Yesterday (Sunday), I sat and attempted to watch some 28-minute documentary piece off ZDF (Channel Two, public German TV). The series itself? Planet E (standing for Earth).
It's safe to say that the series of documentary pieces are pro-environment, anti-capitalist, and leading to to some thought.
The title of this piece?
"Willingness to travel, frustration to travel - tourism to Corona".Basically, they led off to condemn the evil 'ones'....the Instagram influencer crowd who are hyping people up to travel off to exotic locations (Heidelberg, German Alps, etc). I know....I never thought of Heidelberg as exotic. I don't think Mark Twain would have observed that thought either.
There are apparently secret trails and secret places where only the super-talented and protection-minded folks know about, and these influencers are getting the secrets out, and thus talking Germans into 'crazy-travel' (my term for this business).
Then they went onto Venice and hyped up the tourism there, with a local gal chanting how Venice was being destroyed by this tourism culture.
I sat there and did my best to be open-minded about this whole thing, and at least understanding the Covid-19 travel era (f**ked-up to the maximum and I won't even suggest otherwise).
But there are three central problems with this angle of thought:
1. As much as ZDF and the public TV journalists want to establish the shadow of the 'evil social media influencers'....aren't the same public TV idiots acting as travel 'experts' with the three-hundred odd travel shows they produce for HR, MDR, NDR, BR and the host of public TV networks around Germany?
Just off my regional HR network, in a typical week....there's probably at least forty 'tips' or locations suggested for local/regional travel. They share secret trail suggestions, fine secretive regional restaurant possibilities, and hype-up wine-tours that only lead to consumption of fine and less-than-fine Hessen wines.
So I'm a bit confused how Instagram influencers got the 'Satan' badge and the public TV idiots got the 'Jesus' badge.
2. For these tourist sites (like Heidelberg)....in the midst of a normal summer day....there's a minimum of one-million Euro being spread around the city in the form of food served, wine, gifts, entry fees, hotel rooms, taxi rides, and tour-guides.
For the area of Wiesbaden-Mainz, in the midst of a normal summer day....it's also a one-million-odd Euro being spread around the local area.
It's part of the commerce plan and capitalist trend. People depend on this system working.
The ZDF angle being suggested? Control, limits, and exercising ceilings. You'd do this by instituting taxes or special fees. Only the rich or influential getting the status of a tourist?
3. Finally, no one is going to argue that Venice has really turned into a tourist-trap (same for Rome, same for Paris, same for Amsterdam).
I would have said thirty years ago that Paris was crapped out and you probably should only go there in non-summer months.
But the system is correcting itself by people being turned off and looking for quiet places without all the hyped-up themes. Even now....a fair number of Germans will tell you that Hamburg is probably not on the top ten places in Germany to go and visit.
So I'm not condemning the Planet E documentary piece...I'm just saying that you probably need to be mindful of what they are 'selling' you and that sometimes....'propaganda' comes beautifully packaged. And if you feel the intent is way overboard....just hit the 'mute-button' and gaze at the background.....they do a fantastic video selection of scenic places to visit.
Note: Please note, I do readily advertise or recommend Heidelberg as one of the top ten places to go, and plan an entire day around the city. Also note, I don't have a Instagram account, and I don't qualify as a influencer.
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