The happiest place on Earth is apparently in Europe.
American comedian Dan Mahboubian-Rosen blasted Europe online, saying it was “not a real country”.
In a 1 minute, 28 second TikTok video uploaded on July 23 and which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, Rosen explains why Europeans should be grateful for American tourism.
Dan Mahboubian-Rosen gives an impassioned speech about why Europeans should be grateful to American tourists. Dan Mahboubian-Rosen/Instagram
“I’ve seen a lot of news stories about local Europeans getting angry and complaining about tourists ruining their towns, and spraying water at them,” Rosen said.
In Barcelona, Spain, locals were not so welcoming to American tourists dining outdoors, with some even throwing water at diners during a demonstration against mass tourism.
Local residents chanted “Tourists go home” and held up signs that read “Enough is enough! Limit tourism.”
To appease Barcelona residents, Mayor Jaume Corboni has vowed to ban tourists from renting holiday apartments by 2028 to prevent rising living costs.
Rosen, on the other hand, finds these actions unpleasant and warns that Europeans must be reminded of their position.
“You have to accept now that you are our Disney World. That is your role in this world,” he said.
“It’s a small world ride come to life,” Rosen added, referring to the famous Magic Kingdom attraction at the Disney theme park.
People in Europe are protesting against the rise in tourists who have inflated the cost of living. Eric Renom/La Presse/Shutterstock The protests have escalated to the point where locals are spraying tourists with water. REUTERS
Rosen shows how European countries have “prostituted” their history to foreigners, erecting centuries-old monumental structures while making little progress in architecture and producing only cured meats and Manchego cheese.
“It was fun to colonize the world, plunder it, milk the wealth and build nice little squares and palaces, so now we have to accept that we’re just a museum city,” Rosen said.
Other countries, including Italy, Greece and Amsterdam, have also tightened restrictions to keep tourists out.
Venice, Italy, is charging $5.36 a day for peak admission fees, Greece has imposed time limits on visitors to the Acropolis in Athens, and Amsterdam’s city council voted to ban cruise ships from the city’s main port.
The comedian exclaimed that the European world economy was built on luxury goods and ancient cultures, but did nothing to promote the overall development of the world.
“When tourists come to your country, you should say, ‘Thank you so much for visiting our little playground,’ because you are our playground,” Rosen continued.
The comedian listed the perks locals supposedly receive from their American tourism drivers, including pensions, healthcare, nine months’ vacation time and the chance to retire at 42.
“OK, you guys had a great run. It’s time for Europe to embrace its destiny,” Rosen captioned the video.
“You had fun colonizing the world, plundering it, squeezing the wealth out of it and building your nice little squares and palaces, and now you have to admit that you’re just a museum city,” Rosen said. Dan Mahboubian Rosen/Instagram
Many TikTok users agreed with Rosen, praising him for his courage in speaking out what they were thinking.
“Why say something so controversial yet brave,” one person wrote.
“My favorite beef is America and Europe,” laughed another.
“Oh this is amazing, can’t wait for it to air on Eurotok,” commented one viewer. “He’s obsessed with this.”
“As someone who has traveled all over Europe I can’t believe how accurate this is,” one viewer admitted.
“This statement is 100% factual and should not be up for debate,” said another.
But others defended European discontent with the rise in tourism.
“The problem isn’t tourists, it’s housing. Working class people can’t afford to live here. If we can protest here why can’t we protest there?” commented one TikTok user.
“Tourism has driven up prices so much that locals can no longer afford to live in their own town,” another wrote.
A report from the European Travel Commission showed that Europe’s tourism industry peaked at 12% higher year-on-year due to foreign visitor arrivals. The findings revealed that rent prices in cities such as Barcelona rose by 12% and the cost of buying a home increased by 8.2%, BCN Advisors explained.
