Post date: Sep 20, 2015 1:19:31 AM
Venice gets a lot of attention whether it likes it or not. I wonder if the residents wish they could just live normal lives and not have to worry about outsiders. One of my unanswered questions is what do residents think about visitors; what is their honest - and maybe generalized - opinion and why. This question will most likely only be answered when I arrive to Venice. I wish to view the tourists with the perspective and lens of the local mentality in order to fully understand the inconvenience of overcrowding on home turf. I get a feeling that Venetians will be polite and hospitable to any tourist, but sometimes all it takes is one poorly mannered tourist to change that unconditional hospitality. According to an International Business Times article linked below, locals claim that "tourism has hit critical mass" which makes sense, because as professor Carrera said, nowadays more and more people can afford to visit other countries.
The article below shows that visitors have come to disrespect the culture of Venice. There have been incidents where tourists have been found passed out drunk on stolen gondolas, spending the night in sleeping bags on bridges or taking baths in the Grand Canal. I am trying to put myself in the Venetians' shoes and I would also be enraged if visitors are misbehaving and disrespecting my city. These reports make me question the intentions of visitors and their careless actions. In order for tourists and locals to coexist symbiotically, the stigma of the bad tourist must be addressed.
Rowdy tourists: http://www.ibtimes.com/venices-rowdy-tourists-have-locals-fed-says-italian-tourism-official-2059098
Another link about hating on tourists: http://www.ibtimes.com/venice-tourism-debate-2015-residents-fear-visitors-are-destroying-their-city-demand-2063682
-RM
Tourists on the hunt