European locals in popular tourist destinations are protesting about the large number and behaviour of tourists and how hard this makes life for residents.
How can we avoid being part of the problem when we are travelling? Behave like respectful guests and avoid Air Bnb by staying in hotels. It might cost more to stay in hotels but that is better than contributing to escalating housing costs for locals and homelessness.
"Strongly recommend to not do camping there. Wind is very bad. It was like sand storm and we didn’t get any information regarding it. So we spent whole night in car. Our tent was damaged and we saw almost 50% of people leaving in the middle of the night. That situation was scary and dangerous."
Let's see what amusing reviews we have of Furnace Creek... 😂
"Wind was terrible, dust storm constantly, We had to leave because it was horrible. We lost our pop up shelter to the wind and everything was dirty afterwards. I know it's the fault of nature and clima..."
ICYMI: The weak yen in Japan has made it more expensive for Japanese citizens to travel abroad. That’s impacting popular tourist destinations like Hawaii - especially Japanese people who bought into expensive timeshare schemes and now can’t use their purchases.
IC transportation cards are an easy way to get around Japan. But five companies in Kumamoto say they can no longer afford to accept them. What does this mean for the ubiquitous IC card's future?
ICYMI: Recently, the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture responded to resident complaints by blocking off a famous view that’s been clogged by badly-behaved tourists. However, news reports say that the curtain isn’t doing the job town officials thought it would.
Godzilla and others take center stage in a projection mapping exhibit in Tokyo that some say isn't worth its hefty price tag of USD $11.5 million. Learn about the controversy - and what it might mean for incumbent governor Koike Yuriko - in our latest.
'Over 50 young creators from around 20 cities in 10 European countries gathered in Prague over the last few days for the first ever USE-IT map conference to be held in Czechia. These free, non-commercial maps are intended to promote sustainable tourism by giving young travellers tips on where to go without spending a lot of money and how to blend in and act like a local.'
eSIMs are also great when you’re traveling abroad. They enable you to obtain a data plan locally and always have reliable wireless access. This is especially important in Japan, where public wifi hotspots aren’t yet plentiful or reliable.
ICYMI: Recently eye-catching stories support the belief that only foreigners are responsible for the worst manner violations in Japan. However, as some people in Japan point out, citizens shouldn’t be left off the hook.
'Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.
A new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue.'
Need a better way to get around Japan? There'll be an app for that soon. Learn more about the Welcome Suica app and how it can help you navigate your first time in the country below.
> Powell's Books recently announced its first-ever warehouse sale that will run from June 1-2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the chain's supply warehouse at 2720 Northwest 29th Avenue.
A List - 12 Ancient Scientific Instruments You Can Still See Today - These incredible tools were used to understand the world thousands of years ago. (Atlas Obscura)
"...These mechanisms, some of which date back as far as 5,000 years ago, were developed on different continents by a wide range of cultures, from advanced metallurgy in India to the influential astronomical calendars of the ancient Maya. Amazingly, some of these ancient scientific instruments have been preserved through the millennia, and can be visited today. Each provides a window into how our ancestors made sense of the world around them..."
“When I go to a tourist spot in Kyoto or a shopping center in Tokyo to check it out, the ones getting drunk and tossing garbage are mostly Japanese people. Foreigners see that and gladly drink or smoke on the street."
Are foreign tourists the only ones to blame for bad behavior in Japan's tourist hotspots? Some in Japan beg to differ:
Media reports blaming foreign tourists for bad behavior in Japan abound. But some say they're just imitating what the Japanese locals do. Who's really to blame for Foreigners Behaving Badly?