Travelfish newsletter Issue 292 : Intelligent travel
Hi everyone,
This is our final newsletter of 2017—where did that year go? We’ll be returning to your inbox on Monday January 8, 2018 after we've put our feet up for a short break. To wrap up this year and look ahead to the next, Stuart has written a few words on what 2018 could bring. Thank you all for reading.
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Intelligent travel
In 2004, Thailand saw around 11 million tourists. In 2016, they took in some 32 million. Laos has gone from 2.5 million in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2015. Vietnam from around 3 million in 2004 to 10 million in 2016. Cambodia from 1 million in 2004 to 5 million in 2016. These are massive increases.
Over the same period, Thailand hasn’t increased its supply of islands nor beaches by 300% nor has Laos increased its supply of towns with French colonial period buildings by 100%. Vietnam certainly hasn’t found 300% more Ha Long Bays.
Instead, pretty much all these visitors are getting crammed into the same places, and barely a week goes by without another news story bemoaning overtourism as destinations burst at the seams. This explosion in tourism has benefited many, and brought enormous wealth to a few. Many though, have fallen through (or been pushed through) the cracks—kicked off their land, lied to, exploited or trafficked.
We, and all travel publishers, bear a share of the responsibility for this as we all make a living by essentially telling people to go to these places. While travel does undeniably have benefits, we see the growing disadvantages every day.
So, while we’re undoubtedly a bit late to the party, in 2018 we think people need to start travelling more intelligently.
Travelling intelligently isn’t just knowing to wear your money belt inside your pants, or to get a backpack not a wheelie bag (joke!). Travelling intelligently is also having a handle of the effect you are having in the destination you are wandering around in and, most importantly, being aware of the people who have ended up with the short end of the stick of tourism. We’ve long harped on about keeping cultural sensitivities in mind, but we think there is a lot more we can all do here.
The other night here in Kuala Lumpur, I did a night cycling tour with Sabah-state native, Elena. She was a lawyer in a past life, and is also a very keen cyclist. She started up her tours (which if you find yourself in KL you should do) partly because she wanted to demonstrate that there was demand for this kind of activity. Bike lanes are starting to appear in KL (they’re painted blue, but are difficult to see because cars just park on them), and that is a start.
Ko Lipe, a small and very fragile island in southwest Thailand that has been totally unsustainably developed, was the birth place for Trash Hero—an organisation working to clean the joint up. They started on Ko Lipe but we’ve seen material for them as far afield as Bali and the Gili Islands in Indonesia.
It must feel like fingers in the dike for these organisations. KL as a cycling city? Cleaning up Ko Lipe, where garbage is burned on the beach? But all change starts small.
Come 2018, we’ll be listing as a part of all our destination research ways for you, as an intelligent traveller, to contribute and, well, stick a finger in the dike.
It might be an organisation like Dapur Jalanan, which runs soup kitchens for the homeless in Kuala Lumpur, Swim Vietnam which teaches local kids how to swim, SoiDog in Thailand which works to improve animal welfare or the Harapan Project in Sumbawa, which works with profoundly disadvantaged villagers. These organisations are all based in destinations that see steady streams of tourists, yet many visitors come and go without even realising they exist. This is not okay and in 2018 we’ll be working to raise awareness so visitors can do their part to chip in.
Wherever possible we’ll be asking our writers to put just as much effort into finding you a worthwhile organisation doing important work to donate to (or volunteer with) as they do finding you just the right place to sleep or put your feet up with a cold drink while the river slides by.
The time for coming to Southeast Asia, having a great holiday and then leaving without giving anything back, is over—we’re going to give you options and information on how to make a difference as we update our coverage. I’m sure for many of our readers, you’re already way ahead of us on this, and for that we say, “Bravo!”
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam, and the Travelfish team
Till next time
That’s it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site’s new additions and drop us a line if there’s something in particular you’d like us to cover in Southeast Asia.
Travel light!
Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team
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