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 44 minutes 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 44 minutes 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.