Is this the next generation of Tourist?

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

I was a bit shocked to read this comment on Facebook this morning, I just think if you come on holiday and can’t afford to stay anywhere, then just don’t come, and go somewhere you can afford.

It’s bad enough the amount of tourists we have on the island leaving rubbish, shit, and toilet paper everywhere, if you walk the Levadas or go to places tourists are camping without facilities, then you will know.

Plus the amount of tourists disrespectful to the rules, so many walking the closed routes at the moment, and then those stupid ones trying to get the best insta photo climbing waterfalls and getting to ledges, or close to the big waves, just waiting for accidents to happen.

You can’t blame all the tourists for this though, as the government should be doing more, with proper signage, more people inspecting the routes and the safety of people, they want all this over tourism, and the money, but are putting nothing back to clean, and check the trails and Levadas. Also the lacking of parking, (although many places have had parking extended it still isn’t enough) still in all the tourist hot-spots, making all these areas a total nightmare to get around.

Thoughts in the comments below….

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Tobi Hughes

27 Responses

  1. Wonder if pushing the idea that Madeira is good for “adventure tourism” was that great an idea ….?

    1. Same here in Scotland. The North Coast 500 is a victim of its own success. There can be over 1000 motorhomes on the roads in the summer in an area smaller than Madeira and with similar roads. But no facilities for the wagons. The promotion was originally to boost the b&b trade.

  3. “Madeira. Tão Tua”
    No wonder all sorts of toursists, travellers, hikers etc follow this slogan.
    And most of them will not even wonder when they look for parking amid 300 cars at 25 Fontes.
    Because travelling the hotspots in Europe means exactly this…. queing, overcrowded view points, tourist prices, so nothing new when they come to Madeira.

    But people who travel the island for some time see the development to mass tourism – and like me, do not like it. Thanks to a goverment that pushes money and not quality.

  6. This is really sad that we, the tourists, treat the beautiful island so badly. We love it, have come many, many times but don’t leave litter etc wherever we go.
    It is also sad, however, that the island is being over developed. Huge new hotels, aparthotels are being built in every conceivable space. . . The Savoy chain being one of the worst! Stop development now before the island is irretrievably spoilt.

  7. Sadly, I think the short answer to that question is Yes and I don’t think it’s gonna get better. Madeira started to sell itself to the wrong market around 2020 and it’s got out of control. The only benefit is to those who are lining their pockets at the expense of such a beautiful and fragile island.

  8. Alas! The level of “self-entitlement” and the “Me First and Sod You” culture is increasing everywhere.
    It’s OK to stand up to these itinerants and say that we don’t require you in Madeira.
    You are just not welcome. Lessons from other Goverments – Zero tolerance for itenerant free-loaders. Close and persistent attention by Police, fines and deportation seem to be effective remedies deterrents.

  9. Ich komme schon Jahrelang nach Madeira. Der Tourismus hat sich geändert. Aber hier gleich jeden Camper zu verurteilen, ist nicht richtig. Man kann auch in einem Auto schlafen ohne seinen Müll zu hinterlassen.
    Ich habe schon oft Einheimische gesehen, die Ihren Müll auch hinterlassen ! Es liegt nicht an den Touristen, es liegt an den “falschen” Menschen, die gibt es überall.

  11. ja, elk voordeel (veel toeristen is veel inkomsten), heeft zijn nadeel (overlast van deze vreemdelingen).

  12. The pasport control should ask among flight tickets, where the person is going to stay. In which address? Without it is no passing to plane.

  13. Je confirme, certains touristes ne respectent rien ! stationnement hasardeux, non respect du code de la route (vitesse excessive sur la voie rapide, non respect des piétons, etc…) camping sauvage, déchets à l’abandon et manque de civisme, voilà le résultat de l’évolution du tourisme à Madère. Ces phénomènes se sont sérieusement aggravés depuis la fin de la pandémie.

  14. Too many rental car agencies and a dramatic increase in the number of cars on the road. Restrict rentals and increase Sprinter bus type tours.

  15. Can you be sure it’s the tourist leave sh*t and toilet paper everywhere?
    What about controlling the dogs that roam the street…they leave mess..probably not toilet paper though!

  16. Sadly this is a result from recent years promoting advertising mass tourism in Madeira and trying to obtain awards like Best Island Destination award and other similar awards.

  17. The victim of its own success.
    People destroy what they search and love. Simply by finding it.

  18. Because we wanted a quieter life in a safe and friendly surrounding, after two times visiting, we´ve moved permanently to Madeira 12 years ago. We´d realized very well that we, as foreigners, would be permanent “guests” over here, we have to learn the language and come prepared and with respect for the Madereins, their culture and their beautifull island, just like you would go prepared and show respect when visiting a friends home. Untill and even during Covid we were able to enjoy the island and it´s people. We got to know most of our local neighbors, they would sometimes come to bring eggs, bananas etc. and in return I would bake something or bring something else to them. It´s very nice to live in such a surrounding with such friendly people, watching out for each other.
    Once a week we would go to Funchal to just have a stroll, buy something we need and have a coffee and/or eat somewhere. Funchal was a weekly nice outing.

    Untill….more or less 2020 when the island started to change slowly (now rapidly) but steady.
    Of course change is needed, that´s life, but change for the better and not for the worst.
    Yes the island needs tourists but does the island need thrill seekers who sometimes have to be rescued and for whom our rescue workers have to risk their lives?
    Does the island need young tourists camping in the forests with, because of the unknown, all the risks of starting a wildfires. Do we really need those tourists whom, because of sleeping in tents, on beaches and in cars not washing themselves going in just shorts and flipflops to the grocery store where one can smell them from a distance? And no, I am not exaggerating here, believe it or not.

    Madeira at the moment is just one big construction site, where ever you look you´ll see cranes and a big part of Funchal is changing to a concrete jungle. When one drives around the island there are cranes everywhere and in every open spot a new white box (villa) costing a million and more arrises.
    Everywhere you look you´ll see white, most of the time empty boxes because the owners don´t live on Madeira, they just visit some weeks per year. It´s booming business for the propertry management businesses (mainly foreigners) to look after those places when owners are not there which is most of the time.

    Madeira at the moment is just people, people and more people, read “tourists”.
    There´s not a place where one can go and not encounter a tourist.
    The average Madeiran is not so happy with what´s happening to their island, not happy with the mass tourism and all the expensive villas being build all over the island. The average young Madeiran can´t afford leaving home to start a family, they can´t afford to rent let alone buy.
    Some constructionworkers on the island make just € 5,- per hour, just an example lots of people are living in bad circumstances and are struggling to make ends meet while next door another million euros place is being build. Living on Madeira became much more expensive while acerage wages are still very low.

    Yes, we still love living here, we still have all our nice Madeiran neighbors and enjoy our little area with friendly local people whom we know well but, we hardly go anywhere anymore because we are a bit tourist tired, we don´t enjoy going places anymore and always being in a crowd and on roads full with rental cars and parking left right and center without people thinking about safety of other users from the road. The peace and quiet which we found here 12 years ago is no longer, unfortunately and we´ll learn to live with it.

    And YES Madeirans are still great, friendly people but the attitude towards foreigners is also changing which is a pity but understandable because the Madeirans lost their quiet paradise, the rich got richer and the poorer stayed poorer.

    I probably will get a lot of negative comments on my post but people, I don´t care what you´ll say and how sarcastic you´re going to react, fact is truth needs to be told and one can´t and should not make things more beautiful than they really are.

    1. LMcK, I have read every word in you comment. You are right, truth needs to be told, and you certainly told it very well.

    2. Very well said, and agree with everything. I have Sundays off, but don’t go out to far, as all the places I loved to eat are packed full, traffic and rental cars everywhere, even on Sundays, and I wouldn’t even think of going to a tourist attraction now, it’s better to stay local where I am, and if wd do go out we try to avoid all the busy areas….

  19. In relation what been said around were many of this tourists they don’t respect any rules and norms something many of them don’t do when visiting the island and agree with everything been said around where . I hope that anyone that is thinking doing this type of tourism in a car or wild camping a least was the good sense of not leaving any rubbish behind and take with them and above all respect the rules and norms when visiting . In relation to the mass building sites of construction that some people are implying around were that is going over the place in the island that isn’t true that maybe is happening more certain in urban areas in certain places but if you go outside of that areas in rural areas it is the complete opposite the abandonment of the houses and land and a dying community .

  20. We have visited Madeira about 15 times the last ten years and had decided to move there permanently when we retire two years from now, but after seeing and reading what is happening to the Island and seeing it turn into a concrete jungle, with crime going up and drug addicts roaming the island, we have decied to look elsewhere. So sad.

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