changes and realized that I was part of the problem.

(Photographer: Unknown)