'We love Aussies': Surprising spot begging for tourists

As anti-tourism action erupts in Europe, it’s time to listen to the locals and embrace locations rolling out the welcome mat for Aussie tourists.

Summer in Europe will be hotter than usual this year as tensions reach boiling point over mass tourism. Protests are planned in Barcelona, Venice and Lisbon on Sunday, June 15, with activists aiming to disrupt airports, attractions and tour buses to make their feelings clear: Go. Somewhere. Else.

“The goal is not to attack individuals, but to draw attention to the social and environmental toll tourism is taking on our cities,” an organiser from the Lisbon protest, who chose not to be named, told news website EU Today. “We are being squeezed out of our homes, our public spaces, and our daily lives.”

The Southern Europe Network Against Touristification says today’s action is to hit back against out-of-control tourism. Locals can’t function. Streets are choked. Cafés are unaffordable. Short-term rentals are causing a housing crisis.

Spain, the epicentre of the drama, had a record 94 million international visitors last year, up 10 per cent on the year prior. Now it’s at breaking point. Protesters are set to cause a ruckus with water pistols, road blocks and placards. And while Smartraveller urges Australians to take normal precautions – it’s expected to be chaotic, but not violent – it doesn’t mean visiting is okay.

Let’s listen to locals. While some are begging us to give them a break, others are politely trying to catch our attention. Take the residents of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. Kevin Lazzari, for one, makes it clear we’re very welcome. “We love Australians here,” he says.

Despite the works in progress, Jasper is still a fabulous place to visit. 

Lazzari is emotional as he drives a SunDog Tour bus through his hometown. Last year, a wildfire carved a path through the valley, and while the wounds are healing, it still feels raw.

It was the biggest fire the town has seen in 100 years, started by lightning strikes in the nearby national park. More than 20,000 people had to evacuate. It’s easy to imagine tourists wouldn’t be wanted here either – about 800 homes were lost and 2000 people displaced. But as Lazzari picks us up from our hotel, he sure is glad to see us. “When we got back after the evacuation, and saw the damage, we didn’t know if people would come back,” he says. “It makes a huge difference for us. It gives us a lot of hope.”

Despite the works in progress, Jasper is still a fabulous place to visit. I arrived on the Rocky Mountaineer, enjoying two delightful days on board as the famous train wound its way west from Vancouver. I stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, a lakeside resort with heritage cabins that have hosted everyone from British royals to Marilyn Monroe.

There is hiking. Swimming. Sightseeing. Wildlife. And more. 

There is hiking. Swimming. Sightseeing. Wildlife. And more. As tourists return, businesses are adapting. SunDog Tours, for instance, has a new Sunrise Wildlife and Ecology of Fire tour, looking at how fire affects the ecosystem.

“Mass tourism is only going to get worse before it gets better,” says Intrepid Travel managing director Brett Mitchell. “Travel, for the best part, is beneficial to locals – but in some cases it’s doing a fair bit of harm to residents. If you’re going to travel, it’s time to consider plan B.”

Why not swap the packed streets of Spain for a pristine Canadian alpine lake? While Barcelona doesn’t want you, Jasper actually needs you.

The writer visited as a guest of the Rocky Mountaineer, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, and SunDog Tours.

Originally published as 'We love Aussies': Surprising spot begging for tourists