Hey fam,
There's a question that I have been mulling over for years now.
Does tourism actually help people and the planet, or does it cause more harm than good?
I've actually started this blog post and put it on the back burner many times over the last few years, worried about inviting criticism, not communicating it as well as I could, or misstepping somehow.
So I sat on it, and added to it more, and started and stopped again. I've put so many hours of research in to answering this question that it feels like a college thesis!
But it feels too important not to share even though it's controversial.
As people who love to travel, we absolutely must confront some uncomfortable truths and harsh realities about tourism. There are so many times when I made a mistake that probably wasn't good for the place I was traveling in and though it's hard to look at, knowing it empowers me to do better moving forward.
And I'd really love to know what you think as well. I dived deep on this one:
Does Tourism Help or Harm? A Look at Economics, Ecology, and Neocolonialism
While we're on the topic of responsible tourism, I'd also love to share the company I worked with recently in the Bahamas - 3N Vacation Services operating tours to see the swimming pigs out of Staniel Cay.
The founder of the company, a local Bahamian woman, completely bootstrapped it when no banks would give her a loan, and now it's a successful company and hotel run by her daughter, whose hospitality was wonderful and whose company I can't recommend enough. Read more about all that I did with them in the Bahamas here. If you're thinking about taking a first (or fiftieth) solo trip, make it this one!
Thanks for being here, sending hugs your way.
-Kristin
