The Last Tourist

[Anonymous]

After reading the Maui thread about travel to Maui after the apocalyptic wildfire incident this week, I felt compelled to share the trailer for this recent documentary and urge DCUM posters to watch the film and reconsider your travel consumption habits, especially in the developing world.

Most of the people who post here have children (duh), and I am consistently amazed by the lack of concern expressed about the welfare of the planet, especially with regard to levels of consumption. How will your grandchildren think of you 50 years hence?

[Anonymous]

Travel is our passion. You have your passions.

We never ever go to zoos or participate any animal-related activity.

[Anonymous]

WTF was that? What’s the equivalent of word salad for a film trailer? Wowza!

They are really throwing everything against the wall in this film.

Animals as entertainment? I suspect most of the citizens of Dcumlandia are against this. Having said that, some orgs actually use the ticket sales/revenue to protect animals, so it depends on the actual activity.

The local quoted about how cruises come into port and the locals get nothing? Poppycock! Drivers, guides, salespeople, restaurants, bars, beach chair operators, etc. benefit directly. It’s cash in their pockets. Literally. Heck, I’ve paid $20 to a disabled man offering pictures with his pet monkey on various Caribbean islands. No clue how that man and his family would survive without cruise ship tourists. Plus, the hefty port fees fuel entire economies. I believe the tourism director in Montenegro was poached from nearby Croatia with marching orders to replicate the port success. Why? Because those dollars are significant to the government and its services as well as to locals (businesses and individuals).

I’m curious if this film bothers to address the abject poverty and suffering faced by communities during the pandemic when tourism grinder to a halt. If you bothered to speak with cab drivers, shopkeepers, guides, restaurant workers, etc. you know that people barely made it. Governments weren’t equipped to support their people.

I wonder if the film was made by the sort of people who come to dcum to kvetch about how crowded various destinations are and lament the days decades ago when nobody had discovered X yet.

The poverty tourism is admittedly tough. Like the animal tourism, there’s a fine line between crass and necessary. I know people who have done such tours. They are told in advance what kinds of donations would be helpful (think: school supplies and new shoes) and they are hit up for cash donations onsite. Then there is the ongoing ask for more sizable donations. Newsflash: how do these critically needed services (orphanages, schools, hospitals) function without cash? The funding simply won’t come from locals. Period.

Lastly: the environment. Sigh. We get it. But everything socially aware Americans do to save the environment is a drop in the bucket when the rest of the world gives zero Fs.

If the film is produced by a certain nonprofit or is steering funds to a specific org, look closely and be skeptical. Also: do the filmmakers have a flawless reputation, or are they faux activists like Luxury Yacht Boy Private Jet Leo?

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the filmmakers address celebrity tourism—including poverty and animal entertainment where celebs like Harry and Meghan “raise awareness”.

Or Ellen and Oprah and their vacations to luxury animal preserves?

[Anonymous]

I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

Eh, strange to fixate on high level politicians who have legit security reasons to travel differently from the rest of us.

The real issue is that America actually does a terrific job of taking steps to protect the earth while the vast majority of the world simply does not. We aren’t the problem, so we can’t really be the solution. Even if every American stopped traveling abroad, the environment wouldn’t really feel a positive impact. Plus, like it or not, our tourist dollars matter. Bigly. Just ask people impacted by the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP:

Will you please tell us

1. What you think everyone should do differently?

2. What you are doing differently?

PS - Maui isn’t the developing world/third world. A horrific tragedy occurred, but Maui will bounce back. The island will benefit from federal dollars as well as private donations from their billionaire patrons. If tiny, less resourced islands in the Caribbean can bounce back from hurricanes (where loss of life and housing are sadly routine), then I’m confident Maui will, too. ICYMI: tourism dollars play a huge role in the recovery. I was thanked by dozens of locals simply for showing up on St. John following the hurricane that destroyed Caneel Bay. I took a private boat over from St. Thomas just for a day, but I made sure to eat and drink and shop at local vendors who were thrilled that anyone bothered to come. If you are suggesting everyone should stay home, I disagree. Candidly, I can’t understand why anyone would suggest that.

[Anonymous]

Volunteer tourism is awful, I will give you that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Volunteer tourism is awful, I will give you that.

So what’s your solution? How else can the nonprofits caring for orphans, educating children, providing desperately needed healthcare, food, whatever survive without this funding stream?

Icymi: the government isn’t equipped to provide the funding or services…despite buckets of money from the US government. Locals aren’t equipped to step up.

I suppose your solution is simply that Americans should send money instead of volunteering AND giving money, right? That would be nice. But the reality is their business model relies on tugging on heartstrings to prompt volunteers to not only donate long term but also help with fundraising through their own networks.

All of this matters.

Unless you have a better solution, pp?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP:

Will you please tell us

1. What you think everyone should do differently?

2. What you are doing differently?

PS - Maui isn’t the developing world/third world. A horrific tragedy occurred, but Maui will bounce back. The island will benefit from federal dollars as well as private donations from their billionaire patrons. If tiny, less resourced islands in the Caribbean can bounce back from hurricanes (where loss of life and housing are sadly routine), then I’m confident Maui will, too. ICYMI: tourism dollars play a huge role in the recovery. I was thanked by dozens of locals simply for showing up on St. John following the hurricane that destroyed Caneel Bay. I took a private boat over from St. Thomas just for a day, but I made sure to eat and drink and shop at local vendors who were thrilled that anyone bothered to come. If you are suggesting everyone should stay home, I disagree. Candidly, I can’t understand why anyone would suggest that.

You should look up the statistics on poverty rate and rate of people living paycheck to paycheck in Maui before the horrific wildfires made thousands homeless and unemployed overnight.

No, Hawaii is not in a developing country- but it is nevertheless exploited by tourism and much of the native population has been driven out by the high cost of living that resulted from allowing tourism and vacation homes to predominate. There were calls among Hawaiians to reduce tourism long before this horrible disaster happened.

What am I doing differently? Nothing.

I am 52 years old and I have traveled on foot and by car to Mexico several times when I lived in southern Arizona, and by car to Canada a few times when I lived in Maine.

I travelled by airplane once to Grand Cayman and I once took a cruise from LA to the Mexican Riveria. Both of these trips were in the company of boyfriends whose travel tastes did not match mine - I especially hated the cruise and the side trips we took, which definitely exposed the underside of western tourism to impoverished areas. The cruise industry is so disgustingly exploitative of the environment and destination populations that I would never take another one and I very much regret the one I went on.

I recall during the pandemic seeing all the places empty of people and thinking, NOW I would like to go there! Lol. But seriously, much as I would love to see some places in person, the primary reason I don’t prioritize travel is because the other tourists are so off putting.

When I went to Grand Cayman I spent the week scuba diving which was fantastic apart from all the divers I watched banging against coral, taking pieces for souvenirs, trying to interact with ocean wildlife in damaging ways, etc. It was really gross and upsetting.

I had a similar experience here in the USA visiting DC and particularly the Holocaust memorial which I had waited years to see, only to tour the exhibit with crowds of people a shocking number of whom were laughing and joking about the exhibits - you know, the piles and piles of shoes and glasses from murdered Jews. I was upset for months, I’m still upset thinking about it years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

Eh, strange to fixate on high level politicians who have legit security reasons to travel differently from the rest of us.

The real issue is that America actually does a terrific job of taking steps to protect the earth while the vast majority of the world simply does not. We aren’t the problem, so we can’t really be the solution. Even if every American stopped traveling abroad, the environment wouldn’t really feel a positive impact. Plus, like it or not, our tourist dollars matter. Bigly. Just ask people impacted by the pandemic.

you are seriously kidding yourself if you think America is doing a "terrific job" at protecting the earth. Do you know how much recycling actually gets recycled? How much waste we produce? How much of a single-use culture we have to many others? Now, are we doing better than some, absolutely- in limited numbers of areas- namely cities such as DC, NY, LA, SF. Go to Northern Europe- they turn composting into energy, have alternative energy sources in abundance, electric or hybrid cars everywhere, recycling (that is actually recycled) for batteries, electronics, light bulbs, etc in every grocery store, recycling pick up to include compost. That's actually doing a terrific job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP:

Will you please tell us

1. What you think everyone should do differently?

2. What you are doing differently?

PS - Maui isn’t the developing world/third world. A horrific tragedy occurred, but Maui will bounce back. The island will benefit from federal dollars as well as private donations from their billionaire patrons. If tiny, less resourced islands in the Caribbean can bounce back from hurricanes (where loss of life and housing are sadly routine), then I’m confident Maui will, too. ICYMI: tourism dollars play a huge role in the recovery. I was thanked by dozens of locals simply for showing up on St. John following the hurricane that destroyed Caneel Bay. I took a private boat over from St. Thomas just for a day, but I made sure to eat and drink and shop at local vendors who were thrilled that anyone bothered to come. If you are suggesting everyone should stay home, I disagree. Candidly, I can’t understand why anyone would suggest that.

You should look up the statistics on poverty rate and rate of people living paycheck to paycheck in Maui before the horrific wildfires made thousands homeless and unemployed overnight.

No, Hawaii is not in a developing country- but it is nevertheless exploited by tourism and much of the native population has been driven out by the high cost of living that resulted from allowing tourism and vacation homes to predominate. There were calls among Hawaiians to reduce tourism long before this horrible disaster happened.

What am I doing differently? Nothing.

I am 52 years old and I have traveled on foot and by car to Mexico several times when I lived in southern Arizona, and by car to Canada a few times when I lived in Maine.

I travelled by airplane once to Grand Cayman and I once took a cruise from LA to the Mexican Riveria. Both of these trips were in the company of boyfriends whose travel tastes did not match mine - I especially hated the cruise and the side trips we took, which definitely exposed the underside of western tourism to impoverished areas. The cruise industry is so disgustingly exploitative of the environment and destination populations that I would never take another one and I very much regret the one I went on.

I recall during the pandemic seeing all the places empty of people and thinking, NOW I would like to go there! Lol. But seriously, much as I would love to see some places in person, the primary reason I don’t prioritize travel is because the other tourists are so off putting.

When I went to Grand Cayman I spent the week scuba diving which was fantastic apart from all the divers I watched banging against coral, taking pieces for souvenirs, trying to interact with ocean wildlife in damaging ways, etc. It was really gross and upsetting.

I had a similar experience here in the USA visiting DC and particularly the Holocaust memorial which I had waited years to see, only to tour the exhibit with crowds of people a shocking number of whom were laughing and joking about the exhibits - you know, the piles and piles of shoes and glasses from murdered Jews. I was upset for months, I’m still upset thinking about it years later.

Okay.

I am with you re: the harmful impact of tourism related gentrification. It’s very real. It’s the reason I won’t use AirBnBs.

Despite the economic inequality on Maui, the reality is the people will be provided for and the island will bounce back. They are far better equipped than their Caribbean counterparts who nonetheless bounce back following natural disasters.

I still don’t understand how keeping tourists away will help with the recovery. Like it or not, tourism dollars matter on islands. They simply lack any other meaningful employment infrastructure.

Re: cruises - How do you suppose islanders would sustain themselves without cruise tourists? Taxi drivers, tour guides, private charter boats, water sports, bars, restaurants, shops, pics with monkeys or sloths, farm to table tours, etc. rely on the cash from such tourists—by the thousands each day who otherwise wouldn’t visit since the resorts are limited (by volume) and costly…and still require one or two planes and sometimes a boat to get there.

This is complicated stuff. But any sort of myopic, pious view of “just don’t travel” or “only travel like I did decades ago” isn’t particularly helpful.

Plus: exploring other places and interacting with people who look/speak/worship/think/live differently than you is important imho. Imagine how different you might be if you never set foot outside of Dcumlandia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

Eh, strange to fixate on high level politicians who have legit security reasons to travel differently from the rest of us.

The real issue is that America actually does a terrific job of taking steps to protect the earth while the vast majority of the world simply does not. We aren’t the problem, so we can’t really be the solution. Even if every American stopped traveling abroad, the environment wouldn’t really feel a positive impact. Plus, like it or not, our tourist dollars matter. Bigly. Just ask people impacted by the pandemic.

you are seriously kidding yourself if you think America is doing a "terrific job" at protecting the earth. Do you know how much recycling actually gets recycled? How much waste we produce? How much of a single-use culture we have to many others? Now, are we doing better than some, absolutely- in limited numbers of areas- namely cities such as DC, NY, LA, SF. Go to Northern Europe- they turn composting into energy, have alternative energy sources in abundance, electric or hybrid cars everywhere, recycling (that is actually recycled) for batteries, electronics, light bulbs, etc in every grocery store, recycling pick up to include compost. That's actually doing a terrific job.

Compare what America is doing versus China, India, Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and even large parts of the EU.

The reality is we aren’t the big polluter despite our size and population. We just aren’t.

There are dozens of reports on this. Google it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

Eh, strange to fixate on high level politicians who have legit security reasons to travel differently from the rest of us.

The real issue is that America actually does a terrific job of taking steps to protect the earth while the vast majority of the world simply does not. We aren’t the problem, so we can’t really be the solution. Even if every American stopped traveling abroad, the environment wouldn’t really feel a positive impact. Plus, like it or not, our tourist dollars matter. Bigly. Just ask people impacted by the pandemic.

you are seriously kidding yourself if you think America is doing a "terrific job" at protecting the earth. Do you know how much recycling actually gets recycled? How much waste we produce? How much of a single-use culture we have to many others? Now, are we doing better than some, absolutely- in limited numbers of areas- namely cities such as DC, NY, LA, SF. Go to Northern Europe- they turn composting into energy, have alternative energy sources in abundance, electric or hybrid cars everywhere, recycling (that is actually recycled) for batteries, electronics, light bulbs, etc in every grocery store, recycling pick up to include compost. That's actually doing a terrific job.

Compare what America is doing versus China, India, Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and even large parts of the EU.

The reality is we aren’t the big polluter despite our size and population. We just aren’t.

There are dozens of reports on this. Google it.

No, you show us the evidence to support this ridiculous claim.

The US is the world’s second biggest polluter, second only to China whose pollution outweighs ours by a very large factor BUT a very large portion of it is in producing goods to sell primarily to our markets, so we are deeply responsible for much of China’s pollution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will give an F about climate change when whichever President and the likes of John Kerry/ any State department people/ any UN people start flying commercial, especially economy as they are using my tax dollars.

Their motto: do as I say, not as I do. Eliminate the Paris agreements until they all start setting examples themselves.

We are not sheep for these climate change hypocrites.

So you don't want to address the problem of climate change because of the hypocrisy of others? That seems rather childish. We can only control what we do, not what others do. Spite and "owning the libs" should not be the basis for how you make decisions in your life.

PS. Your party leader was flying private jets with his name emblazoned on the side way before most everyone else.