There are two sides to everything. Good and bad, black and white, light and shadow and a whole lot of different shades of those. Traveling is no exception here. Especially during my year-long journey across Southeast Asia I developed what you could call a differentiated approach to tourism and travel. On the one hand it enables people to have amazing experiences, to broaden their horizon and ideally to learn about other cultures and ways of living. On the other hand, the massive influx of travelers can have a huge impact on traditionally societies. Sometimes even to the extent of total extinction of their culture and customs. But what’s right and what’s wrong, does the one inevitably come with the other and how should we as travelers deal with this?
The effects of tourism
The development of tourism has to major effects on societies which also involve a big tradeoff. The positive aspect is that touristic development can create new income opportunities for the locals. They can cater for the tourists, offer tours or guiding services and accommodation. The income generated from these activities often drastically exceeds what they were able to make before, hence increasing their standards of living. The improvement of infrastructure that often comes with touristic developments also gives an easier access to medical facilities.
“Since the first time in 1987 in Chiang Mai all changed dramatically. I was shocked, when I was there in 2012. Nothing was left of the old ancient and authentic Thailand. The city had become simple sightseeing spot.”
(Ernest, a seasoned ESCapology reader)
So far so good. But with all that often comes an incredibly rapid transformative change. Old traditions slowly disappear or are kept only as a touristic gimmick, closely knit communities deteriorate and traditional values get abandoned.
Traditions as touristic gimmicks? Or does it even help to preserve traditions? In Bagan, Myanmar.
I have been to places where these transformations had already started and the outlook wasn’t really promising. Muang Ngoi in Laos was just one example, a fisherman village only reachable by boat. But with a new road about to be finished, change was already knocking at the door and with the locals veering between anticipation and uncertainty. Of course, this has not to be necessarily the way things go, but unfortunately more often than not it does.
The quaint little fisherman village of Muang Ngoi in Laos. What will the future hold?
The role of the internet
The internet has had a profound effect on these developments. Nowadays, especially with the advent of travel blogs, it is so easy to get your hands on information about off the beaten track destinations. Enthusiastic reports and detailed info about how to get to these places have taken away a lot of the uncertainty that traveling once involved. What used to be hidden gems just a few of years ago can now be turned into the next big thing in no time.
“One of the reasons is the fast growing internet. Enthusiastic travel reports attract millions of people. The same happens now in the Philippines. Palawan WAS a paradise like Camiguin. In some years it will be the new Koh Samui.”
(Ernest, a seasoned ESCapology reader)
The internet just supercharged these developments and I am aware that I am also a part of all this as well. I write about and promote off the beaten track travel and I always help people when they ask for advice on how to get to places and how to plan their journey. Is this a wrong thing? I don’t know, but it is for sure a big paradox.
Is Palawan going to turn into the next Koh Samui?
The big paradox
Considering the two major effects of tourism I described above, it is safe to say that I am rather selfish here. I prefer untouched and authentic places and will enjoy a place without tourists a thousand times more than any party place out there. At the same time I realized that even my sole presence in these places will already contribute to their transformation. Talking about my experiences and documenting them on the blog adds to this even more.
It is human nature to be fascinated by the exotic, the unknown and by other ways of life. And this seems particularly true in these modern times where we often look for alternatives to our fast paced lives. But within this yearning for authenticity, simplicity and untouched beauty lies a big paradox. By traveling to these places we leave permanent marks and we, deliberately or not, contribute to steering them into the direction of where we have tried to escape from. So how can we solve this paradox then?
Would tourism benefits these kids or not? Somewhere in the Shan Highlands, Myanmar
What to do?
The question is how we should deal with this dilemma as travelers. Should we just keep writing and talking about our experiences because if not us, someone else will do it? Or should we rather keep our experiences to ourselves in order to preserve these places a little bit longer? The surfer community has been doing this for a long time, keeping quiet about local secret spots and only letting people in if they had proven themselves. Is this something the intrepid traveler of today should also adopt?
“But i keep my experiences about all that to myself. I don’t want hundreds of backpackers there, running for their next travel kicks.”
(Ernest, a seasoned ESCapology reader)
It is a difficult question which I thought about quite a lot recently. I guess there is no clear-cut solution or patent remedy to this. It is a question that each one of us has to answer individually and there is no right or wrong here either.
Let’s try to travel with open eyes and an open mind.
What we all should do however is to travel with open eyes and an open mind. Often traveling is not about the place but about the people. It shouldn’t be just about the next travel kick but about learning and growing. If we start to keep this in my mind, the first step in the right direction is taken I think.
Last thoughts …
This has been a difficult topic to write about but something I wanted to for long now. The final motivation to write this article was given by Ernest, a reader of the blog, whom I have also cited here. His recent comments finally encouraged me to tackle this subject. It is hard to grasp and way more abstract than a top 5 list or regular travel report and I am hoping that you were able to follow me.
I would love to hear about your take on these things. Maybe you perceive them totally different, which would be just as interesting. Let me know and leave a comment below. Thanks for taking the time and for stopping by.
30 Responses to Reflections about tourism – The big paradox