![]() While lounging at a local beach in Costa Maya, a vendor walked by offering a massage to a tourist sitting an audible distance from us. I couldn’t see the card she presented with the pricing to know any of the details of her offerings, but the man indignantly responded with outrage at the audacity of her asking such a price claiming that he could get a cheaper massage back at home. He was very rude in both his tone and demeanor. I’m proud to say that my teenage son, who was also present to witness this exchange, shot me a look to express his disgust in this man’s response. After the tense exchange, the woman sheepishly walked away, and this man meandered over to my son and me. He grumbled, “Can you believe these people? They just keep trying to swindle us.” I don’t think as quickly on my feet as I’d like to during instances such as these, so feeling dumbstruck, I half smiled hoping to portray disinterest in whatever he wanted to express. He continued, “We usually book a resort in the hotel zone. It’s nice over there.” For those who don’t know, the hotel zone of Cancun is comprised of mostly foreign-owned, all-inclusive resorts with very limited (if any) exposure to Mexico and the cultre. I don’t remember what happened after this, but of course, this encounter developed into a very meaningful conversation with my kids about our role as global citizens. What does it mean to travel? What do we want to gain from traveling? How do we best respect the people and places we visit? How can we travel for good? According to the Center for International Development, “10.4% of the world’s GDP and 7% of the world’s total exports come from tourism,” an industry worth 1.1 trillion USD. If there is anything that we - as citizens of the good ole USA - know too well, is that the “bottom line” is priority number one, above the well-being of people and places. It’s true that our world needs tourism. We learned this when tourism came to a screeching halt in 2020. We need to make sure that our travel is for good. I’m a little over 3 years into delving headfirst into responsible / ethical / conscientious travel, and I’ve learned that, true, some people simply don’t care. I have been told this by some potential clients that they “don’t care about that” when I have attempted to explain the negative impact of some types of tourism. BUT most people do not know, and they don’t understand what truly unique and authentic experiences that are available for the traveler at heart. This is how my passion has developed - to help people who do care and have an adventurous spirit find authentic and unique experiences. Anyway... I found this infographic interesting. Not to put labels out there, but there really are different vacation goals and mindsets. What do you think? Are you a tourist or a traveler?
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AuthorThis is my journey as I navigate the world of sustainable travel for myself and my business. Archives
April 2024
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