Before social media, they would be taking photos (and later videos) just the same. In fact, before they became ubiquitous in phones, people used to buy cameras (and extra film) specifically for the purpose of using them in their travels.

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koliber 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

People take photos for multiple reasons.

I like the memories. I enjoy looking through a photo album many years down the line and reminiscing about a great trip.

People take photos to brag.

People take photos to prove to non-believers that something happened.

People take photos to capture beauty.

People used to take photos and people continue to take photos. I suspect the reason has changed.

	▲	dylan604 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		People used get together to show their vacations as slide shows with a projector to family and friends and make a "party" out of it. If they were really fancy, they might have even had 8mm motion film to show. It always felt really strange to me then as a bit of bragging and showing off. I was told it was a bit of living vicariously through other's adventures, but it just felt weird to me. Maybe that's why watching other people on social media gives me the same creepy vibe.

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gherkinnn 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Look at it this way: would those four out of ten people have visited those places if they weren't allowed to take any photos or videos? And how many would do a thing if they weren't allowed to tell anyone afterwards?

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eesmith 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The survey result is 'nearly four in ten travellers (39%) say they have visited a tourist site mainly to take a photo or record a video.'

You, I believe, are making a different observation, which is that taking a photo or recording a film has long been a component of many tourist trips. Which is of course true.

I'll add that likely more people would have done so had film and film development been a lot cheaper. We certainly did trips in the 1980s where we took no camera, or if we did, only a few pictures or perhaps a single roll.

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rhdunn 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Digital cameras have existed before phones had the capability and have been around for a long time (at least 20 years). They made it a lot easier to take photos as you can take hundreds/thousands of photos and download them when you get home.

When visiting places on holiday, I've taken my camera with me for the purpose of taking photos. I've also seen people with more expensive cameras (mainly larger lenses) camped out near puffins, on boat trips, etc. with the intention of getting a decent wildlife photo.

	▲	eesmith 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, photo safaris have been a thing since at least the 1960s, when it was all film cameras, and the term "shutterbugs" used since at least the 1940s. Indeed, now that you bring it up, I think a good interpretation of this survey is that more people now are doing photo safaris than they did some decades ago, where "safari" takes on a broader meaning tied to popular culture trends. It think it's like how many people go to the Louvre for the sole purpose of seeing (and photographing) the Mona Lisa, or (more distantly) the standard itinerary of the Grand Tour, both done because that's what everyone else (that they care about) thinks is the right or cool thing to do.

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lazide 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Kinda - it used to be the reach of vacation photos was relatively limited, so the degree of aggressiveness was also relatively limited.

Going literally to just get photos was also somewhat limited, because who would be crazy enough to go just to get photos for a few friends and acquaintances and never even attempt to enjoy it? A limited number of people.

Social media has really amped it up, including the competitive aspect of it, and the number of people trying to be professional at it.

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somenameforme 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yeah I think people might not have witnessed how absurd this is. I was at a nice hotel pool in a tourist destination and this family of 3 people (quite jacked and lean ~40-50 father, very beautiful wife & ~20 something daughter), probably South Korean, comes over.

In almost military fashion/synchronization they immediately get around the pool and start posing, then into the pool where they they carefully wet their hair, took more pictures with heavily orchestrated poses, a few more poses around the pool, and then they were dried off and out. In total it lasted maybe 3 minutes, probably before they raced off to enjoy the next checkbox on their relaxing vacation.

Maybe they can go look at whatever they end up posting on social media and just imagine how amazing it must have been.

	▲	lazide an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Yup, it’s a second job (side hustle?) in my experience.

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Aurornis 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> and never even attempt to enjoy it?

They are enjoying it. They're enjoying it in their own way, and I think there's nothing wrong with that.

I did a little bit of travel when I was young before smartphones were everywhere. There were definitely tourists going to spots to take a picture and then leaving.

	▲	lazide an hour ago \| parent [-]
		The folks I’m talking about would literally never go if it wasn’t for a photo op (not taking pictures, but GOING TO TAKE A SPECIFIC PICTURE OF THEM THERE.). It’s literally like a job to them. You can tell when you watch them. They aren’t going to see a thing and take pictures. they are going to be have pictures of them being there, specifically, to screw with people back home. I do think there is something wrong with that.

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koliber 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

National Geographic and BBC would send photographers to a place for the sole purpose of taking a photo. Regular people did not do that.

	▲	riffraff 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I think TFA does not make this very clear, but it really depends on what "tourist site" is. In the past nobody went to London to take a picture of a phone booth, but you did take a picture of a phone booth anyway. You'd go to the Horse Guards spot to take a picture, not to enjoy the horses. In this sense, regular people do visit a spot just to take a picture, and have always done that.

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madaxe_again 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Tell me you’re Gen Z without telling me you’re Gen Z.

No, it was not always thus. People would take a camera or a disposable camera, sure, but it wasn’t the focus - it was “oh we should grab a photo for aunt Mabel”. And you’d have 30 shots. For the entire trip.