Looking at this photo of me at Kelingking Beach last fall, you would never imagine the crowd of tourists clamoring to take their portrait with this iconic landmark. This island in Bali had been on my travel bucket list for years because of its stunning natural beauty, and I always imagined an adventurous trek out to this remote spot. Although I recognized my fortune to be there in the first place, I regret to admit feeling disappointed when I was dropped off by my tour bus amongst throngs of tourists for a 20-minute photo-op. A wave of guilt washed over me as I realized that I had no right to be disappointed because I was one of the hundreds of people there. I got my Instagram pic. I was part of the problem. Although I am extraordinarily grateful for the experiences during this trip, these thoughts continued to gnaw at my conscience as I traveled through Bali and the Philippines. How do I balance my desire to see the world with the guilt over my contribution to its development and degradation?
First and foremost, it is imperative to realize that it is a privilege to have this conflict in the first place. The world has become open and accessible to those with the resources and ability to see it. However, does that imply that it is our right? Or is it simply a new age version of colonialism – a belief that we all have a claim to a slice of paradise if we can afford it? Maybe, if we can break down our motivations for traveling and understand our impacts as tourists, we can work towards being more conscientious travelers and mindful global citizens.
The quest for the Last Frontier is a tale as old as time. Perhaps, it is human nature to seek out the untouched, an instinct to connect with nature in its purest form. Perhaps, it is restlessness that results from the pressures and constraints of society. Or perhaps, it is simply the long-established belief that “the world is our oyster” in Global North culture. Somewhere along the line, it was determined that human growth depends on exploring, conquering, and possessing new lands, a principle that has proliferated throughout history.
Admittedly, I desire personal growth through expanding my worldview and challenging my comfort zone. I crave the excitement of experiencing unfamiliar lands and cultures, witnessing awe-inspiring natural phenomenons, and escaping to remote places far from the reaches of civilization. Whether it is personal growth, adventure, cultural awareness, social media content, etc. we all have different expectations of what we will gain from our travels. While we strive to achieve these personal goals, we must also work to increase our awareness of our social and environmental impacts.
With the rapid development of international transportation since WWII, tourism has become a major international industry, representing 11% of global GDP. Consequently, its positive and negative impacts on societies and ecosystems around the world are substantial. Unfortunately, most forms of tourism today tend to overexploit natural resources, degrade global ecosystems, and marginalize local peoples.
When it comes to natural resource use, the growth of tourism in developing countries continues to increase demand for land, water, and wildlife. (Not to mention the vast amounts of fossil fuels consumed in order to travel from home, to our destinations, and throughout our trip). Constructing facilities requires the clearing of land and the extraction of raw materials. Furthermore, the pools, golf courses, landscaping, and utilities place increasing pressure on the water resources on areas that are often already experiencing shortages. Additionally, the exploitation of wildlife continues to rise because many tourists today travel to exotic locations with the sole intent of witnessing local wildlife. Unfortunately, many wildlife encounter operations do not enforce research-based regulations, and they often disturb the wildlife’s natural behavior. Furthermore, many tourists are largely unaware of responsible behavior in these natural areas, and they may unknowingly contribute to habitat destruction.
In addition, tourism often leads to the degradation of global ecosystems through pollution and solid waste effluent. The influx of tourists brings a whole new load of trash, which the traditional waste management cannot keep up with. My mind goes back to the plastic debris blanketing the island of Nusa Penida, and I guiltily recall the mountain of used plastic water bottles back at my hostel. However, plastic bottles were the only option for potable water in many of the places we visited. Often, the remoteness of these destinations goes hand-in-hand with a lack of infrastructure and municipal support for providing clean drinking water and dealing with the subsequent solid waste issues.
Finally, tourism can also lead to the social marginalization of local people. Oftentimes, when a location becomes popular, the subsequent development occurs so quickly that local communities do not have time to react, nor do they have a voice in development decisions. Additionally, the hierarchical relationship that often develops between tourists and locals is reinforced by the need of locals to make an income. Commonly, this need encourages locals to acquire service jobs instead of pursuing higher education (if available), which maintains the idea that they can only aspire to be employees and no better. Also, as environmental tourism grows in popularity, an increasingly common phenomenon is the displacement of local people from their lands for the establishment of national parks and preservation areas. Although promoting conservation is considered a benefit of this “ecotourism,” it can have negative social consequences and result in enmity between local communities and conservation. This is just another example of affluent nations imposing their values and beliefs on native peoples without regard for their local knowledge.
On the other hand, tourism can also have notable social and environmental benefits if it is practiced carefully. For instance, travel encourages the exchange of people, ideas, and culture around the world. When we travel with the goal of witnessing diverse ways of life, opening our minds to different belief systems, and experiencing alternate realities, we are able to foster a global understanding and empathy.
Similarly, tourism has the potential to benefit the environment by inspiring us to care about it. From scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef to trekking the cloud forests of Costa Rica, my travels and experiences in nature are largely responsible for my passion to protect the Earth. When we immerse ourselves in the outdoor world, we realize that humans are part and parcel of Nature, not separate and independent. We are also likely to come into contact with the waste and degradation caused by human society, which may inspire us to change our ways and reduce our footprint.
When we acknowledge our motivations and our privilege, we can apply a critical lens to our presence as visitors and endeavor to leave a positive impact behind. In the coming posts, I will get into specific ways to be socially and environmentally conscious travelers, but as an introduction, I hope this encourages you to apply an honest view to your travels and inspires you tread lightly.
P.S. If you are interested in a detailed account of the social and environmental consequences of tourism, check out my research paper, “Putting the Eco back in Ecotourism.”
