When it comes to travel, is ‘gatekeeping’ favourite spots such a bad thing?

Sarah Manavis

When it comes to travel, is ‘gatekeeping’ favourite spots such a bad thing?

It used to be possible for me to swerve the tourists at the Edinburgh festival, but now my neighbourhood has been outed as a place to go

My stomach dropped. A groan escaped. I clicked a headline and scrolled frantically, looking for the last thing I wanted to see. I heard myself whisper “no” as I realised the worst had happened: a newspaper had included my neighbourhood on a list of quiet areas for tourists to visit to escape the crowds at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Living in Edinburgh during festival season is a reality of extremes. You watch as former safe havens erode into packed out “hidden gems”. Favourite busy-but-bookable restaurants turn radioactive with zero availability. Ordinary tasks – walking the dog, going to the post office – suddenly feel like bracing against a storm. Suitcases rolling down the street at all hours remind you that one in 10 homes in the city is an Airbnb.