tourist overload

We are just back from Paris, and like everyone else, we wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triumphe, Pompidou Centre and so on. At all these places there were huge queues, far longer than the last time I was there as a tourist 18 years ago. I've written before that eventually there will be so many people who can afford to travel that many places will be overrun with tourists and we will have to see rationing to protect the exhibits. I think Paris demonstrates this well now. It has reached the limit of how long I am prepared to queue to see anything. Standing 75 minutes to get into the Louvre is no fun, especially when most of the delay is caused by administrative idiocy (another story). While most of the building was fine, the crowd viewing the Mona Lisa was huge.

With India and China developing quickly now, we will see far more people who can travel than even today. With many tourist hotspots already at saturation point, rationing is inevitable, and soon. Just as we have seen an explosion in food prices caused partly at least by increasing wealth in China (and of course partly by the stupidity of using agricultural land to grow biofuels), we will see an explosion of entry prices for many sights. We may also have to see ticket lotteries and advance booking. One thing is certain. The days of easy travel to see famous sights are almost over. Demand is already outstripping supply but is set to grow rapidly. If there is something you desperately want to see before you die, go now! You might not get another chance. Within a couple more years, the only way you will be able to visit some places is to be great, good, rich, very lucky, or go in cyberspace.