Are we loving our favourite places to death? That's one of the confronting questions unpacked in 'The Last Tourist', a new feature-length documentary that shines a light on the darkest recesses of the tourism industry. Hannah Foster-Roe attended the film's UK and Ireland premiere to find out what it means to be a responsible traveller.
Executive-produced by Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures – a small-group tour operator pioneering community-led travel experiences – The Last Tourist examines the impact of unsustainable tourism on vulnerable communities in destinations such as Cambodia, Kenya and Peru, as well as on the environment and wildlife. The film, directed by Tyson Sadler, is essential viewing for anyone who travels, whether it’s for fly-and-flop holidays or more experiential trips.
Its central message is clear. As travellers, we each have a responsibility to treat the world we love exploring as finite and fragile. And, as consumers, we are the key to redefining what tourism can be in the future. The Last Tourist is full of suggestions for how we can do better: here are just five of its most empowering tips…
1. Deconstruct your mindset
This is an idea repeated throughout the documentary – that we have to interrogate how we travel because tourists have collectively lost sight of what a privilege it is to do so. In this age of chasing social media content over meaningful experiences and wanting to “do” as many countries as possible instead of really taking time to learn the reality, nuance and cultural landscape of a place, we have become disconnected from the transformational potential of travel.
“Tourists are unintentionally destroying the very things they have come to see,” reads a line from the film’s synopsis. Recognising that our holidays have an impact, and that we have a duty of care to a destination for as long as we’re there, are the first steps towards getting tourism “right”. This ensures we’re taking accountability for our own actions, so that we can go on to demand better from those at the top of the industry ladder.
2. Check your privilege
The Last Tourist starts with a sequence explaining how tourists have become “unconscious consumers”; descending on places in droves, depleting precious resources and leaving too damaging a footprint. We tend not to question or challenge what we see as we claim these places as “destinations”, unwittingly exercising entitlement and ignorance that comes with privilege. But if the tourism industry is to truly work for everyone, then the time of being passive has to end.
In the words of Poon Tip: “Travel is a privilege, not a right. And with that comes great responsibility.” The film teaches that an ethical traveller doesn’t just see it as their trip. An ethical traveller is more informed, inclusive and intentional; someone who does their research, keeping themselves (and their providers) accountable.
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3. Choose where your money goes carefully
“The places we call destinations are actually people’s homes,” says Judy Kepher-Gona in the film, founder of Kenya-based consulting company Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda. But to meet the demand and tastes of Western tourists, local people are being robbed of crucial “economic and cultural space” in favour of imported food and restaurant franchises. For example, in Kenya, only 14% of the money tourists spend remains in the country. The Last Tourist warns that, when we exclude people on the ground in the locations we visit, tourism becomes a one-way conversation that serves neither the traveller nor the local community.
We have the power to make that conversation more balanced, by eschewing travel that has historically phased out local people from the tourism chain. For example, all-inclusive packages – by their nature designed to keep us overindulging in one place – perpetuate the tension between visitor and resident, creating an environment far removed from the travel experiences we should be seeking. Cruise holidays take it up a notch; throughout the Caribbean which, according to the film, is the most tourism-dependent region in the world, local communities aren't benefiting from the hundreds (often thousands) of people being transplanted onto their shores with each docking ship, because cruise lines are telling their passengers where to shop, eat and book excursions while in port in exchange for commission.
Money talks; every penny we spend throughout the travel process, from booking to departure, is an investment that shapes the tourism industry. As Poon Tip summarised at The Last Tourist’s London premiere: “Operators fill demand, and we create that demand with our wallet.” So, by supporting local businesses, social enterprises, artisans, producers and tour guides, we assign value to a better way of travelling and send a message to our providers about what we want to see more of. Looking for operators that leverage tourism for good and incorporate local people into their ethos helps direct our money to the right places.
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4. Go slower, stay longer, venture deeper
It’s no secret that taking the slower route to somewhere is typically more sustainable than the quickest, or that spending longer there can nourish our cultural understanding. But when so many of us are limited in time and money, it will naturally have an effect on how we travel. While it might not always be possible to take a train over a plane or stay immersed in a place for months instead of weeks (although it’s ideal if you can), there is a third option that is available to most tourists.
“When travellers are on the ground, they don’t need to spend a fortune in order to have a positive impact,” says Poon Tip. Stripping back our itineraries to prioritise quality experiences over quantity is one sure-fire way to travel more expansively. Instead of “ticking off” the sights we’ve seen all over Instagram, maybe joining a local-led cooking or dance class, or just striking up a conversation with a local shop owner or taxi driver is a greater use of our time.
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5. Make sustainable swaps
It may sound cliche, but as well as flying less it’s also the little things that can add up to a big difference. If more of us travelled with reusable water bottles, packed plastic-free toiletries, refused housekeeping and bought reef-friendly sunscreen, those small actions alone could ultimately contribute to the tourism industry having a less negative impact on the planet. As The Last Tourist shows us, tipping local businesses generously and choosing to visit ethical wildlife sanctuaries over exploitative animal encounters can also make strong statements on how we want to see tourism level up.
Poon Tip has a couple of parting suggestions for sustainable swaps that we can make on our next trip: "Eat and shop local – this is often far more affordable than places targeting tourists. Stay in locally owned hotels rather than big hotels or, even better, a homestay with a local family. You’ll not only save some money compared to the cost of an international hotel chain, but you’ll also have a great cultural exchange, which is what travel is all about.”
The Last Tourist is available to watch on several streaming platforms around the world including Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV and Sky: check out the website for full details. For more information on G Adventures, click here.
Main image: Courtesy of G Adventures/The Last Tourist
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