As summer tourism looms around the corner, an article about Ireland’s housing issues came up on my social media feed (apologies, I cannot find the exact one now, but many articles have circulated for years). It highlighted the ongoing housing crisis in Dublin, specifically how young people are attracted to the city for jobs but cannot find affordable housing to stay in. Not only are the bright-eyed, newly employed talent having issues with pricing and unavailability, some locals also find themselves evicted (without cause) and without many options to move elsewhere. I recently had a friend wait three years (!!!) to finally be “approved” to purchase a new apartment in Dublin. It’s not like in the USA where the person who can sign and deposit the quickest can solidify their spot. To purchase an apartment (that’s right, not rent but own!) means the building company has the final say in who moves in. In the Irish housing system, the building’s management company has to select from a list of interested applicants, along with seeing income proof (ok, normal), a letter of intention and references (maybe not so normal when buying). The interested person must wait for the building manager’s approval. How slim are your chances when 40-50 others are applying for the same spot? And honestly, just how aware are local governments of this housing crisis they keep allowing?
Two more points of contention: apartment buildings AND hotels can also apply for status recognition if they are housing refugees in Dublin specifically. The Irish government actually pays the management a monthly stipend to host asylum seekers and such. This also can mean management may decline renewing a local tenant’s rental agreement. In other cases, property management may also turn their apartments into Airbnbs and charge a much higher rate for a monthly profit (i.e. secondary income). It’s a catch-22, right? Less apartment turnover to open up to new tenants, but more accommodation options for tourists who will advertently spend more money in the country.
Over the past year, we’ve seen news of high tourist destinations like Spain, Netherlands, and Bali are facing severe housing crises in the name of tourism. Building managers or hotels are overstepping their ability to offer accommodations to tourists (therefore raising prices), lessening options for locals. Island nations like Bali, the Cook Islands, and Hawaii have their history of ancestral lands. Historically, families have their own specific acreage to live and farm as their livelihood, spread out all over the island. Today, and no thanks to the expansion of tourism, insane housing and food prices force families to band together and live multi-generationally. Many have jobs in the tourism industry, working one or two jobs to afford basic housing and food needs. Major hotel chains have bought up their ancestral lands for their own profits. For islands, land is finite! Ocean on all sides means you cannot build just easily elsewhere, right?
This summer, I had visited Dubrovnik, Croatia. Tourism there has exploded in the past decade, thanks to Game of Thrones filming locations. Old Town Dubrovnik is absolutely breathtaking! Although it had plenty of hotel options, I was quite surprised how much the locals are still in the area, living amongst the tourist accommodations. The city hasn’t quite sold out yet to the tourism industry. Coastal Dubrovnik pricings are comparable to cities like Paris and Berlin. Inner Croatia has your more Balkan pricing (about 1/3 – 1/2) with accommodations and food. The older I get, the more I’m aware of the living space, proximity to locals, and where my money is going.
Smart tips to be a better traveler:
+stay at a local family-owned BnB or hotel. Usually they have an “about us” section on their website that highlights the family’s story. Those businesses were probably already established before property management or hotel chains took their own opportunities to expand.
+Book directly on their site rather than a third party (Booking.com or Travelocity, etc.). Use those third party sites as search tool, but booking directly to the hotel to guarantee your reservation. Additionally, accommodations pay a fee to have their places posted on those third party booking sites. In a few cases, I have found the nightly rate raised a bit on a third party site to offset that profit loss. Again, just book direct on the accommodation’s site.
+While you’re at it, skip the KFC or McDonalds and opt for a local restaurant. Nothing makes me roll my eyes harder than seeing an American food chain in the middle of a beautiful, historic city abroad. Your money goes back into the economy more than what an American-based restaurant can offer. Your hotel reception may even have some great recommendations that are off the beaten path. Heck, it might even be a family member’s restaurant, which could make the experience more memorable!
Tourism is great for an economy. But we also need to know about housing crisis in popular destinations in order to be more aware of how our presence affects the locals. As guests in a country, we should consider how our money is spent and keep it as local as possible. Let’s make this a group effort to travel smarter together!
