4 days ago
Venice locals furious as 'secret' €2 gondola hack goes viral
Locals in Venice aren't happy after influencers tipped tourists off about cheap gondola rides across the Grand Canal.
Residents of the iconic Italian city are protesting the long queues that have been forming on Venice's main waterway for ferries known as traghetti , which cost 70 cents (60p) for locals and €2 (£1.75) for visitors.
Considering a gondola ride will set you back up to €90 (£79) for 30 minutes, the ferries are being touted by influencers like YouTuber Giovanna Santoro as an easy way to get a selfie on the water, for a fraction of the cost.
Described as 'one of Venice's great transport secrets', disgruntled locals – beleaguered by years of overtourism – say they're suffering now that the secret is out.
It's not the first travel gem that's been exposed to the masses.
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The Faroe Islands may be off the beaten track compared to other European destinations, but even this isolated archipelago is struggling to manage tourists.
During her visit in June, residents on the uber-remote Fugloy island told Metro's Travel Editor Alice Murphy that visitors had been booking up the cheap, government-subsidised helicopter seats that locals rely on to get around.
And the evidence is there on social media. Travel blogger Rowan Flora recently shared how she took a 12-minute helicopter ride from Klaksvik to Torshavn (the Faroese capital) for just £25.
She said it was 'incredibly cheap' and 'a bargain' on her Call of the World blog.
Since there are only 12 bookable seats on each leg, they go quickly, and trips to each port via air aren't offered daily.
It's hardly news that Spaniards are unimpressed with tourists. From banning pub crawls to residents-only areas, several measures have been rolled out to combat the influx of visitors. But it doesn't stop there.
Calo des Moro, a once lesser-known Mallorcan cove, has been swamped with tourists after influencers posted more than 1,300 TikToks of the location online.
Once picturesque with white sand and crystal-clear water, now there are queues just to find a place to lay a towel, and litter is strewn everywhere.
More than 300 locals hit the beach last June, unveiling a big banner that read 'let's occupy our beaches', in an attempt to deter holidaymakers.
One local shouted at visitors to 'go, go, go' while others blocked the paths.
Another glorious attraction said to be ruined by tourists is Rome's Trevi Fountain. While it's not a secret, it is consistently discussed as one of the major victims of overtourism.
It's been a long time coming, too. Back in 2017, officials had to impose fines for bad behaviour at the iconic fountain, along with cracking down on those attempting to enter the water.
One year later, an eight-person brawl broke out between visitors trying to take pictures.
'It's so overcrowded,' wrote one traveller on the r/Travel subreddit. 'Next time I'll just buy a postcard from three blocks away, since that's about as close as I got anyhow,' added another.
As of last year, a 400-person limit has been imposed to prevent overcrowding at the site.
London isn't immune to the pressures of tourism, and honestly, we're guilty of flocking to the next Instagrammable spot that pops up on our FYP – even if we've been in the city for a while.
In November last year, Queen's Wood Cafe community cafe in Highgate, north London, fell victim to going viral.
TikTokers declared it 'London's most magical cafe', claiming it's 'like stepping back in time'.
However, the quiet spot is now very much on the radar, with locals complaining it's been 'ruined' and is no longer a hidden gem.
There are now queues that snake back into the forest, a far cry from the empty autumn paradise the cafe once was.
One TikToker wrote: 'Once a hidden gem, now just another Instagram-fuelled queue. The charming Highgate cafe is now just another social media hotspot – such a shame.' More Trending
One user, lomakesmagic, wrote: 'Crying because this is down the street from me and was always dead. Please let north London have something.'
'I'm furious,' said another. 'This was my happy place, like my most sacred little corner of the earth for years.'
A lesson to us all: it might be best to keep your travel hacks close to your chest.
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