Confessions Of An ‘Instagramholic’- A Personal Reflection On Instagram’s Effect On Irresponsible Tourism In Kenya
Guys, I am guilty.
Some of you might remember the above photograph. People who know my photography say it’s my best shot and among many others that get folks on ‘I want to go there’ mode.
If you reading this and you are a drifter, there is 95% chance you came for your first Drifting experience because you saw the ‘dope’ photos on our Instagram page or elsewhere.
For 2 years now, I have been exploring Kiambu and guiding guys around as well as taking photos mainly for ‘marketing’ Lets Drift experiences.
Above is another image, It was precisely taken at the same place with mine just a few weeks apart.
A few months ago the tea farms of Karirana~Limuru were a peaceful quiet place with only a few locals picking tea, fast forward a few months (before Covid-19 lock down) this beautiful place turned into chaos of traffic both people and cars as people partied and ‘created memories’
People enjoying nature and its beauty is a great thing, the problem comes when we over do it ~ it’s called over-tourism, a term that’s only a few years old and finds its inception tied to the age of Instagram.
I am worried. What if in exposing and sharing the ‘hidden gems’ we do more harm to them than good?
A week ago I was cycling this same road when I noticed signs around warning against trespassing and fresh small barriers to keep people from driving in the tea farm tracks. I couldn’t help but know that the local community is starting to feel the pressures of Intrusion.
When too many people that you don’t know come at a place that you call home, it’s not comfortable right? It’s like someone visiting your house without calling, and they do it many times after, you eventually tire and feel your privacy intruded.
This is what I am afraid. That in our pursuit for escape and finding peace and serenity, we do it at the cost of other people’s peace and privacy, that our pursuit for fun and memories will be paid at the cost of disrupting local communities.
After thinking for a while I have decided to shift my mind from creating ‘Instagramable’ experiences towards a more sustainable approach where we as an adventure community don’t just benefit from the beauty we pursue every weekend but also fight to preserve it and regard with dignity the community from where this gems are located.
Does this make sense?
I am working on a 5 point strategy that we are planning to adapt in our culture as Lets Drift community to create a sustainable future for all our adventures. I promise you it’s a crazy one but it makes alot of sense. Be sure to check it out on this blog before the week ends
My name is Alex. I serve as the head of Lets Drift, a community of Adventurous Guys seeking to make this world more interesting to live, One drift at a time.
