International tourism has more than quadrupled since 1980, with growth in the last decade in particular being fueled by China’s mushrooming middle class. Now destination cities from Venice to Barcelona to Amsterdam to Auckland are seeing resistance from residents who feel their hometowns are being overrun. Richard Florida looks at the problems heavy tourism brings and possible ways to address them.
Tag: 08.07.18
Preserving An Intricate, Crowded Artwork That Hadn’t Been Meant To Last
Built over 27 years (and counting) by mosaicist Isaiah Zagar and open to the public for a decade, the Magic Gardens installation in Philadelphia is now wildly popular – and the visitor traffic means repairing wear and tear that Zagar and his colleagues had never anticipated. Ashley Hahn reports on the program that’s now been set up to inspect and protect the countless tiny pieces of material in the mosaics that cover the site.
Steinway May Be Sold To Chinese Gov’t Company
“Steinway Musical Instruments Inc., the legendary piano maker controlled by U.S. hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, has attracted takeover interest from China Poly Group Corp. … The state-owned conglomerate is holding preliminary talks about a purchase of Steinway, … [which] could fetch about $1 billion in a sale.”
Early Banksy Mural, Painted Over By Glasgow Nightclub, Is Being Restored
The painting was created for a 2001 show at a venue called The Arches; when the club was renovated in 2007, it was accidentally painted over and then left. The Arches went bankrupt in 2015, and the site’s new owners are restoring the mural, Banksy’s only work in Scotland.
Weekend Listening Tip: Terrell Stafford Quintet
As the Rifftides staff heads back from vacation, they want to be sure that you’re up to date on listening opportunities. So they customized this announcement from Jim Wilke about his next presentation on Jazz Northwest.
Are The Rape Jokes In This Play Beyond The Pale? Actually, They’re Not, Argues Lyn Gardner
Several critics have objected to a scene in David Ireland’s Ulster American, now running at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in which two male characters talk about which well-known females they would rape. “The rape conversation is not just thrown in to give the audience a good laugh, it is there for a reason. Actually, many reasons,” writes Gardner. “It may be extremely discomforting to watch, (there were several moments when I realised that my jaw was hanging open) but I don’t doubt that everyone involved interrogated every single one of the decisions they were making. Very carefully.”