Walking In Wales

 

     

 

 

    This weekend while on our program-wide excursion to Liverpool, we drove an additional two hours to Wales where we toured popular tourist destinations such as Conwy Castle and Llandudno. It was an interesting experience to go from busy areas like Liverpool and London to smaller environments. A big difference I noticed is that while London and Liverpool have largely diverse business sectors, Conwy and Llandudno seemed to be primarily focused on tourism, with Conwy profiting off the medieval castle which the city was built around and Llandudno offering a lively pier and attractions along the beautiful cliffs and beaches. This allowed me to make connections between these two beautiful cities and the points brought up by Zavattaro and the way cities have grown to market themselves to attract business opportunities. Specifically, I noticed this connection when exploring Llandudno, as I quickly noticed the only people really exploring the city were older populations and families on vacation. In fact, I had noticed two women eating at a local pub that had also previously been at Conwy Castle. It was clear that Llandudno had successfully marketed itself as a popular tourist destination. This prompted me to consider the perspectives of those who lived in these cities full time, do they welcome tourists as a boost to their economy and maybe even do their best to potentially profit off the situation, or have they taken a backseat as developers who hope to profit off tourism prioritize the economic needs of Llandudno over at the expense of those permanently residing there. This was especially concerning to me as I realized that the majority of the residents were seniors attempting to enjoy their retirement. It is also important to consider how our group itself might contribute to this, specifically, do visits to touristy areas like ours result in the eventual gentrification of these areas, raising rent and cost of living for these retirees who were hoping to spend their newfound free time enjoying the silence and peacefulness of the coast. All in all, I really enjoyed my trip to Wales and exploring environments that were so impacted by increased tourism. 

- Francesca :)