The city is a global tourist destination, but locals are growing increasingly frustrated with the influx of visitors, with many saying they only come to the area ‘for work’
Cambridge, a city brimming with more than 800 years of history, draws in admirers from across the globe who are eager to take in its stunning architecture, world-famous universities and quintessential English charm. Yet, locals lament that the city centre is swamped by tourists, with most people “only coming in for work”.
Cambridge’s economy leans heavily on its tourism and hospitality sectors, playing host to an impressive 8.1 million visitors annually.
Despite its historical richness, Cambridge is surprisingly small, leading most tourists to visit for just a day. The sector accounts for nearly a quarter of local jobs and continues to expand, but residents aren’t exactly overjoyed.
Street performer Ray Brenan voiced his annoyance, stating: “Apart from a few old stones and its cobbled streets, I have nothing else nice to say anymore. Take away the universities and there’s really nothing else to it, it’s overrun with people visiting.”
Cambridge is globally acknowledged as the home of one of the world’s top universities. As a collegiate institution, administration is divided among smaller establishments, with over 25,000 students living and studying within their individual colleges, reports the Express.
Among the most esteemed colleges is King’s College, famed for its iconic chapel and prime city centre location. Long queues of people can be spotted outside the entrance gates along the pavements, filled with sightseers snapping photographs.
Local market trader Lorain Cheeseman revealed: “Everyone just comes here to visit people at the university”.
“We get a really huge amount of visitors, everyone is always here on holiday,” Cheeseman added. “There are a lot of students in the city, I don’t live here anymore, I just come in to work.”
Another market vendor expressed similar views: “I don’t live here and I don’t know many people who do nowadays.”
The majority of tourists who descend upon Cambridge are day-trippers. They arrive in crowded coaches, where large groups of sightseers are dropped off.
They spend several hours exploring the city before hopping back onto their transport. Express services from London also enable tourists to reach Cambridge in under an hour.
However, some local workers view the influx of people positively.
“I love selling ice cream to the visitors. Everyone is so nice and really friendly, but it does get very very busy at the stall,” shared Kristof Santha, a local ice cream stand worker.
Masters student at Cambridge, Muhammad Mudassar, echoed this sentiment: “People here are more friendly than other cities, but most people are students here like me.”