Stunningly, the Indonesian government has decided to close the Komodo Island in January 2020 because 40 komodo dragons were recently stolen and sold overseas. A vulnerable species already, this type of plundering will quickly put them on the endangered list. Sadly, it was not the work of poachers, but regular tourists.
Why is this happening? One reason is that tourism has skyrocketed in the past decade. According to the United nations World Tourism Organization, 922 million international arrivals were recorded in 2008. In 2018, that number has climbed to 1.4 billion arrivals. This amount of travelers are putting some destinations under tremendous strain.
The ‘bucket list’ or ‘been there, done that’ approach of a hit-and-run photo op needs to change. A s travelers, we should approach a destination with a search for deeper experiences that enrich our lives. Travel should teach us, enlighten us and perhaps make the world more understandable through our eyes.
Perhaps the time has come to not only look and photograph, but to share some experiences with locals to enhance their perspective and viewpoint of visitors as well. Instead of being served, do some serving as well.
As our friends at SA Unpacked always say, “Do less and experience more!”