To have to many travel enthusiasts think of Europe, cities a must-see: the Historical magnificent buildings, such as in a history book. But then many of them end up only in the Scenes of Games of Thrones, such as in Dubrovnik.
Tourism has become a year-round marketing party: electric-Festivals, sporting events, cruises. The cities groan under the masses of tourists. I have been watching this development for years in Croatia. It is simple, this country promote: The nature, the karst mountains and Islands, the clear sea, the diversity of the landscape at short distances. Tourism Manager preach, however: “That’s not enough! It does not have to happen anymore, otherwise the guests come throughout the year.”
Croatia is now hip, which has made it clear to the recently deceased world-famous chef Anthony Bourdain in 2012: “If you have not been here, you are an idiot!” This year, the success of the football national team: by now the world knows the small corner of the Adriatic sea.
Growth at any price. And in a country whose coast is on one side of the mountains on the other side of the sea bordered. More than five million Nights in a few months, the roads and ferries are crowded. The a cheer: endless opportunities to make money! Some legally, others to be inventive on the authorities.
The love of money attracts
The offers are numerous: tourists no longer have to be content only with white fish and Blitva (the traditional Dalmatian side dish of potatoes and chard). No, now there is everything from Sushi and Tapas to Acai Bowls. Authentic? No one wants to. Travelers are now looking for the “global urban-feeling”: people have been travelling, feel everywhere like everywhere.
Split, famous for its ancient Roman Diocletian’s Palace
Party? The island of Hvar for years as a Top Destination. Locals don’t fight back against the noise, such as the inhabitants of the Barceloneta, Catalonia. On a lonely island lives from tourism. The town of Hvar has pulled this year, however, the ripcord and have a picnic on the marketplace will cost several hundred euros penalty fee. Roar in the night as well. The tourism management is now working to reach other target groups than just party-goers.
Waiter, bring night, the Drinks, serve Breakfast in the morning. You excuse yourself friendly, if you forget something: “Sorry, the night was long.” The protection of workers? Difficult. Staff? It regulates temporary work contracts. Students stand in line to work for the summer for little money at the beach bar. The Prices? For Locals prohibitive. For some tourists.
Authentic? Because of…
Split, this proud white city, a UNESCO world heritage site, has become a Museum for tourists. You can hardly find more autochtones life. The “Splicani”, which spent their Childhood on the marble stones of this city, which rarely go in the old town:”? In order to be of crowds of tourists pushed?” When I came this year in the Diocletian’s Palace and Croatia Records, my favorite shop had closed, I was short the heart. Clearly, the time of record shops is over, I thought and comforted myself. However, there are fewer and fewer shops like in the past, what survives, and is used for tourism.
The stores pull the edges of the Malls in the city, it is mostly international chains. The tourism is changing the European city centres are increasingly so that they become Non-places, like airports. Cafes, Restaurants, Shops, everything the same, everywhere. Only the scenery changes, the names of the cities on the Souvenirs in the Gift Shops. Life, all of what makes a city urban and authentic, giving way to the traveler, to spend it easy when it comes to money.
For eight seasons the old town of Dubrovnik turns into the city of King’s landing from the series Game of Thrones…
The Profit of the Large and Small sense ruled, the quick money. “Untouched” is the paradoxical tag of the boom. There used to be in the old towns people fed at night, the stray cats. Children, in their Slang cried when they played street football. The town beach was once the recreational area of the Locals, even the Poorest.
Now everything is setting: On the beach you have to rent a cot and then, on the wet sweat from the previous pictures for Instagram – like, with overpriced Cocktails in Hand. Secret coves, there are hardly any more, because all boats; it looks amazing while Swimming in a white boat muzzles instead of the pink horizon. You want to enjoy the sunset, any Tourist who is chasing his drone to the skies in order to preserve the view.
Even under the water: tourists with cameras. New this year: The Tourist who does not need a cell phone to Stick more because the phone is now growing almost out of his Hand. His cell phone scans the environment for him, as in the case of U-boats. He’s blunt straight runs looking, because the camera records everything for him. Maybe he sees himself in the evening, where he was during the day.
Leisure scenes for the masses
Next, the Vis is the small island in front of Split, a victim of the boom is because Mamma Mia part 2 plays. The Greek island of Skopelos, turned on the part 1, lost your soul already. On the dream island of Brac citizen of samples currently in the uprising against the German TUI, and a local Investor, who is planning a hotel for three thousand tourists in a fishing village of barely three Thousand inhabitants!
There was a time, there lived in Europe, studied, researched, fished. It shoes were made, dresses made – and humane tourism enterprises. But the octopus tourism brings, without that, the profits would be invested in the improvement of local infrastructure.
….what attracts in addition to thousands in the narrow streets of the “pearl of Adriatic”
Of course, many Locals will benefit. Until you notice how in Dubrovnik, that all of a sudden ten thousand people attend on the day, the small pearl of the Adriatic. Just Dubrovnik, the city of freedom, once wrote independence on their doors and century-long battles fought. In the 21st century. Century came the ultimate defeat: The tourism has conquered the city without resistance.
The money blessing, the tourism means, mutated plague of locusts, if you can live on that alone, to be only a recreational setting for those who can afford it. And the Land to those who sold want to make the most out for yourself.
The soul of the cities of this continent was once the Polis. The City. It was conceived as a civic community and a public space. It is time for Europe to let the Locals join in the conversation, what is tourism, you will find towns and fishing villages for portable use, such as the local infrastructure should benefit and how the nature in the heart could be instead of just the Profit. Above all, it is time to talk about a Europe that can, again, more than tourism, especially in the South.
Jagoda Marinic is a German-Croatian novelist, Playwright and journalist. Finally, the book “Made in Germany appeared to her – What is German in Germany?”. In it she deals with the identity of Germany as a country of immigration. From the book “directions for use of Croatia”.