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A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

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Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#51
post #6

Tourism if anything needs a way to point more people towards the long tail, not to crowd at the top.

How do you stop the cycle of places in the long tail from becoming "go-to" destinations because they're in the long tail, having all the local flavour diluted from catering to the tourism, before being fully gentrified into identikit tourist traps, and being abandoned once they're "at the top" with their original local businesses gone, and trying to cater to the tourists who've all vanished? While those tourists are…

If you pick from the long tail at random, you're unlikely to encounter many other tourists. The "go-to" destination problem really only happens if you outsource the long-tail mining to some centralized source (e.g. popular social media posts) that ends up sending many people to the same place.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#52

Google Street View? A few years ago I saw a social media shared pic of sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was beautiful, these splendid, isolated ruins, peaceful in the sunrise. Being curious about the area, I found the exact spot in Street View. Sunrise even. But then turned around 180 degrees. To find an absolute wall of photographers all capturing the same scene. I can't find that scene now though. But frequently these soc…

I have this sad realization that the current generation is taking the backlash to this too far, and as as a result people don't want to go anywhere that's too "touristy" as a result. I get it. I want the solo unique ethereal earth-changing experiences too. But I can also point to two distinct comparison points. I got to have a fairly tourist-free experience in Angkor Wat. I intentionally travelled to Southeast Asia d…

Totally agree, even have a similar anecdote. I managed to visit Angkor Wat in March 2020, when people were just starting to take COVID seriously and Chinese tourists couldn't travel anywhere. Quite a few times it was just me and my friends walking around with nobody else around.

My contrasting experience was when I visited the pyramids last summer. Still thousands of people despite it being +40 degrees. It was hot and crowded, but it was still amazing.

> but I don't want to deal with the tens of thousands of tourists all taking the exact same picture

Yeah, I probably took the same picture as everyone else. The way I see it, every picture is unique, even if some are very similar [0]. My picture is to remind me of the time I was there, I want the shit weather and my shitty camera captured as part of the moment.

[0] https://www.livescience.com/61970-photo-wave-coincidence.htm...

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#53
post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

> The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. In my experiences with traveling to a great number of countries and cities... yes, it pretty much is. Taking any kind of "easiest path" tourism is basically full of rip-offs in every hotel, restaurant, and tour, no matter where you are. It takes effort to plan a genuinely enjoyable trip full of rich experiences that isn't ripping you off. Also, it doesn't se…

I've travelled extensively in Europe, it being where I live, using all different strategies. I've never been ripped off. I've been to a hostel from someone we met at the train station in Prague. It was fine and good value. Also similar story at lake Balaton. It turns out protectively selling something is not synonymous with being a scam artist.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#54

The mention of the presence of a Spar supermarket in Europe being a marker for overtouristed areas seems oddly area specific. In most European countries which have them these are bog-standard supermarkets.

Maybe I'm wrong but that's probably only true in DACH and maybe a couple other1 surrounding places. Outside that sphere, the rule does seem to apply that Spar is a mass tourist smell.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#55
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you stop the cycle of places in the long tail from becoming "go-to" destinations because they're in the long tail, having all the local flavour diluted from catering to the tourism, before being fully gentrified into identikit tourist traps, and being abandoned once they're "at the top" with their original local businesses gone, and trying to cater to the tourists who've all vanished? While those tourists are…

If you pick from the long tail at random, you're unlikely to encounter many other tourists. The "go-to" destination problem really only happens if you outsource the long-tail mining to some centralized source (e.g. popular social media posts) that ends up sending many people to the same place.

Or just pick places which are an utter pain in the arse to get to - days of surface travel by 4x4, foot, boat, ski, or canoe. Makes for far more interesting stories, too. I ended up living in one of said “I’ve heard of it but I’ve never been” places. It’s lovely. Pain in the ass to get anywhere, but if I don’t want to see people, I don’t, and those that I do see I usually chat with over a pitchfork, and walk away with a gifted sack of produce.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#56

The mention of the presence of a Spar supermarket in Europe being a marker for overtouristed areas seems oddly area specific. In most European countries which have them these are bog-standard supermarkets.

They are absolutely everywhere in Ireland, from countryside to city centre, rich and poor areas.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#57
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessarily. There is a Hard Rock Cafe right next to the main train station and major mall in Warsaw, and I wouldn't call that mall touristic. It's just a nice mall, as far as malls go.

Considering it was the first such place in Poland, it's sort of a tourist trap in and of itself. Or was. Never been there, because 25PLN for a beer was an outrageous sum at the time.

Sure, but I wouldn’t call the area an ugly mass tourism zone. That would be more the Old Town.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#59

The mention of the presence of a Spar supermarket in Europe being a marker for overtouristed areas seems oddly area specific. In most European countries which have them these are bog-standard supermarkets.

They are absolutely everywhere in Ireland, from countryside to city centre, rich and poor areas.

Was going to say the same thing. There’s zero correlation between touristy spots and Spar in Ireland, unless East Wall has suddenly become a tourist hot spot without me hearing about it

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#60

These ATMs are plenty useful for contributing to the local money laundering industry. More signals are unlisted prices, fading storefronts, fluorescent lights. Read more about what’s happening in London https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/oxford-street-candy-sho... It’s not about scamming tourists at its core, it’s about avoiding electronic banking networks and pulling cash back into the system. Disclaimer: Amsterda…

> It’s not about scamming tourists at its core, it’s about avoiding electronic banking networks and pulling cash back into the system.

You make it sound like a good thing.

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