Would you be interested in a guided tour that focussed on the excesses of Spain's construction bubble?
Apparently the idea is not as nutty as it sounds. According to NBC News, the relatively new "Ruta del Despilfarro" or "route of wastefulness" tour in Valencia, offered by 5 out-of-work college professors and journalists in Valencia, has been a bona fide hit, with over 1000 visitors paying $10 a pop to take it so far. Focusing on government corruption the tour visit a massive, half-built soccer stadium (price-tag $380 million), the $1.5 billion City Arts and Sciences complex and the marina, which cost the city $83 million to upgrade in time for the America's Cup races.
This unusual tour--started as an act of social protest, but helping its founders pay their bills, is just one of the many ways locals are turning to tourism to try and make a living. According to the piece, a number of villa owners on the Greek and Italian isles are renting their homes at cut rates; and former fishermen have turned to guided boat tours since they're more lucrative.
To read all the details, click on the link above.
