Are YouTubers wrecking it for the rest of us?

[Sojourner]

This is not instagram or youtube's fault. Increase in tourist numbers have been 'ruining' "exotic" locales for decades. Let's break down Insta and see where the evil lives:
1) Someone is good at taking good photos. This used to be the realm of pro photogs in natgeo and such, but now anyone can do it.
2) Someone puts them online ('publishes' them). This used to be the realm of pro photogs and big mags. Now everyone can do it, for their own sense of self worth, to preserve them digitally, to share with friends, etc.
3) Many others think someone's photos are very good, and start to follow them, because they like nice pics. Because of the reach of digital, many more can be exposed to it.
4) A very small percentage of these followers want to go to cool places they've seen. But because of the sheer numbers, that isolated beach gets wrecked.

I did this all my younger life out of natgeo. It's why walked or motorbiked through 90+ countries, most before I was 35. I bet (I know) when I am regaling some poor soul with a story about the good old days--myanmar 20 years ago when it was locked down or cambodia when i could hear gunfire every night in PP--they will lift their shirt, show me their bullet scar, and tell me about the REAL good old days 20 years before tourists like ME following a hand compass, the lonely planet and a natgeo trail ruined it for everybody.

Everything is ruined. Oh, everything is being saved by tourism too (vital dollars, exposure, exchange of culture, witnesses) even as it is being destroyed by the sheer numbers. The first comers tell the others, and they come too and wreck it with their numbers. Nothing to do about it. People who are 20 years old today have every right to go see the cool places I saw when I was 20, except they aren't there anymore....where I had to crawl through spiders and mines now they can ogle from boardwalks like disneyland. Sucks to be old, but it sucks to be young too.

Read (don't watch) The Beach. Dude got it right, exactly.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I've just been around the local Kuna people in the San Blas, lots of cell phones..lol.

Yep, in a little nothing village in Kenya, they had no grid power but out back of the restaurant we stopped at, they had a single solar panel connected to a car battery...and the locals took turns using it to charge their phones.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

So what’s with the hate with being identified as a tourist?

Or do we prefer the term “visitor” or something?

I mean most here are middle aged or older mid to upper class well spoken white guys, you’re going to stick out unless you’re just going places where there are lots of people who look and sound like you, the gigs up man! Lol
I’d wager if you’re just nice and semi generous and thankful that’s all that matters, camera & fanny pack or not

In her day job, my wife organizes group tours. It's funny how often people ask how they should dress so they don't look like tourists.

Even if you are the same ethnicity, I've yet to see a tourist who can blend in and in many destinations, we've been there enough, we can pick them out...to expect the locals not to see it is silly.

and I'm thinking of European destinations...Africa, Asia, heck even S. America...give it up, they know and can tell from half a mile away.

PS: Never felt anything but welcome from locals every place we've ever been.

[jmh2002]

There is a world of difference between performance based pay (normally base + bonuses, incentives, etc, and possibly tips too)...

... and working for tips only

... Where the customer is then also obliged to pay these tips only to then be rushed from the table to allow the next (tip paying) customer to sit down, so that the service staff can make more money.

This is mostly only an american system, and is a terrible way to provide 'the best service' in the restaurant business.

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

This is how most of the best restaurants work BTW, only food places I know of that don’t use tips are fast food.

This is plainly incorrect. You are way too USA focused. Most of the world does NOT operate like this, even in the restaurant or food service industries, and especially not at the higher end.

Also, many of the world's best restaurants are not even in the USA in the first place...

So if we are talking about the 'best', go to a fine dining restaurant in France for example (or most of Europe) and you will note that the menu/bill says "service compris" - service (tips) included.

Originally Posted by Simi 60

You need to get out more.

[BlackHeron]

I agree with Pegu Club, most of the popular YouTube sailing channels got very boring once we started cruising ourselves. Some were very good storytellers and held my interest for a while until they got more popular and began making bigger money, at which point I could see they changed once they got used to the money coming in and focused on whatever it took to make more of it, which in turn made them very uninteresting to me.

I still half-heartedly follow a few from time to time, but only when we have some down time due to weather, delays, or just feeling ill/tired. Still better than watch the unholy crap that passes for regular TV these days.

The only exception is Mads from Sail Life. I just am fascinated by watching that human dynamo churn productive DIY boat work out every week while filming himself doing it. The fact that he is posting in near real time with even action included from thst same day filmed just a couple of hours before his regular weekly Sunday upload schedule amazes me. Vlogs that are weeks or many months behind real time turned me off even back when I followed 6-10 of them.

[Chotu]

I have to say I've never once watched any YouTube video about people using boats. Seems really boring to me.

The only boat media I consume, aside from this place, is @qualifiedcaptain on Instagram.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Sojourner

This is not instagram or youtube's fault. Increase in tourist numbers have been 'ruining' "exotic" locales for decades. Let's break down Insta and see where the evil lives:
1) Someone is good at taking good photos. This used to be the realm of pro photogs in natgeo and such, but now anyone can do it.
2) Someone puts them online ('publishes' them). This used to be the realm of pro photogs and big mags. Now everyone can do it, for their own sense of self worth, to preserve them digitally, to share with friends, etc.
3) Many others think someone's photos are very good, and start to follow them, because they like nice pics. Because of the reach of digital, many more can be exposed to it.
4) A very small percentage of these followers want to go to cool places they've seen. But because of the sheer numbers, that isolated beach gets wrecked.

I agree Sojourner, it's not necessarily these tools that are the problem. The problem is the overwhelming number of tourists flocking to certain areas of the world.

Remote tourism used to be the domain of the few -- the very rich, or the very adventurous/crazy (I think I know where your younger self fell ). Now, with the advent of cheap flights, cheap cruises, and cheap packaged tourism, more and more of the world has been opened up to more and more people. And as countries like China and India develop a affluent middle class, the numbers of potential tourists are skyrocketing.

I do think these social media tools are exacerbating the problem in some areas, but I don't think they are the core issue.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

There is a world of difference between performance based pay (normally base + bonuses, incentives, etc, and possibly tips too)...

... and working for tips only

... Where the customer is then also obliged to pay these tips only to then be rushed from the table to allow the next (tip paying) customer to sit down, so that the service staff can make more money.

This is mostly only an american system, and is a terrible way to provide 'the best service' in the restaurant business.



This is plainly incorrect. You are way too USA focused. Most of the world does NOT operate like this, even in the restaurant or food service industries, and especially not at the higher end.

Also, many of the world's best restaurants are not even in the USA in the first place...

So if we are talking about the 'best', go to a fine dining restaurant in France for example (or most of Europe) and you will note that the menu/bill says "service compris" - service (tips) included.

If you try to rush me, why do you think that does to your tip? Ain’t going to help it.

And I don’t include my tip, in a buck a drink kind of guy, 20% or 0, very rare it’s 0.

Be interesting to see the most acclaimed places and if they use tips.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

Be interesting to see the most acclaimed places and if they use tips.

Why? Because you don't believe that tipping is a mostly North American (and very strongly US American) phenomenon? Because it is. The US has turned it into a fine art that mostly confuses the rest of us. I have no idea what I will do the first time a "boat boy" who helps me tie up sticks out his palm for a tip. Probably just smile and shake his hand and give him a warm thanks.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Why? Because you don't believe that tipping is a mostly North American (and very strongly US American) phenomenon? Because it is. The US has turned it into a fine art that mostly confuses the rest of us. I have no idea what I will do the first time a "boat boy" who helps me tie up sticks out his palm for a tip. Probably just smile and shake his hand and give him a warm thanks.

I’ve yet to have that happen, boat wise or aircraft FBO wise, I’d also say when it comes to good food, the US, Canada, mainly MTL, and South America take the cake, euro land isn’t what it used to be, though lots of curry places there now. I know I know all the kool kids hate on America, guess I didn’t drink the kool aid


Still I would like to see what the top places do tips wise

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

The US has turned [tipping] into a fine art that mostly confuses the rest of us.

It confuses many of us Americans, too. I used to Google tipping guides to help understand what is expected of me in various situations. I am all in favor of moving towards a system where staff is adequately paid by the employers, and the prices for me, the customer, account for that. This forum, especially another thread in which I asked about tipping for a bareboat charter, really helped me understand how problematic our US system is for customers and service providers. I don't buy the argument that tipping yields better service.

[dwedeking2]

SMH. Youtuber's target demographic isn't a cruiser, someone that owns a boat, or even someone that does stuff. Their target demographic is the millions of cubicle workers that will never set foot on a boat or do anything other than their 2 weeks a year vacation to a self contained resort. They don't need reality (the fantasy is just great), they have disposable income (enough to sponsor a few videos a month and buy a tshirt for a birthday or in the holiday season) and are far more numerous than those that cruise.



I don't think there are enough youtubers in the cruising crowd to affect most locations. Some off the beaten path locations may have some short term effects from interaction, but the popular tourist locations are flooded with cruiseship and airline tourists. All with cameras and loud voices. Those might actually have a negative affect on an area.



But, if you really must hate on someone, it's got to be those old south pacific whalers who then wrote about their experiences. Thanks Herman Melville and friends. Just ruined it for the rest of us...

[Hardhead]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

SMH. Youtuber's target demographic isn't a cruiser, someone that owns a boat, or even someone that does stuff. Their target demographic is the millions of cubicle workers that will never set foot on a boat or do anything other than their 2 weeks a year vacation to a self contained resort. They don't need reality (the fantasy is just great), they have disposable income (enough to sponsor a few videos a month and buy a tshirt for a birthday or in the holiday season) and are far more numerous than those that cruise.

That's been my guess as well. IMO, almost anyone with a real ambition to do anything similar themselves, is mainly not doing it - as a result of their own financial situation. If they had the money, they'd be doing it. On the other hand, if people like donating from their own working income, so they can watch them do it, instead of themselves, it's their prerogative. Works out good for the people actually living the life personally.

[Souzag818]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Exactly.

In years gone by I have actually been chased down the street in Vietnam after paying for a meal to have loose change returned to me if leaving it on the table.

Other places where tourists frequent I got dirty looks for not tipping - not pleasant.

Needless to say I avoid places that tourists frequent like the plague and hang with the locals instead.
Last thing I want to see is a bloody Starbucks or Mcd

One of the first things I do when I'm visiting anywhere is try to cultivate a conversation with a local. Then I ask them where THEY would eat, instead of tourists. I've met some wonderful people, and eaten some great meals doing that.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by JoeRobertJr

..... I don't buy the argument that tipping yields better service.

Then you don't understand human nature!

Whether it be a year end bonus/dividend/balloon payment or Tip....all of which should really be based on Performance.... It works!

Here in the Philippines, we tip everybody who provides good service ....small insignificant amounts but well recied and appreceated by the workers.

We tip more to places we frequently regularly and our favorite waiters greet us by name, know which tables we like, make sure our food is done the way we like and in the order we like. Warn us about bads menu choices... Many details that deserve extra compensation which promotes loyalty.

Many restaurants here switched to "service charge", which really confuses me as there is no incentive to form that added customer service.
Most of them are now switching back to tips