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PaperclipPerfector  2yr ago (text post)   30116 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of May 29, 2023

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I think this is one of the tragedies of globalization. Diversity in the no the-plastic sense has been so reduced that unless you have the time and money to get far from trade routes, you’ll only really see the touristy Disney-fied versions of the country you’re visiting. To me, even bothering to look for such things isn’t worth the time simply because it’s so rare that unless you have tons of free time and money, you won’t actually find it.

The MOPs process often means that the very act of discovery (especially if you tell others about that place) tends to quickly destroy them. This happens a lot with natural wonders and beaches. Once it hits the internet, everyone looking for things to do that aren’t crowded and full of consumerism go there, quickly turning it into the thing they were trying to avoid.

time and money to get far from trade routes,

Time sure, but money? Surely it's cheaper to go to less touristed places almost by definition, as the further off the tourist path you go the less demand there is.

I believe he is right actually. Being near the common backpacker routes mean lots of cheap hostel infrastructure. If the country is not dirt poor, going off the route can mean your only option for accommodation might become more expensive local hotels (unless you are okay with bed-bug infested prostitution hotels)

It’s ironic in a sense because what I am personally doing (trying to find interesting nice places not well known) also means more and more places get used to my tourist income and transform into tourist parks. It’s a wonderful feeling to arrive at a cute town that doesn’t have a tourist info booth and locals treat you as a genuinely interesting oddity and not a cash cow.

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