Advancement in technology has for sure improved our travel itineraries, given us more off-beat destinations and opened various gates for better travel. The emergence of Artificial intelligence has worked like magic, now our travel plans are more elaborate, and our finances are clearly laid out. The trouble of hunting for accommodations and food has disappeared like the footprints in sand. Now we have the lists of reviews, we can figure out which places to visit and which to avoid. Services like Google reviews are providing us with information and experience of everything around us. Truly it is making our travel better, or is it? No one can deny the convenience these tools and sites are providing us but at the same time it is automating our experience, it is making our travel homogeneous, the reviews determine whether to visit a place or not without the person experiencing it.
The travel destination is becoming a showpiece of travel ratings and reviews. Everyone visiting a hill station is experiencing everything similar, similar foods, similar accommodations, and similar shopping. Offbeat places aren’t offbeat anymore, one can find more tourists at an offbeat place than the main attraction. One can trace the general experiences, blend and tasteless experiences emerging. The beaches are like beaches, mountains are mountains and treks have come down to physical exhaustion. Beaches, mountains, and treks aren’t giving us anything new. This somewhere or the other is the result of our travel plans and experiences being controlled by others’ experiences, reviews and ratings.
Exoticism: Tourism has become a tunnel-visioned exploration. Exoticism is the romanticisation or commercialisation of places and cultures that are viewed as being exotic or unrelated to one’s own. This could result in a shallow and skewed portrayal of regional cultures and customs. This in return creates a bubble where tourists come and enjoy only a few destinations and the experiences are limited. The bubble created often is not the true representation of the culture and tradition rather, it is manufactured to please and amuse the travellers. The main attractions often become the places of eye candy, where everything in the world is perfect and nothing short of heaven but the heaven is experienced similarly by everyone irrespective of their motives, expectations, and culture.
Human-Centric Approach: The regulation and robotic management of travelling automate the emotions that we experience during exploration. Connecting with locals and listening to their stories, histories, their emotions is one way to humanly approach our travel destinations. Spend a night with locals, maybe ask for accommodation out of your hotel for one night. we frequently forget that humans who have lived there for a long time are also a part of the beauty. Humans and nature are interconnected. The view of a lake from a hilltop may not be forgotten, but the sincere conversation also stays with us for a very long time.
- Interact with locals and listen to their stories, their past and memories.
- Try to learn about the art and oral traditions of the place.
- Don’t explore offbeat places for mere leisure, attempt to learn about other aspects such as politics and preferences from food to clothes.
- You already be trying the local cuisines, how about going one step further and learning to cook one or two cuisines?
Ecology and Sense of Superiority: It is no surprise that travelling and exploring is a way for many of us to liberate ourselves. In this act of liberation and exploration, we tend to act out of superiority and self-optimization. When travelling and exploring, we tend to reach the act of a sense of superiority. We see nature and the tourist destination as something that is going to unconditionally help us. There is a need to change the perspective to promote Ecotourism, Ecotourism a concept born out of growing environmental concerns and the desire to protect our planet, has emerged as a transformative force within the tourism industry. Ecotourism celebrates indigenous cultures and traditional practices, fostering respect and appreciation among visitors.
- Must change the attitude that flora and fauna, local communities and natural wonders must be utilized for our uncontrollable pleasure.
- Taking responsibility and making conscious choices towards sustaining the economy, environment and heritage.
- Follow the principle of “Leave no Traces” to ensure the safeguarding of the environment.
- Instead of thinking about what this place can give me, think about what and how you can contribute to the betterment of the place.
- Changing the sense of superiority: Respecting the agency, the autonomy of flora and fauna. That includes zoo safaris and animal safaris considering and respecting the territory and natural behaviour of the animals.
- Water activities that don’t impact the harmonious water life of the area
- Responsible trekking, which includes avoiding plastic use, minimising the campfires.
- Respecting the heritage of cities, we visit along with the ideology and traditions of the locals.
One can truly enjoy the wonders of the world when one respects the biodiversity of a place. One can truly appreciate a place when one forms an emotional connection with the people and not just with the landscape. Travelling as a habit, as a form of adventure as a form of liberation is discomforting. Travelling in its essence is a tiring process, starting from accommodations to sleepless nights to days of non-stop travel, reaching a destination is an uncomfortable activity. One takes the conscious step of going out of their comfort zone, going out of their leisure, and taking a voluntary decision of putting themselves in a difficult position so they could experience something that gives pleasure, peace, adventure and a chance of self-reflection.
It is important to understand the automation of our travel and how it regenerates the same experience for everyone in the world. The replication of the same experience becomes superficial, it forces us to cross boundaries maintained by nature and use everything at our disposal to feel the joy and happiness trapped inside superficiality.
The authentic experience of travelling includes being put in a difficult position, being reminded of our responsibilities, leisure, refreshing activities, and forming a short and meaningful connection with people whom we might not meet again in life. It’s about appreciating the history and memories of people who continue to be a part of these natural wonders.