Less than forty years ago, tourism was encouraged as an unquestionable good. With the arrival of package holidays and charter flights, tourism could at last be enjoyed by the masses. Yet one day, it seems feasible that there will be no more tourists. There will be 'adventurers', 'fieldwork assistants', 'volunteers' and, of course, 'travellers'. But the term 'tourist' will be extinct. There might be those who quietly slip away to foreign lands for nothing other than pure pleasure, but it will be a secretive and frowned upon activity. No one will want to own up to being one of those. In fact, there are already a few countries prohibiting tourists from entering certain areas where the adverse effects of tourism have already struck. Tourists have been charged with bringin
g nothing with them but their money and wreaking havoc with the local environment.
Tourism is being attacked by more subtle methods, by being re-branded in the hope we won't recognise it as the unattractive entity as it once was. The word 'tourist' is being removed from anything that was once called a holiday in the pamphlet that was once called a holiday brochure. Adventures, fieldwork assistants and volunteers don't go on holidays. 'Un-tourists' go on things called 'cultural experiences', 'expeditions', 'projects' and most tellingly, 'missions'. The word 'mission' is, perhaps unintentionally fitting. While this re-branding is supposed to present a progressive approach to travel, it is firmly rooted in the viewpoint of the Victorian era. The modern day un-tourist insists that the main motive behind their adventure is to help others. Whereas the mass tourist and the area they visit are condemned as anti-ethical and at loggerheads, the ethos of the un-tourist and the needs of the area they wander into are presumed to be in tune with.
To conclude with, we're interested in making ourselves feel good, that's why we've succumbed to the re-branding of our enjoyment, and refuse to take up a term we believe to be tainted. How many times have you owned up to being a tourist?
Are you a tourist or a traveller? written by Cristina Nuta for FamousWhy.com
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