Wow, this: "What makes me uncomfortable is when people become characters, rather than the protagonists of their own story." And also, 100% agree with your take on Matera, it really felt like they have managed to keep its spirit.
Thank you. I lived in Brooklyn before gentrification. I grew up in Seattle before Pike Place Market was a tourist attraction. I now live in Amsterdam, unpleasantly near the center, which means lines for French fries blocking legit businesses and making it impossible for normal people to use the streets. None of this has a positive impact on the society of a city as a whole. All of it is exploitative and destructive. I didn’t like living with drug dealers, no one does. But I hate living with mass tourism.
Monreale cathedral is incredible. Yes tourists and recent expats complaining about rubbish and inefficiencies need to understand that those things, as unpleasant as them may seem, they make Sicily who she is. In the almost 12 months that I've lived here, whenever I've said to myself something like, "you know what they should change/improve... " I remind myself that I can go back to Australia if I want Sicily to turn into something she's not.
I couldn't agree more about people being the most important cultural asset. But even apart from that, it makes my heart sink to think Sicily could be gentrified.
I make my living in tourism, and I'd make more money if I simply served the market wherever it was going. But overall, my point of view is whether you're traveling on a private jet or a shoestring, go to a place because you're curious about it, not just to tick a box or demand that it conform to your needs.
Sicily became popular twice: godfather and white lotus. Both of them are extremely simple reason for not too complicated people (i was as diplomatic as i could be here lol), who probably won't or can't even think of this level of complexity like your article. :)
White Lotus sort of just sealed the deal; the 5 starification was well underway. The Sicily portrayed in The Godfather was like what we see today in Narcos, so it's a really fascinating transformation of perspective.
Yep and also slightly unrelated but isnt it interesting to see that the poorest areas are the most receptive to luxury travel. Napoli VS Capri/Amalfi. Palermo VS Taormina. Genova VS Portofino/5terre. Kinda like how the Maldives work, no one posts pictures from Male (the capital, I also had to google it tbh).
Yeah maybe napoli is slightly diff bc there are some tourists visiting but def mostly as a side-trip from amalfi not as the main destination. Note: i spent months in napoli and prefer it 100x than the rush of amalfi :)
this is fasciating to follow. is all this luxury going to push out the locals at worst, or the rest of us in terms of prices and the sacrifice of beauty and tranquility in the service of all this "luxury?"
Whenever there's excessive wealth on display, I watch through spread fingers. I worked in the art world for many years, and I remember the excess of that scene in 2007, right before all the reckoning of the Lehman crash. That's why I'm thinking about what this current wave leaves behind for the Sicilians, because salad days never last long.
Wow, this: "What makes me uncomfortable is when people become characters, rather than the protagonists of their own story." And also, 100% agree with your take on Matera, it really felt like they have managed to keep its spirit.
Thank you. I lived in Brooklyn before gentrification. I grew up in Seattle before Pike Place Market was a tourist attraction. I now live in Amsterdam, unpleasantly near the center, which means lines for French fries blocking legit businesses and making it impossible for normal people to use the streets. None of this has a positive impact on the society of a city as a whole. All of it is exploitative and destructive. I didn’t like living with drug dealers, no one does. But I hate living with mass tourism.
Monreale cathedral is incredible. Yes tourists and recent expats complaining about rubbish and inefficiencies need to understand that those things, as unpleasant as them may seem, they make Sicily who she is. In the almost 12 months that I've lived here, whenever I've said to myself something like, "you know what they should change/improve... " I remind myself that I can go back to Australia if I want Sicily to turn into something she's not.
Sicily is complicated and always will be. It’s baked in. 💕
I couldn't agree more about people being the most important cultural asset. But even apart from that, it makes my heart sink to think Sicily could be gentrified.
The Ballaro market situation isn’t encouraging.
A really interesting perspective. I'm still pondering what I think about it.
I make my living in tourism, and I'd make more money if I simply served the market wherever it was going. But overall, my point of view is whether you're traveling on a private jet or a shoestring, go to a place because you're curious about it, not just to tick a box or demand that it conform to your needs.
Love Palermo. On first visit I took the overnight boat from Napoli in late January about 30 years ago. Great time of year to miss the tourists.
Sicily became popular twice: godfather and white lotus. Both of them are extremely simple reason for not too complicated people (i was as diplomatic as i could be here lol), who probably won't or can't even think of this level of complexity like your article. :)
White Lotus sort of just sealed the deal; the 5 starification was well underway. The Sicily portrayed in The Godfather was like what we see today in Narcos, so it's a really fascinating transformation of perspective.
Yep and also slightly unrelated but isnt it interesting to see that the poorest areas are the most receptive to luxury travel. Napoli VS Capri/Amalfi. Palermo VS Taormina. Genova VS Portofino/5terre. Kinda like how the Maldives work, no one posts pictures from Male (the capital, I also had to google it tbh).
Hmm I’m not sure I understand what you mean. How do you see Naples being more receptive to luxury travel vs Capri/Amalfi?
Yeah maybe napoli is slightly diff bc there are some tourists visiting but def mostly as a side-trip from amalfi not as the main destination. Note: i spent months in napoli and prefer it 100x than the rush of amalfi :)
this is fasciating to follow. is all this luxury going to push out the locals at worst, or the rest of us in terms of prices and the sacrifice of beauty and tranquility in the service of all this "luxury?"
Whenever there's excessive wealth on display, I watch through spread fingers. I worked in the art world for many years, and I remember the excess of that scene in 2007, right before all the reckoning of the Lehman crash. That's why I'm thinking about what this current wave leaves behind for the Sicilians, because salad days never last long.