The challenging experience for me is not quite challenging itself, but has significantly influenced my views on globalization. As a student studying abroad in Europe, I felt somewhat like the personalities of high English literature (such as Emma or Little Women), where the young, aspiring characters would complete their noble education with the Grand Tour of Europe. I do not align with such a character like Emma's Mr. Knightly in that he was very (very) wealthy and upper class to feel so special as to travel in this way, but I did contribute time, effort, and money to broaden my cultural perspective and achieve a higher mental view on this study abroad.
However, as I traveled through Bonn, Luxembourg City, and Dublin these past three weeks, I have seen and encountered a large number of other tourists (especially in Dublin). As an example in Ireland, my classmates and I went to Glendalough, a beautiful landscape of tucked-away lakes. I would have thought the place would be quiet and serene. It was, but not as much as I would have thought with the amount of American (and other) tourists that populated the walking paths. This is not necessarily a terrible thing, it is just a new perspective to ponder (that is why I studied abroad anyways!) The only area with a lessened population of tourists from around the world was Nordeney, which made the experience just a bit sweeter and unique.
I always prefer spaces with less people, though I do recognize that I contribute to that population of people wherever I am at. Globalization is the increasing process of the immersion of cultures and economies across the world. As the tourist industry grows, and travel markets expand, it has become more common for foreigners to populate the streets of cities (and hiking paths, too, as I discovered). As I travel, instead of experiencing more of the place itself, I sometimes find myself wandering through extensive tourism populations.
There is both a benefit and a curse with this type of situation. I am able to meet some of the most cool, and adventurous, people from all over the world! Usually, the person who travels is a pretty fun individual. The curse with globalization; however, is that I find it harder to reach the hidden spots of a city, landscape, and/or country, where not many people go. To find places like these, I am most always likely dressed in hiking boots and layered down with a backpack and water bottle (and the weather is drizzly), but some of the moments when I can find those special places is something I always cherish!
This is such a good point you have brought up, and something I have noticed as well especially after going to Barcelona. Being a very touristy area can sometimes make me feel safer and more comfortable, but I also feel like it is shielding me from the true culture the location has to offer. I have also noticed most places enjoy charging tourists much more and it is getting expensive. It is always fun but sometimes a challenge to get out and find those more local spots to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that we have seen many tourists this trip. However, I think that globalization has not necessarily dampened the experience of tourism. I think rather, Globalization has created three different kinds of tourism: vacation, sight-seeing, and adventure. My girlfriend and I have talked about the relationship between these a lot, but not until this last weekend of solo travel do I think I really realized their existence. Vacation is when you travel to a place that has been created for foreigners enjoyment (Turks and Cacaos, turtle beach resort in Hawaii, Disney World) There is nothing wrong with spending your PTO in this way. It can be great for families, ensure a level of quality for your trip, but it will never give you insight into the real life of these surrounding populations. Next, Sight-Seeing, to me, are these tourist flooded places that you spoke about. This is true travel in real communities, but it is most often in the "hot spots". I think an example of a sight-seeing place for me has been Amsterdam, or Munich (which I just left). Visiting these places, you can learn a lot about the Dutch, or Bavaria, but their is still a level of immersion that is hindered by the effect of "everyone having the same idea". Despite the saturation of these hot spots, I believe that their is still a frontier for adventure and true immersive traveling. I visited a town called Fussen this weekend... nobody spoke english, nothing was made for my enjoyment, and yet, it was an experience I will never forget. This little town somehow made me feel so so alone, an yet so alive with the fervor of adventure. I made friends with people that I had to use a translator app to communicate with. And I made memories that are mine and mine alone. In these places though, after some time, I almost began to long for someone to share it with or even someone to talk to with some level of depth. That was when I ran into a Canadian family on a hike who recognized my aggie ring and asked if I was from the States. There was a sense of relief from having at least a few people in the world who understood me. I later ate dinner with that family and we shared our stories of adventure. So yes, I agree that the middle ground of travel has been hyper saturated with tourists, I think, in a way, it forces us to go find the really hidden gems where adventure is felt to its fullest. And I don't think that's too bad at all
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