Germany: Not All Tourists Welcomed in Berlin

By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Permalink |

No Comments | September 20th, 2012 | Trackback

More than 20 years after the Berlin Wall came down, the city is not only back on the tourism map, it is the third most-visited capital in Europe. However, it seems not all Berliners are happy with the boom. Some visitors report being insulted or heckled in the streets, and in the popular arts district, stickers and window signs scold tourists for loud, raucous behavior, telling the “hipsters” to go home. The backlash, aimed primarily at young, mostly American travelers—also called “EasyJet-setters” after the popular discount airline—blames them for promoting gentrification as well as rude behavior. Tourism generated about 10 percent of the city’s income in 2011.