Edinburgh is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations for good reason. Whether it’s the views from Arthur’s Seat – which recently featured in Netflix’s One Day – or the shops on the Royal Mile, the city has plenty to draw tourists.
The city is particularly busy in August when the Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes over the streets with comedy, art and theatre.
But it’s not always a party for residents. One Edinburgh resident has said they dread the arrival of the festival.
Reddit user ‘BedtimeBurritos’ said: “I live in Edinburgh and good lord, do I dread the arrival of August when the Fringe Festival happens.
“The city simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle the swell of people that come for it. And it lasts for pretty much the entire month!
“Traffic is a complete nightmare, both foot and vehicular. Public transport is also affected by this.
“I don’t own a car as I live pretty centrally but getting anywhere is a nightmare and takes three to four times longer than it should.
“Not to mention the slow walking tourists who walk five abreast on our mostly narrow streets. And nearly all the restaurants introduce a ‘festival menu’ with higher prices. After the festival is over though, the prices don’t go back down.”
The Festival usually attracts more than a million people to Edinburgh and accommodation prices are high.
Edinburgh is also home to one of Europe’s most overcrowded attractions according to tourist reviews.
But it’s not just Edinburgh that’s struggling to cope with overtourism. A tourist in another popular hotspot said: “Our grocery stores are crowded, our restaurants have one hour waits, there’s a line at every gas station.