Why do we want to travel when we’re all broke?
Wanderlust. Being Lost. Wilderness. Soul Searching. Break Free. Mountains are calling.
If these words resonate with you, the chances are that you have been bombarded with the “travel bug.” Along with a shitty economy, and a massive load of expectations, Millennials have inherited the obsession to travel. This shows through our pop culture the most. Travel movies have never been bigger, travel-related content is some of the most consumed content, and the tourism industry across the globe is booming. Just take a look at this graph that shows the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 1996 to 2017 (in millions).
The travel bug
We are driven to travel by our innate need to survive. If I were to summarize a brief history of travel (which btw, Gap Year has managed visually and splendidly), humans began to travel in order to look for ‘greener pastures’ for settlements. With the invention of wheels and paved roads, travelling became easier and more productive. Then came the industrial revolution, which changed the world. Trains and long-distance travel allowed us to travel for leisure. And hence began the phenomenon of modern-day travelling.
Arguably, travelling has never been more popular than today. The travel industry stands at over USD 8,272.3 billion, a whopping 10.4% of the global GDP (that’s enough to fund over 330 million world tours). And yet, travel is sought after like some hidden gem in the depths of secret oceans. It is not just celebrities and influencers, but people all around us are advocating the beauty of travel and the life-changing experiences it offers.
So what is wrong with it?
Nothing!
There is nothing wrong with travelling inherently. It offers exposure, experiences, and a lifestyle that one can truly appreciate. But the current trend of ‘leave behind everything to travel’ is toxic, and it is dangerous for the young’uns especially.
The doe-eyed (broke) traveling Millennials
Millennials are travelling and spending more than any other age group. There could be several reasons for this, and we could analyse the social and cultural influences. But what’s more intriguing is this report by Thomas Cook:
This report found that about 52% of Millennials say that social media posts were a consideration during their booking process. If over 50% of us are only travelling to show off, there is a very good possibility that the rest are travelling under the influence of all that showing off. And let’s come clean: We’re all broke!
We’re all in our early careers and can barely afford to quit and travel forever. Yet, that seems to be the trend. Influencers are hell-bent on proving to us how quitting our jobs and packing our bags is the best way to live. However, very few are telling us the truth. There are more than a few horror stories out there. Many people have destroyed their career prospects by having gap year(s) and very little work experience.
None of this says that you shouldn’t travel. And travelling for work, leisure or lifestyle is all fine. But let us at least make sure we’re doing it for the right reasons and not because of internet conditioning. If you are a regular person, like me, and travel during vacations, the best amount of time to take that vacation is around 8–10 days. On the 8th day, the joy of vacationing will peak and will start diminishing after that. Now that sounds like something we can afford and enjoy.
The environmental cost of travel
Another thing that needs to be addressed more often is how much this spur of travel ruins the planet. The beaches are eroding, glaciers are melting, and the wilds are littered with plastic waste. And if you think it is not incidental to the sudden spur in travelling over the past decade, let me surprise you.
The world tourism footprint amounts to one-tenth of the carbon emissions globally. This includes transport, events, hotels, food, and shopping. To pile on the bad news, both international aviation and bunker shipping are excluded from the Paris climate agreement. As a result, tourism-related emissions are often ignored by governments around the world.
The Himalayas in South East Asia is a major tourist attraction across the world, and the camp scenes there often look like this:
We are not just soul searching in these pristine places. We are destroying the fragile ecosystem of areas that are not meant to be inhabited by these many people. Thanks to us, even the most popular tourist destinations in the Himalayas are running out of water completely.
Think about it — you plan your day on the beach, get your bathing suits, lather on some sunscreen, drive to the beach and get out to feel the sun and watch the waves. You’re excited and you step out into…..litter. This problem is not an ecological one, this is a direct result of completely thoughtless tourism, costing us our nature. There are entire islands of plastic in the Pacific ocean now, thanks to our reckless behaviour.
There is still hope, though. Many countries have banned tourists for a particular part of the year in order to let the ecosystem heal. Unfortunately, the Alps continue being littered, and Hawaii being drowned under tonnes of plastic.
So what can you do?
A good way to take the right steps is to stop and consider these effects before planning your next trip.
The right brand of travel
There are many aspects to consider when travelling. There is such a thing as responsible tourism. And yes, most of us are tourists, not travellers. There is no shame in accepting that and ensuring that travel is still a part of our life. We don’t need to be explorers or wanderers. Travelling for leisure should be enough.
Responsible tourism entails that whichever place you visit, you do so with respect for the destination. You respect the locals, their culture, their environment and leave a positive impact on the place. We can ensure that, at the least, we throw our trash in the bins and opt for the more sustainable options available while we travel. We owe it to the world to reduce our travel footprint: locally and digitally.
