[pavlov]

Or Finland, or the Netherlands, etc.

English is so widely spoken in these countries that many foreigners manage entirely without learning the local language.

It’s got to the point that in central Helsinki, you often can’t get service in Finnish in bars or restaurants.

[ajsnigrutin]

> It’s got to the point that in central Helsinki, you often can’t get service in Finnish in bars or restaurants.

That would really suck if you were a native Finn and don't speak english, and the service worker in your own country doesn't speak your local language.

[pavlov]

Yes, it is a common complaint in newspapers.

On one hand it's just part of a continuum of language transitions in a city that never was monolingual or even Finnish-dominated for most of its history. 110 years ago many neighborhoods in Helsinki were majority Swedish-speaking and the official language mandated for the government was Russian. A lot of people spoke all three languages. (I'm 42, was born in Helsinki, and I remember from my childhood shops in fancier neighborhoods where the service was in Swedish.)

On the other hand it's a real shame that it risks sending Finnish into a vicious circle of decreasing usage: the elites start speaking English and working in English, and Finnish once again becomes the insignificant language of country bumpkins.

Between 1860 and 1940, the nation collectively worked very hard to "uplift" Finnish into a real written language that is actively used in literature, science, audiovisual culture, and so on. People translated their family names and started speaking Finnish to their children. I can see that work being undone over the next century. (My own two children probably would have lost the language if we hadn't returned to Finland now; we were living abroad for years and they'd already started talking English between themselves.)

[petodo]

This is also starting to happen in Prague city center, though the real reason is those overpriced tourist traps are not frequented by locals so there is no need for staff to speak local language, it should be enough warning for you (as local) that you are in tourist trap.

[ajsnigrutin]

I've been to prague every few years for decades now, and the whole city center has become just a giant tourist trap. Sadly the same is happening to many other old european capitals to the point where they all look and feel the same... some old buildings, a river and tourist traps and scams.

[petodo]

That's what happens in 4th most visited city in Europe, I can certainly relate to locals from Barcelona and Venice.

[ajsnigrutin]

I live in ljubljana, and the same is happening here too...

Prague, bratislava, budapest, vienna,... it's all the same.. buildings are slightly different, landmarks slightly different, but the general feeling inside the "old town" centers is the same... pretty much same restaurants selling same overpriced food, same stores selling same made-in-china souvenirs and some obscure "locally made" stuff that's useless and way too expensive, same boat tours, same bike/scooter guides, same weird hidden supermarkets for the last few locals still living there... same tourists, same loud spanish girls, same japanese people with huge cameras, same groups following the same guides holding up same flags and umbrellas not to be lost in the crowd, same tourist cards, same corruption with guides (recommending shitty restaurants that pay the guides to steer tourists there)... it's kinda sad to me personally... tourism has destroyed so much sadly.

[weberer]

>It’s got to the point that in central Helsinki, you often can’t get service in Finnish in bars or restaurants.

I've only seen that at Fafa's, but that's part of their "international" branding.

[pavlov]

Happens to me roughly 1/3 of the time in Kallio restaurants (not the oldschool grimy ones) and central fine dining spots.