Colour_me_triggeredAug 22, 2023

What's the best (non-criminal) way to completely destroy the tourism sector in my home town.

https://lemm.ee/post/5054820

What's the best (non-criminal) way to completely destroy the tourism sector in my home town. - lemm.ee

I live in a small town which is disproportionately popular with tourists. Because of this, people are hoarding property to rent out on Airbnb. I want to buy a house but will never be able to afford it unless the market is flooded with properties. Again I’m not looking for anything illegal just some propaganda tricks to keep the tourists away for a year or two.

Show threadacastcandreamAug 22, 2023

“Because I can’t buy a house I want to attack my community’s economy” is a pretty terrible sell. Especially when that would not suddenly solve your housing issues.

This is a small town. Not a major city where out of town firms are buying up whole blocks, i take it. This would not generate the desired results.

Show threadColour_me_triggered

It’s a town of fewer than 100k inhabitants that entertains around 1M tourists a year. The money mostly ends up in the pockets of a few business owners and hotel chains. The people actually working for those people also can’t afford to buy houses. It’s not benefiting the locals one bit unless they inherit a run down house from a dead relative.

Students are getting accepted to university and quitting after a couple of months because living in gym halls and temporary buildings isn’t conducive to studying.

Well paid professionals are sleeping on colleagues’ couches because they can’t find accommodation by the time their contract starts.

As for pressuring the local government, they are very good friends with the local tourism mafia.

Do you get the picture?

Aug 22, 2023 at 1:02pmWeb
Show threadacastcandreamAug 22, 2023

I understand you’re frustrated, and I understand I came at you pretty heatedly, but level with me here. Do you seriously think that it is realistic to single-handedly shut down your tourism economy, and even if you managed it, do you really think you would achieve the desired result?

As somebody pointed out, you are probably venting. That’s fine, I get it. But if you’re actually looking for solutions, the problem is obvious even if the solution takes a lot of work. It’s the short term rental policies in your city. 

Show threadColour_me_triggeredAug 22, 2023
The policies changing isn’t a possibility. Because a lot of people who bought property here more than 20 years ago (for very little) can now use that as collateral. The town is full of old people with 2 or 3 spare houses that are empty 6 months of the year. Putting in restrictions would result in loosing elections. The only way to positively change the situation is to destroy the city’s reputation, and desirability as a tourist destination. I’m asking for legal suggestions so I don’t need to vandalise large hotels during tourist season and get arrested.
Show threadacastcandreamAug 22, 2023
I just want to make sure I understand you. You think that changing short term rental policies in your town is unreasonable, but crashing the tourism economy isn’t and is advisable. Am I correct?