Making sense of 21st century tourism
what your vacay guide (probably) won’t tell you
If, like me, you like to travel (just to escape the routine, for work or festivities), then you’ll probably find some of these insights interesting…
Last month, I read Farhad Manjoo’s article on online service providers and over-tourism, and was seriously taken aback at just how little caution I exercised in my own travel. Farhad talks about how internet-based service providers such as Airbnb and Uber are driving up the number of tourists in popular destinations and the dangers associated with this. I recommend reading his article before you go on vacation because:
a) the illustration he uses for the post speaks volumes in itself — it’s an artistic impression of a ‘typical’ couple on vacation, oblivious to the havoc around them
b) the slightly cautious undertones in the article represent a mostly understated yet urgent conversation that we, as global citizens, should be having
c) I can relate to the discomfort that comes with writing about lifestyle choices as I often fall victim to the wrong ones
I live for the holidays and vacations because I get to swap my mostly-routine life for new and exciting experiences, and to spend some of my hard-earned money on the things I love. As for the benefits of tourism, there’s an abundance of research, especially on physical and psycho-social wellbeing. On a grandeur scale, foreign earnings from tourist activities contribute significantly to wildlife protection, livelihood sustenance and the GDP of local economies. Last year alone, global tourism exports raised US$4 billion a day, but a lot more reflection needs to be done in the sector to counter what could be concealed threats.
The price we may have to pay for creating our jaw-dropping Insta stories at the most popular resorts could be a hefty one.
Animal behaviorists can attest to physiological stress inflicted upon wildlife, not just from the ‘animal selfie’ accidents, but as a result of large tourist numbers. The anxiety that our presence creates (in some habitats) can disturb animals psychologically, even to the point of affecting reproductive capacity and immunity.
There’s also the amount of litter that’s absorbed by oceans when beaches host mass tourism activities; the environmental impacts of the aviation industry; direct threats like trophy hunting and vandalism (illegally collecting souvenirs) and enclave tourism for which activities are concentrated in a single geographic area. Even though the development of tourism facilities comes with numerous employment opportunities, it also occasionally robs crucial sectors such as agriculture and education of the much needed labour force and the price hikes (and sometimes crime rate) that is characteristic of many up and coming tourist destinations makes life difficult for local residents.
The list of ‘embedded’ detriments we subconsciously cause in what’s supposed to be fun and relaxing activities is a long one, but so is the list of measures we can employ. Most recreation establishments conduct impact assessments, early on, to catch whatever eventualities their activities may cause and many go ahead to undertake all the necessary precautionary measures
maybe it’s time we, as key players in the industry, did the same
None of this is cast in stone but what if, instead of hiring a 14-seater tourist van to drive around our 3-man party, we took to cycling, walking or more sustainable transportation during vacations? It’s probably a lot to ask because even I am guilty of squeezing way too much activity into my vacation window, so things like public transportation (which obviously comes with delays) are undesirable, but memorable experiences and good travel stories are usually birthed from such inconveniences.
And maybe we should desist from flocking resorts ( Mallorca and Boracay) just because a Hollywood A-lister was spotted there and try to discover unique destinations on our own. I know, I know…the appeal of having our pictures taken at some of these places is insurmountable, but the carrying capacity at many of these spots is often ignored as proprietors blindly work to maximize their ’15 minutes of fame’.
To be honest, I particularly fancy ‘off-the-grid’ nooks because:
a) these usually offer great accommodation and activity discounts (plus the service is great when they’re still trying to pull crowds)
b) there’s less pressure to get you out of there (flexible check-out time)
c) most of the amenities are still in good condition and the environment, both natural and built, doesn’t look too worn-out.
A decade ago, Ubud was just another little-known town in Bali, so who knows what hidden gems you could discover if you gave a chance to some of the less-popular destinations.
Still on new things to try, sustainable tourism, which is increasingly being adopted by travel companies presents the same amazing experiences but with intent on creating ecological, social and economic value on every trip. The arguments for and against this concept are numerous but I think it’s a step in the right direction.
We could also embrace other forms of tourism such as cultural and volunteer tourism that provide authentic local experiences and give us first-hand knowledge of different cultures. Then there’s conscious consumerism, mindful waste disposal etc etc …the list of how we could do better is actually limitless.
Some tourism operators and airline companies have taken to addressing some of these issues through technological upgrades and temporary bans to allow ecosystem recovery but this is definitely a fight for all of us.
Nobody likes to follow rules, more so on, while on vacation but in protecting whatever resources every destination has to offer, we ensure that they continue to exist, for generations to come. If we can’t do even the bare minimum, some of the consequences of our travels may be irreparable.
