I stumbled across this today on Vagablogging and really felt like I should repost here and share.
Gringo Trails is a documentary in production about backpackers and their impacts on the places they visit. Pegi Vail, an anthropologist at Columbia University, explores these impacts on locations in Thailand, Mali, and Bolivia. Though the segment on Bolivia has a positive counterpoint and it is acknowledged that, “Backpackers aren’t the bad guys,” the trailer at least has a generally sombering tone.
I think it’s important for us to really question why we travel and how it impacts the local people, environment, and economy. Even at our most conscientious, just being in certain places and filling the roll of “tourist” or “foreigner” can have profound effects. It’s hard to really form a concrete opinion or solution, especially as someone who loves to travel and experience new places, but the point is that this is an interesting topic to think about and begin questioning.
How do other Travelettes feel? How are some ways we can travel more responsibly?
post by Jackie Clark
