https://arab.news/b4v5s
On the recent occasions I have returned to Paris, the city where I grew up, I have noticed a shift. There was once a cafe and bakery in the Trocadero, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, a place you could just walk into without a reservation to enjoy a coffee and one of the best croissants in town. Now, every time I pass by, there is a long queue of tourists waiting to be seated. A glance at the terrace shows that most are there to film themselves pouring hot chocolate and whipped cream to post on Snapchat or TikTok. This is textbook social media-driven overtourism.
While it has certainly made the owners of the cafe happy, it has destroyed the fabric of the place. Indeed, this constant rush of visitors has made it nearly impossible for the locals to sit down and enjoy a coffee and a croissant or a pain au chocolat, like I did with my family and friends when I still lived in Paris. This has deprived many like myself of a “madeleine be Proust” spot that reminds them of their younger years.
I also imagine that the familiar faces we would once see regularly and create a bond with must have all but disappeared. In that instance, I would not mind and would be quite happy to see people from across the world enjoying a nice Parisian terrace; if it were not for the fact that no one was actually drinking their delicious hot chocolate or enjoying their pastries, but only filming the moment to share on their social media accounts.
