The Last Tourist (2021) Movie Script
(water trickling,
birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(birds chirping)
(calm music)
(distant rhythmic music)
(excited screaming)
(woman): Tourism.
It's considered
a wonderful break
from the real world.
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N
In the summertime
(reporter): Unmonitored
tourism has apparently damaged
the nation's coastline.
(reporter 2): One last photo,
one last chance
for hundreds of tourists
to visit Maya Bay.
The beach is being
put out of bounds
after years
of unrestricted tourism.
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N
In the summertime
(reporter 3): Holidays become
cheaper and more people
flood into tourism hot-spots.
(reporter 4): Over-tourism
and environmental degradation.
(reporter 5): Twenty million
visit each year.
Three quarters of them
only stay for 24 hours.
(reporter 6): All these tourists
end up drunk...
(overlapping reporting)
(reporter 7): ...there are
just too many tourists.
(reporter 8): ...see
the same sights,
their impact is devastating.
(man): Dude, holy shit.
(laughing)
(bell clanging)
(reporter 9): She and
another tourist
are accused of spray-painting
graffiti on an ancient wall.
(Goodall): Tourism
can kill a place.
A place that was so beautiful
can become overused,
exploited and trashed.
Most tourism has led
to destruction.
It led to the destruction
of the very things
that they've come to see.
(reporter 10): Every year,
thousands of Brits
visit Thailand
and loads of them
can't wait to get a picture
with the local tigers.
(reporter 11): A tourist has
been caught on camera
carrying a dolphin on a beach.
- It's almost a disposable
engagement in economy.
(speaking foreign language)
- You live with a certain
set of values at home.
Why would you suspend
those values
when you decide
to take a holiday?
(shouting)
(Rachel): It's a different
set of behaviour principles.
We're hedonistic when we travel.
We tend to have more showers.
We tend to be more wasteful,
we tend to eat more.
(reporter 12): The tourist
industry is a huge cash cow.
But locals don't see
much of that revenue.
(reporter 13): The exploitation
of the working class
by the hotel industry...
(reporter 14): We have people
who say these volunteer trips
abroad are sometimes
only about the photo-ops.
(camera clicking)
(Bruce): Travel is in a very
unfortunate state,
at the moment.
(elephant trumpeting)
As tourists, we're just such
unconscious consumers.
(elephant trumpeting)
(gentle music)
(Arnie): Like a lot
of travellers,
I started out as a backpacker.
In Africa,
when I travelled to Asia,
late '70s, I was already
starting to see
negative impacts of tourism.
So it set me off looking
for the unspoiled.
The uncharted.
And that eventually led me
to a place called Ko Pha Ngan
in Thailand.
When I arrived in Ko Pha Ngan
in 1979,
I was the first tourist
to have arrived on that beach.
There was one Thai family,
a fisherman, living there.
His name was Sonboom.
And his wife Chom.
And I stayed with them
for three months
and it was magical.
And I made a little map
of that location.
And unfortunately,
I shared that with one person,
who was my girlfriend
at the time,
and that map found
its way to others,
and soon, other tourists
began arriving.
Now, I never went back,
but in 1993,
I opened a
New York Times magazine
and I was stunned.
I saw a photograph
of the beach
with thousands
and thousands of people
celebrating something called
the Full Moon party.
It was out of control.
Masses of trash.
Out of control development.
It ripped... ripped me apart
from inside.
To think that from the time
I had arrived there in 1979,
within a period of ten years,
this place was being
utterly and totally destroyed.
(indistinct chattering)
(party music playing)
We have got to get
tourism right,
because if we don't,
we're going to see Ko Pha Ngan
reproduced around the world.
(water trickling)
(birds chirping)
(indistinct chattering)
- One hour?
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- Wow.
(birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(birds calling)
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
(birds chirping, cawing)
(inspirational music)
(Bruce): We are born explorers.
We have a carnal desire
to want to travel.
You know, people dream
about travel.
Our ancestors
were all explorers.
People risked their lives
to travel, originally.
(Goodall): Travel opens
our eyes, and we learn
so much about the world
and about ourselves.
(man): Travel. It's a sense
of our innate curiosity.
(gentle music)
We're driven by a desire
to experience and to learn.
(indistinct chattering)
(Bruce): We were born
to explore.
We were born to want
to seek out new experiences.
Learn from other cultures.
And somewhere along the way,
you become a tourist.
You become someone
who is disconnected
from the very place
you're travelling to.
(advertiser): This is
the way to travel.
Relax and enjoy yourself.
Yes, this is the way to travel.
- Back in the 1950s,
when world tourism,
mass tourism was just beginning,
the first jets
were crossing
the Atlantic ocean,
there were 25 million
international trips a year.
Last year, that number
was 1.3 billion.
That's a multiplication
of 52 times.
(energetic music)
(reporter): The jumbos
are coming.
Heathrow airport took
the arrival of the world's
first fully loaded
jumbo-jet aircraft,
which will revolutionize
the future of civil aviation.
Captain Jess Tranter
and his crew
brought the first jumbo
from the States
in just over
six-and-a-half hours.
(Gary): With the advent
of mass air travel in the 1960s,
747, when it was inaugurated,
was three times bigger
than any public airplane before,
so we've gone through a journey
of global mass travel.
Today, with technology,
you can find ways
to get to pretty much
any part of the world, now.
The world has become
an oyster for the masses.
(engines roaring)
(Arnie): Over-tourism is
simply too many people
in the same place
at the same time.
The increase in visitors
to the point
where it is too much
for the landscape
and the environment.
It's too much for
the local residents.
So, you're seeing examples of it
in what are sometimes called
"honeypot destinations."
They're places that people
just really want to go.
(Rachel): Places that
used to be protected
are becoming more accessible.
- Places that are really
being loved to death.
We're having an infinitely
growing number of tourists
going to finite places
that are exactly the same size
they were back in 1950.
- It's this fascinating history,
because it has
everything to do with
what was a great success:
the end of the Cold War.
Literally half of the world
had been cut off
from the other half
during the Cold War.
One of the first things
the end of the Cold War did
was open borders
around the world,
and with those open borders,
trade.
Around the globe,
you saw the growth
of the middle-class.
All of this within
literally about a decade.
This is astonishing.
(Rachel): We have emerging
markets such as China and India
coming onto the scene,
in terms of
the affordability of travel.
(Elizabeth): Simultaneously,
we had a great
technological leap,
the Internet.
Tourism is not an elite
hobby anymore.
Tourism has become
a global industry.
(Arnie): This industry is
covering our entire planet.
Eighty percent
of the world's countries
count tourism in their top five
foreign exchange revenues.
One out of ten jobs
in the planet
is connected to the travel
and tourism industry.
- There's more travellers,
it's easier and cheaper
to travel,
and the way we experience,
and our expectations
for what we want when we travel
have changed.
(insects chirping)
(wind howling gently)
(birds chirping)
(indistinct chattering)
(gentle music)
(camera clicking)
(cameras clicking)
(Rachel): The advent
of social media
has completely changed
the way we travel.
We're going after a photograph
rather than actually truly
having experience.
(Bruce): Holidays are
a status symbol.
You work hard and you earn
that vacation with your family
once a year.
It's status.
(gentle music)
- Twenty-nine percent
of millennial travellers
said they wouldn't go
to a destination
if they couldn't post
about it on Instagram.
(indistinct chattering)
(cameras clicking)
(gentle music)
People see their friends
who have taken a picture
of themselves
in a beautiful spot,
and it spreads,
and it goes viral
and then everybody
wants to go to that same
beautiful spot.
- Social media's become
the ultimate tasting menu.
(Arnie): Some of
the most isolated
and fragile areas are now
getting inundated with people
who just simply
really want to say,
"I was here."
(Rachel): Is that
our tourism industry?
Are we just travelling
for the iconic photo?
Or are we really trying
to truly change
the way that we learn,
and gain,
and benefit, and become
enriched from travel?
(indistinct chattering)
(birds chirping)
(speaking foreign language)
(deep rumbling)
(cheering)
(rhythmic music)
(brakes squealing)
(gulls squawking)
(indistinct chattering)
(engine roaring)
(woman): Right now,
two cruise ships are there,
and I can't believe
nothing is out here,
it's just as dry as you see it.
And it's not only today,
it's always,
for a good while, now.
It's about five years now
we have no season,
and the cruise ships
come in always,
and nothing for the locals.
So I keep on wondering
what is going on for us.
- Over two months I have not
made a sale at my store.
My rent is just piling up
and I can't make no money.
- We are not benefiting
from tourism.
Tourist, we don't
get from the cruise ships,
they're coming to Montego Bay.
(jazz music)
(excited shouting, cheering)
(advertiser): Embrace the sun
on the largest racetrack
at sea, zooming past
Alaska's glaciers.
Or pristine Caribbean beaches.
- You know,
when you find yourself,
on a go-kart track
on a cruise ship
in the middle of an ocean
and they've sold it to you,
at some point you got to think,
"This is kinda weird."
(upbeat music)
- The cruise ship business model
it to basically
keep the money,
not surprisingly,
flowing back to the ship.
(dinging)
- There's seminars
on how to go shopping.
To fulfil your diamond wardrobe.
(Bruce): Making sure
you have a thread count
in your bed sheets,
and you have amenities
in your bathroom,
and you have five swimming pools
and six restaurants
to choose from,
and you can be in the Caribbean,
make sure you still get
Italian food.
Maybe we should just
think of another word for it,
'cause it's not travel anymore,
'cause you're being transplanted
from one Western environment
to another Western environment.
So let's just call it
a transfer of environments.
(Martha): Most of the tours
that they take onshore
are sold actually on the ship,
and the ship takes
a hefty commission.
A tour costs 80 dollars,
40 dollars of that goes back
to the ship as a commission.
In addition to that,
there are designated
shops and restaurants
on shore that the cruise lines
have done arrangements with,
so every time you shop
at one of those stores,
the cruise lines
get a commission.
(Elizabeth): You arrive,
you're given
a little map of where
you're supposed to shop
and warned not to shop
anywhere else,
because you can't trust
the locals.
(pop music on speakers)
(indistinct chattering)
It's the exact opposite
of a real experience.
- The reality is that
there have been
surveys of visitors,
and when you look at,
"How important is it
that a particular resort
or tour operator
is keeping locals in mind?"
It's actually
ten percent that consider that.
(Bruce): Travel has taken a turn
and the destination
is no longer relevant.
I was born in Trinidad,
I can speak firsthand,
there's a tension that's built
between local people
and the tourist,
and that tension is being used
by the tour operators
to build compound walls.
Pushing more and more people
into isolation
because they're saying,
"Don't leave these walls,
because the natives
are restless."
Because they are restless,
because they're not benefiting
from the fact that
you're living in luxury,
consuming mass amounts
of resources,
but outside of those walls
there's not access
to medical care
or clean drinking water.
Traditionally,
tourism has been
a one-way conversation.
(gentle music)
(Elizabeth): The people
who change your bed,
clean your room,
wait on your table,
their wages are not
very good at all.
So you have a very
wealthy industry that...
...pays very low.
Fifty dollars a month
for a waiter.
- On the one hand,
travel has been
the source of money,
and on the other one,
work has been the source
of profit,
and that you just
treat them like objects
being exploited.
(distant excited screaming)
- All-inclusive travel packages
deny host communities.
They don't just deny
them revenue,
they deny them even
the richness
of integration with travellers.
(gulls squawking)
(upbeat party music)
(woman singing in Spanish)
How will tourism
connect cultures
when we have
all-inclusive packages
that keep you
in your hotel in one place?
(indistinct chattering)
Indeed, tourism can be
a great distributor of wealth...
Only if we manage
the distribution of the revenue
that comes from tourism.
If we don't do that,
tourism will not contribute
to development in destinations.
(flamingos squawking)
(rhythmic music)
I'll use a typical
Kenyan example.
You're going to Maasai Mara
in Kenya.
If my trip costs
5000 $, I book a whole package,
how much of that 5000
ends up
in Maasai Mara
where you lodge,
it's located,
and where you will
enjoy your safari?
(all singing)
- In a case like Kenya,
only 14 percent
of every dollar that's spent
in the country,
stays in the country.
The other 86 percent
leaves the country
in terms of foreign ownership
by hotels, or airlines,
or transportation,
in terms of food
that needs to be brought in
from somewhere else.
Anything that the country
does not keep
in their local pocket
is called leakage.
(rhythmic music)
(Elizabeth): What has been
the case in Cambodia
and in other countries too
is that a lot
of the foreign hotel chains
will simply
build their hotels,
import the food,
import all kinds of things,
and take up that space
so the locals aren't doing it.
So that you are changing
what that city or place is
by making it foreign
and not local.
You're depriving the locals
of a lot of economic space
and cultural space.
Most of the money goes
to international companies.
(elephant trumpeting)
(growling)
(chanting)
- Tourism has created
consumption patterns...
...in the minds of the traveller
that need to be deconstructed
a little bit.
We have to change our mindsets
about travel.
- If you're going to Africa,
especially with the rise
of luxury travel,
to go into a luxury lodge
and have gourmet meals,
and sit in
your air conditioning,
and then in your ride in
from the airport,
you may have seen
living conditions
which really can be
quite devastating...
And this is absolutely
a bubble that you're in.
- The leakage is huge.
Tourism can perpetuate poverty
by not integrating communities,
and you find,
unfortunately,
for some destinations,
the most acclaimed tourism
destinations
also have the highest
levels of poverty.
But why does it happen?
Because they were never
integrated into the tourism
value chain.
(indistinct chattering)
(gentle music)
We talk about tourism
creating jobs
in destinations.
But we never question
what kind of jobs.
(indistinct chattering)
- One dollar for one.
(children's chatter overlapping)
- Please, one dollar.
- One dollar. Yeah, one dollar.
(gentle music)
- It's important
to pay attention
to how tourism impacts
the developing world
because of the vulnerability
of the populations that live
in tourism destinations.
This is unlike the west, right?
Where tourism still happens,
but their host
communities are not
as vulnerable.
(gentle music)
These vulnerable populations
live on a day-to-day basis.
It's about survival every day.
And they can be exploited
by any economic activity,
because they desperately
are in need
of transforming their lives.
Their ability to question
and to challenge capitalists
and government policy
becomes very difficult.
(Arnie): Asia,
Africa, South America.
This is where this crossroads,
this critical crossroads
of poverty,
indigenous culture
and biodiversity
are all found in the same place,
and this is where tourism
is going into right now.
(Bruce): We're travelling
to some of the most
in need countries in the world,
yet people are coming
in and out of those countries
and not benefiting
local communities.
(Rachel): We, as tourists,
have kind of lost
the plot, I think.
We're at a tipping point.
We have a fundamental
problem with tourism.
(gentle music)
(Johnathan): The biggest
challenge facing
the tourism industry today
is the need for
a paradigm shift.
A change in the way of thinking
of how we do travel.
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
(indistinct chattering)
(Bruce): You know, Machu Picchu
is a tourism hot-spot
where there's hundreds
of thousands of people
going there every year.
Local communities migrate
to where there's jobs
or opportunities.
The Andean communities that live
in the rural areas,
the younger generation
is moving
to the cities for work.
Working in retail stores
and restaurants,
selling things on the street.
Opportunities for them to stay
within their communities
becomes an issue.
(honking)
(indistinct chattering)
(speaking foreign language)
(lively music)
(excited shouting)
(popping)
(Bruce): In the area surrounding
Machu Picchu,
there's very few
jobs available.
So the travellers pay
thousands of dollars
for their holidays,
but outside of those
tourism hot-spots,
they just drive right through
and ignore all
the other communities.
(speaking Spanish)
(chicken clucking)
(dog barking)
(dog barking in the distance)
(bleating)
(bleating)
(speaking Spanish)
(bleating)
(fire crackling)
(gentle music)
()
(rhythmic music)
(dramatic music)
(indistinct chattering)
(elephant trumpeting)
(indistinct chattering)
(elephant groaning)
(laughing)
- For you, for you, for you!
(laughing)
(man): Do I take it?
(camera clicking)
(elephant groaning)
- Yeah!
(laughing)
- Ah!
(indistinct chattering)
(Melissa): Our research shows
that the people who are
buying tickets to these
wildlife attractions
are wildlife lovers.
And they have no idea
that they're harming
the very animals
they care about.
(laughing)
- Actually, I'm really not sure
what's natural and what's not.
I have less knowledge,
and that makes it, for me,
really hard
to have a great opinion
about all the centres here.
- Good afternoon!
(monkeys chattering)
- What happens after the show?
Actually, I think if
they just do the show,
and then they will go
to a nice cage
with some forests,
and they will be treated well.
Then, I have less
of a bad feeling.
(tense music)
(elephant groaning)
- If that's how they live,
actually,
I feel bad, yes.
(Melissa): More than 500 000
animals are suffering
around the world
for different types
of tourist attractions.
Just to entertain people.
(monkey chattering)
(hissing)
(presenter speaking
indistinctly)
- Are you ready?
Okay!
(elephants trumpeting)
(monkey chattering)
(roaring)
(Goodall): It's completely
shocking.
There's a lot of cruelty.
Tigers bred for tourism.
Exhibited sometimes
in very small enclosures
or in cages.
(Melissa): Tigers are used
for selfies.
That tiger was likely drugged.
And dolphin experiences
are also very popular
in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Elephants are still being
poached from the wild
for tourists to ride them
or to force them
to perform silly tricks
for people.
You're seeing a very sad,
distorted version
of that animal.
(indistinct chattering)
(chittering)
- It's pretty grim.
And those are the kinds
of things tourists
need to learn about.
(birds chirping)
(distant drumming, clapping)
(Judy): We have travellers
who have knowledge
about the places
they are visiting
because they have sat
behind their computers,
they have clicked
online travel agent,
and been giving
a glossy picture
of what everything is.
But they are not aware
of what is happening,
/about what they're dealing with
when they come to destinations.
(honking, whistle blowing)
I think that tourism
that doesn't have knowledge
about the people in destinations
that we travel to...
...it is not travel.
It becomes more of a holiday
from the reality of places.
(cars honking)
(gentle music)
(Meenu): Poverty is
one liability
of marginalized communities.
Gender inequality.
These problems have
existed in the world
for ages and ages.
Tourism didn't cause
this problem.
But every single person
who decides
to become a tourist
has to make a choice.
Whether I'm going to be part
of the solution, or not.
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
Tourism is a big industry,
I mean, it's a booming industry,
and more and more people
are talking
about responsible tourism,
sustainable tourism,
They're talking about
how they can give back
to the communities,
and how they can make
their experiences of travel
more meaningful.
But there has to be
an interaction,
there has to be sharing,
there has to be knowledge.
(bells ringing)
(indistinct chattering)
It's when we travel
to different places,
we learn about things.
There are other worlds possible.
There are other ways of being.
You know, build an understanding
of the world
which is so much more diverse
than where I live
and what I know about.
(soft music)
(speaking foreign language)
(honking)
(bells chiming)
(Meenu): One in three
women globally
has faced violence
in her lifetime.
In India, more than 90 %
of the cases of violence
that happened against women
are happening
in their families
and communities.
The reality is that
the men's own homes
and their own communities
are the most violent places
if you look at the records
of crime against women
across the world.
It's not just in India
that we are fighting
against oppression.
Can tourism be a part
of the solution?
(elephant groaning)
(cameras clicking)
(elephant trumpeting)
(applause)
(indistinct chattering)
(applause)
(bird cawing)
(speaking foreign language)
(elephant groaning)
(elephant trumpeting)
- For travellers,
when you visit a place,
you become part of that place
from the moment you arrive,
by what you do,
where you spend your money,
who you talk to,
how you behave.
There's an interaction going on.
This wallet is a vote,
and every dollar
or euro you spend
is sending a message,
"I like this, do more of it."
- There are more than 3000
elephants suffering
in tourist attractions
across Southeast Asia.
In Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Thailand
is really the hot-spot for this.
What people don't realize
is the harsh treatment
that the elephants
have to endure
in order to accept
a person on their back.
- It's horrific, really.
I hate to tell people about it,
but I think people need to know
that any elephant that's forced
to give tourists rides
or perform circus-like
tricks for them
was beaten into submission.
(indistinct chattering)
(shouting)
(elephant groaning)
(somber music)
(elephant trumpeting)
(Melissa): Many elephants
experience
post-traumatic stress disorder.
You can see them rocking
back and forth, pacing.
These are called
"stereotypical behaviours."
We've never seen them
in the wild in elephants.
(elephant groaning)
(elephant trumpeting)
(Goodall): And it's the same
with a chimpanzee, or a gorilla,
or orangutan, or monkey.
And lions and tigers.
They become psychotic.
They show very
abnormal behaviour.
Pacing back and forth.
And in the end,
will become deeply depressed
and just withdraw
into him or herself.
Like a person would.
You see the same
with orphaned children
in some of these
terrible orphanages.
(children chattering)
(insects chirping)
(child crying)
(speaking foreign language)
(indistinct chattering)
- Adjective...
Describes... Does that
describe a noun?
What is a noun?
(chuckling, chattering)
I don't have any
teaching qualification,
I've not done my
teaching English
as a second language
qualification.
It's not necessary,
if you want to spend time
with the children, and enjoy
spending time with children,
it's all you need.
And a basic understanding
of English yourself.
It's super easy to volunteer.
We emailed maybe...
three weeks before coming
here at absolute most.
Ferio called us the night before
to confirm times,
make sure everything was all
okay and then, yeah.
We were here within...
twenty-four hours.
It was so simple.
It could not have been
any easier.
- Volunteering is one of tourism
industry's
fastest-growing trends,
and it's often unregulated.
(gentle music)
About two billion dollars a year
are spent through voluntourism
by sending out ten million
volunteers.
- I spent my entire childhood
in institutional care.
The number of volunteers that
came in through the doors...
You lose count.
There are so many.
(Clarissa): Imagine a bus load
of tourists
coming into a school
and disturbing a class...
- Guys, I found
the kindergarten.
(Clarissa): ...to play
with the kids,
to take selfies with them.
- She's gonna let me
come see the babies.
- I don't think they've ever
seen hair like mine before.
- We can't really talk
to each other,
but honestly, they just
want to touch you.
(children chattering excitedly)
- Sometimes, they give out
candy and then
also expect the children
to do a performance for them.
Would this happen
in your own country?
Probably not.
So, why do tourists think
it's okay to do it
in developing countries?
See the saviour complex.
This idea that you can go
abroad without skills,
without qualifications,
whether you know
the local language,
have worked with
the issue before.
It's rooted in this belief
that you can actually
change societies
and communities.
Let's be honest here.
This is neocolonialism.
This is deeply rooted
in prejudice.
(indistinct distant speaking)
- Beautiful.
- Anything else?
White, beautiful?
(Judy): The visible impact
of voluntourism
is what we see.
It's the pictures from
those who went to the orphanage.
It's the report
from the company.
It's the amount
that was contributed,
but there are invisible,
emotional impacts
that happen when we go
to these places
and leave.
It's undocumented.
(birds chirping)
(man): Can you just tell me
where we are, where we're going?
- Uh, we are at...
(speaking foreign language)
...a Children's Home.
Here, I've been here
since I was in grade four.
We were around 42 children.
I've been here for eight years.
And...
Here, there was...
This is where we used to play.
And here, mostly where
the volunteers could come.
Here, we could just
entertain them.
(rhythmic drumming)
(indistinct chattering)
(Michelle): In 2008, I boarded
an airplane
from Toronto to Nairobi.
I remember meeting Teresia
very well.
Teresia was one of the older
girls at the orphanage.
She was friendly,
she approached me.
She cuddled with me.
She wanted to talk to me,
play with my hair,
braid my hair.
And I'll be honest,
this just made me feel
absolutely wonderful.
(bright piano music)
(children chattering)
- Since 2005, in Cambodia,
there's been a 75%
increase in orphanages,
and this directly reflects
the tourism industry.
So, what this 75% increase shows
is that orphanage tourism
has become a lucrative business.
(Clarissa): The majority
of the orphanages
follow a very similar pattern.
So, you usually see a lot
of children
in very dire conditions.
The operators want to pull
at the heartstrings
of these travellers
and these volunteers
to get the donations
from them at the end.
"Orphanage" has become
a dirty word.
They've rebranded themselves
as "child centres"
or "residential care
institutions,"
so they can still
attract volunteers,
attract travellers
under the same game.
About 80% of children
living in orphanages
have at least
one living parent.
(soft music)
(speaking foreign language)
(Peter): Research has shown
that poverty is a big factor.
Communities, they are quick
to postulate into these places.
It's a quick fix
and unfortunately,
that does not work
in the childrens' interests.
So, what then,
does that tell you?
Voluntourism fuels the demand
for children to be
in these facilities.
It fuels the separation
of children
from their families of origin.
(chickens clucking)
- I've been building a big zoo
for them to stay.
For them to stay all together,
I think, in the future.
For me, I feed them.
I love them like my children.
Like, I take care
of the children in here.
(Judy): It is very difficult
to separate voluntourism
from the kind of, often,
a zoo kind of tourism.
Where we go and we click,
and we cuddle animals,
and we take nice pictures.
And we go to orphanage homes
through volunteers
and do exactly the same thing.
It's a mirror of what we do
with animals in the zoo.
To do this with little ones.
Children.
(babies crying)
With another human being.
(baby cries echoing)
- It's very painful memories.
And thinking how many years
are wasted in depression.
(baby cries echoing)
We knew we had family members
who loved us,
but you describe yourself
as a total orphan,
and we had nobody to totally
share with the truth.
(babies crying)
(gentle piano music)
(birds chirping)
- Someone came into
my life today.
But then, tomorrow,
they weren't there.
I felt worthless,
undeserving.
(children chattering)
- You can tell that
all of the children here,
they want that relationship,
that connection.
(child calling)
They just want to be
with you,
they will write messages like,
"We love you so much.
Thank you for helping
our school,
thank you for bringing money."
(indistinct chattering)
(Michelle): A decade has passed,
and I'm learning that
those hugs and affection,
they're a sign of
an attachment disorder.
(camera clicking)
It means they will be unable
to form healthy bonds
later in life.
I was just one
of many volunteers
who came through
a rotating door,
off a bus to hug them,
to play with them.
Causing them harm.
I had all the best
of intentions,
but in hindsight,
I didn't do my homework,
I didn't take the time
to really understand
what communities needed,
what my impact would have been
on those communities
or why those children
were there.
And when I got there,
I really learned
the horrible truth.
They were there because
I wanted to be there,
not because they
needed to be there.
And because of people like me,
they were separated
from their families.
(gentle music)
(insects chirping)
(Peter): One in three
ends up homeless.
One in seven gets involved
in prostitution.
One in five
has a criminal record.
And one in ten...
ends up committing suicide.
(gentle music)
These are experiences
I have lived through.
I'm the last one
in a family of six.
And we were six of us,
taken to an orphanage.
We all left at different times.
But it was not long after that
my brother committed suicide.
And so, for many children
that are going through...
what I went through,
it's important
that we think, really...
about what is right for them.
(children singing)
- Selfie, say, "Selfie!" Selfie!
(children continue singing)
- And how can they still get
to be in family settings?
How can they get to experience
the love and care of a family?
(children singing)
(gentle music)
Rain, rain, go away
Rain, go away
Come again another day
Rain, rain, go away
Rain, rain, go away
(clapping)
(children chattering)
- There are different ways
of doing voluntourism
and we can do voluntourism
without being disruptive,
by still leaving
a positive footprint.
And in situations where
we can determine
that positive footprint
in advance,
and we can be accountable
for our actions,
I think it's the best way
of volunteering.
- So, talk to us just
a little bit about
the Stahili Foundation
that you helped found
after making this.
- Well, a couple of years later,
we came together
and realizing what was actually
happening in the institution,
Stahili was born.
It wasn't initially born
as an NGO, it started...
- The most important thing
about being
a responsible traveller
is to be an informed traveller.
- For me, the travels
that I took
were really my education.
To lead us in the direction
of ensuring
that this massive industry that
we call travel and tourism
and all of its components
protects the very places
we visit.
Ko Pha Ngan, it was a real,
dramatic experience
that kind of made me begin
to question
conservation from a different
perspective.
And suddenly, tourism became
a part of that.
- We should ask more questions
about the places
that we want to visit.
And I'm not asking the traveller
to be government,
I'm not asking them to be
the inspector of tourism,
I'm just asking them
to put value
in the places that they visit.
- What if we could
harness tourism?
What if tourism
was done differently?
What if tourism was based
on supporting local people?
What if tourism actually
invested and supported
the very places that people
were travelling to see?
(gentle music)
(elephant bellowing)
(Melissa): There are many places
that have rescued elephants
from these other
tourist attractions.
These elephants can't be
released into the wild,
but there is hope
for the elephants
that are currently
in captivity.
If we are to phase out
elephant rides,
they still could have a life
worth living
if they are provided proper
a natural environment.
(gentle music)
(Melissa): You can,
as a tourist,
feel good about
supporting these venues
and seeing elephants
in proper sanctuaries.
Those people are leading
the way in helping us shift
this change in tourism demand.
(gentle music)
(laughing)
(Goodall): The important fact
that unless we work
to improve the lives
of local communities
around an area
that we want to conserve,
if we don't do something
to help the people,
we can't even try
to conserve the animals.
- Responsible tourism is
tourism that puts people first.
It must be inclusive
of the people in destinations
that we travel to.
(Goodall): If communities
are helped a little bit,
then they do better.
(gentle music)
(singing in foreign language)
(singing continues)
- Because, if tourists didn't go
and pay money to see
these "entertainments,"
then the entertainments
would change.
(Judy): But if we don't
demand it,
they will keep selling us
the same packages.
When we, as travellers,
begin to demand this,
then the travel industry
will give it to us.
(gentle music)
(cars honking)
(speaking foreign language)
- I think one of the most
important ways of making tourism
more sustainable
is by engaging with
organizations like Sakha,
where every time a tourist
comes and uses a Sakha cab,
they are contributing
to new pathways
for women's empowerment.
(Meenu): A majority of Sakha
clients are foreign tourists.
Tourism has played
a significant role
in helping women drivers,
those who are in more vulnerable
positions get opportunities
for a livelihood, for dignity.
Driving, it strikes
at the heart of patriarchy
because patriarchy,
one of the key things
it rests upon is restriction
of mobility for women.
And it's linked to the whole
issue of violence.
Normally, little girls grew up
inside homes,
they're not even allowed
to be on the roads and streets.
(speaking foreign language)
(teacher and students
speaking foreign language)
(Meenu): Driving, it brings
women out of their homes,
onto the roads,
behind powerful cars.
I think anyone who has ever
learned driving in their lives
will identify with that feeling,
because it does
make you feel empowered.
Today, in Delhi,
we have nearly 40 cars,
and we are able
to give employment
to more than
100 women chauffeurs
through this initiative.
We believe that women need
to get into the travel industry,
because there's a huge
transformative impact
that this amount of money has.
Women are able to negotiate
delayed marriages
or better marriages, or walk out
of violent relationships.
(indistinct chattering)
(car honking)
Ultimately, if there
are just more
number of women on the road,
their own homes will also become
safer for themselves.
(speaking foreign language)
(cars honking)
(gentle music)
(Judy): I think that
as travellers,
we should seek more to connect
with the reality of places.
We need a change of mindset,
to become more aware travellers,
to become more
conscious travellers.
We need the industry
in itself to transform
and change completely.
(soft music)
(birds chirping)
(rhythmic music)
(speaking in Spanish)
- We were taking passengers
through that area
on the way to Machu Picchu.
Hundreds of thousands
of passengers going
right through The Sacred Valley,
and you realize
that there's an area
there that had
zero employment for women.
And really, it was just
on the way to Machu Picchu.
We met Francesca
and her community,
and we realized that
they had an idea.
(speaking in Spanish)
- For us, it seemed like
a natural extension on the way
to Machu Picchu,
so it made sense for us
to have a dialogue
with the community,
to think of how can we help,
and how can we bring
passengers to you?
You know, what we have to do
as tour operators
is listen and create a dialogue
with local communities.
That's the basis
of community tourism.
Actually listening to
the storytelling locally,
of what local people want.
(Judy): Culture
preserves itself.
Tourism can come in
and strengthen it,
and showcase it to the world
without trying to alter it.
That starts by
asking the question,
"Is tourism the right
tool for this area?
And if it is, in what form
will it benefit
the host community?"
(Bruce): That's really
the magical part of tourism
when you get it right,
when you create that dialogue
and you're meeting
the needs for everyone,
and you're creating an amazing
experience for travellers.
(gentle music)
(speaking Spanish)
(Bruce): There's
the multigenerational
ripple effect impact,
goes beyond creating jobs.
(Elizabeth): You give locals
a voice, and you give
all the different
stakeholders a voice.
And you develop it with
the community in mind,
and with the natural
assets in mind,
and you protect those two,
then you have a great
experience, and you make money,
and everybody can win.
(speaking Spanish)
(Judy): These places
that we visit,
that we call destinations,
are actually people's homes.
We have come
into people's homes.
(rain spattering)
(birds calling)
(soft music)
(Costas): A traditional
homestay is about
staying with a family
in which they've set
the conditions and the terms
to welcome you
as part of their lives.
And you stay with them
in their home.
You share their day-to-day life
and they open
their world to you.
(gentle music)
They become the local guide.
They teach you
about the local culture
and they also help us
remember we are guests
in somebody else's home.
In somebody else's country.
In somebody else's community.
(rain spattering)
(birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(singing in foreign language)
(tense music)
(Johnathan): The challenge
of how to deal
with increasing numbers
of tourists
is gonna be with us
for the foreseeable future.
And part of it
is simple arithmetic.
(man): We're gonna likely
have close to 10 billion people
on planet Earth
in the next 35 years.
(Rachel): If you add 160 million
visitors to the current number
of 1.4 billion travellers
that are travelling now,
every year,
that's gonna increase,
and then you add it to
the already
two to three percent,
which is the global growth,
you have a phenomenal
amount of people travelling.
- We're in an
"all hands on deck" moment.
If, just like a light
switch, right now,
I could just go "click."
And shut down the entire
global aviation industry,
every plane flight
in the world,
what does that look like?
(reporters speaking
successively)
- Airplanes are supposed
to fly in the sky,
but currently, there are more
planes on the ground.
- The Coronavirus effect
has been fast and devastating.
- There has been
so many lives lost,
the numbers are
impossible to grasp.
- COVID-19 has now spread
to more than 140 countries,
a truly borderless disease.
- Most borders
are lines on a map.
The virus is taking
no account of those.
- Travel into the European Union
is being severely restricted.
- Governments are sealing
their borders.
- India is suspending
tourist visas.
- ...expects a drop of...
- ...restrictions on foreigners
coming into Kenya.
- Some airports have turned
into ghost towns.
- Tourist hotspots
are virtually empty.
- Many destinations
are in lockdown.
- Travel was down 80%.
- Billions in one of
the world's biggest industries
suffering a devastating blow
to their livelihoods.
- Many countries
in the developing world
being hit hard, when a high
percentage of their GDP
was tourism-dependent.
- We think of the tourists,
who seem to have vanished
into thin air.
- Wondering if their jobs
and their means to provide
for their families
are going to be able
to survive this.
- You've seen the disruptions
in some of the most
sophisticated supply-chain
countries in the world,
you can imagine if you have
a problem there,
what you're gonna have
in the most fragile environments
or economies.
(dramatic music)
(Bruce): International travel
today
is one of the strongest
catalysts for conservation
and poverty alleviation
that we have.
(Meenu): Tourism has an
opportunity to change now.
We have to learn how to make
this interaction
and sharing more responsible.
(Bruce): The idea we've had
of a tourist has to end.
We need a new tourist,
a new traveller.
(Arnie): The key issue isn't,
"Do we stop travel?"
It's, "How do we get
travel right?"
(Judy): We travellers
are a very powerful lot.
So, when travellers
say things like,
"I can only do that,
because that is what
is available."
What did you ask for?
What do you, yourself,
want as a traveller?
How much do you want
a different form of travel?
How much do you want
to reduce leakages
in destinations?
How much do you want
to be accountable
for your actions
during the travel?
How much do you want
to leave positive footprints
out of your travel?
(children chattering)
(Gary): At heart, an ethical
traveller isn't selfish.
They don't just see travel
as being about them,
it's not just their trip,
the trip is shared
not only with other travellers,
but with residents,
and with the environment.
(Goodall): Responsible tourism
can be really beneficial
to the animals,
to the environment,
to the local people,
to the government,
and to the tourist.
(Bruce): For sustainability
to be achieved,
it's about educating
the tourist.
The tourist has to understand
the power they have.
If people just took the time
to do a bit of research
on where their money's going,
you have this ability
to suddenly make your holiday
a transformative experience
for so many people
that would be impacted
by your decision to just
go on holiday.
- Making sure that travel
companies
are being held accountable.
"This is what you say,
and this is what you're selling.
So, now, I'm going
to take the tour
and I want to make sure
that this is actually
what you deliver,
not only to me
as a traveller,
but to the workers, too."
(Rachel): We have
a responsibility to ask
the hotel what they're doing
for the local community,
or if the hotel or cruise ships
have an environmental policy.
(Elizabeth): As a traveller,
tip generously.
That's the best person-to-person
thing you can do.
(Clarissa): When abroad,
and considering interacting
with activities such as
visiting a school
or an orphanage,
it's always good to step back
and ask yourself, "Would this
be okay in my country?"
And if it's not,
there's a good chance
you shouldn't be doing it.
(Melissa): Do your research,
make informed decisions,
understand what happens
behind the scenes.
Simple rule of thumb:
if you can ride it,
hug it or take a selfie
with a wild animal,
chances are it's cruel,
so don't do it.
- We need to be responsible
about where we're purchasing
our products and make sure
that we buy
ethically sourced
and locally sourced.
We need to bring our own
water bottle
and our own coffee cup,
it's just unexcusable, now.
We need to stop using
single-use plastics.
- I think one of
the most important ways
of making tourism
more sustainable
is by ensuring that we work
with communities'
own initiatives.
Tourism can encourage
a redistribution of wealth.
(Bruce): Travel can be
the greatest form
of wealth distribution
that the world has ever seen.
And suddenly, your holiday
can be transformed
into your form of giving back.
Imagine a world
where that happens.
(man): I think that travellers
are like pollinators.
Wherever they go,
they get pollinated by ideas.
Experiences, places,
situations, people.
And they're transporting
them to other places.
But they also contribute,
because they have
the privilege of travelling
to many other places.
(bells ringing)
So, if they hear
the right message,
the right ideas,
the right questions,
that will create
a very good synergy.
(gentle music)
(Meenu): By travelling,
by meeting new people,
by learning new things,
you become part of,
in India, we say...
(speaks in Hindi)
World is a family.
(inspiring music)
(cheering)
(speaking Spanish)
(mysterious music)
(birds chirping)
(soft guitar music)
(speaking Spanish)
(deep breath echoing)
(rhythmic drumming)
(speaking foreign language)
(speaking Spanish)
(whistling)
(singing in foreign language)
(continues singing)
(rhythmic fanning)
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
- Alright.
I'm committed to travelling
responsibly.
- I commit to making
travel decisions that align
with my personal values.
- I think it's fantastic
for travellers
to always have a mindset of,
"How can I support the locals?"
- Small changes can go
a long way.
- I commit to never using
plastic bags, utensils,
coffee cups and shampoo
and conditioner bottles...
- Because we are the ones
that are visiting,
it is very important
to be mindful
toward the local communities.
- Refuse housekeeping.
It's such a simple thing to do,
but you only really need
your bed sheets washed
every few days,
same with your towels.
And it saves a lot of water.
- Choosing hotels
and accommodations
that have sustainable practices.
- And also committing
to only using
reef-friendly sunscreen
to ensure that chemicals
aren't leaching into our oceans.
- Never participating in cruel
animal tourist attractions.
- I commit to supporting
women-led businesses,
organizations,
and shopping fair trade
whenever I possibly can.
- Trying to encourage people
to travel solo
or in small groups.
If you are gonna choose
a group tour,
then choose one that supports
and works with locals.
- I commit to always doing
my research before I sign up
to volunteer
with any organization,
and I commit to making sure
my impact is sustainable
over the long term.
- Go to a local fresh market,
go to a local farmer's market
and buy the things
from the locals,
where the money goes
right back into their economy.
- Deciding where
we put our money,
to what businesses
do we support?
- And continually thinking about
how my travel choices
can have an impact,
both positively and negatively.
- And I so, I think it's up
to us as travellers,
you and me. We have
a responsibility to search out
opportunities that will
benefit communities,
because we have so much
information at our fingertips.
- Sustainable, responsible,
ethical travel.
All of these practices,
everyone needs to be aware of it
and needs to think about it
when they're exploring
this great world
that we live in.
- Because I want to keep
exploring this big,
beautiful planet of ours.
(Bruce): I think what
the world needs now
is for people to travel.
(soft music)
birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(birds chirping)
(calm music)
(distant rhythmic music)
(excited screaming)
(woman): Tourism.
It's considered
a wonderful break
from the real world.
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N
In the summertime
(reporter): Unmonitored
tourism has apparently damaged
the nation's coastline.
(reporter 2): One last photo,
one last chance
for hundreds of tourists
to visit Maya Bay.
The beach is being
put out of bounds
after years
of unrestricted tourism.
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N
In the summertime
(reporter 3): Holidays become
cheaper and more people
flood into tourism hot-spots.
(reporter 4): Over-tourism
and environmental degradation.
(reporter 5): Twenty million
visit each year.
Three quarters of them
only stay for 24 hours.
(reporter 6): All these tourists
end up drunk...
(overlapping reporting)
(reporter 7): ...there are
just too many tourists.
(reporter 8): ...see
the same sights,
their impact is devastating.
(man): Dude, holy shit.
(laughing)
(bell clanging)
(reporter 9): She and
another tourist
are accused of spray-painting
graffiti on an ancient wall.
(Goodall): Tourism
can kill a place.
A place that was so beautiful
can become overused,
exploited and trashed.
Most tourism has led
to destruction.
It led to the destruction
of the very things
that they've come to see.
(reporter 10): Every year,
thousands of Brits
visit Thailand
and loads of them
can't wait to get a picture
with the local tigers.
(reporter 11): A tourist has
been caught on camera
carrying a dolphin on a beach.
- It's almost a disposable
engagement in economy.
(speaking foreign language)
- You live with a certain
set of values at home.
Why would you suspend
those values
when you decide
to take a holiday?
(shouting)
(Rachel): It's a different
set of behaviour principles.
We're hedonistic when we travel.
We tend to have more showers.
We tend to be more wasteful,
we tend to eat more.
(reporter 12): The tourist
industry is a huge cash cow.
But locals don't see
much of that revenue.
(reporter 13): The exploitation
of the working class
by the hotel industry...
(reporter 14): We have people
who say these volunteer trips
abroad are sometimes
only about the photo-ops.
(camera clicking)
(Bruce): Travel is in a very
unfortunate state,
at the moment.
(elephant trumpeting)
As tourists, we're just such
unconscious consumers.
(elephant trumpeting)
(gentle music)
(Arnie): Like a lot
of travellers,
I started out as a backpacker.
In Africa,
when I travelled to Asia,
late '70s, I was already
starting to see
negative impacts of tourism.
So it set me off looking
for the unspoiled.
The uncharted.
And that eventually led me
to a place called Ko Pha Ngan
in Thailand.
When I arrived in Ko Pha Ngan
in 1979,
I was the first tourist
to have arrived on that beach.
There was one Thai family,
a fisherman, living there.
His name was Sonboom.
And his wife Chom.
And I stayed with them
for three months
and it was magical.
And I made a little map
of that location.
And unfortunately,
I shared that with one person,
who was my girlfriend
at the time,
and that map found
its way to others,
and soon, other tourists
began arriving.
Now, I never went back,
but in 1993,
I opened a
New York Times magazine
and I was stunned.
I saw a photograph
of the beach
with thousands
and thousands of people
celebrating something called
the Full Moon party.
It was out of control.
Masses of trash.
Out of control development.
It ripped... ripped me apart
from inside.
To think that from the time
I had arrived there in 1979,
within a period of ten years,
this place was being
utterly and totally destroyed.
(indistinct chattering)
(party music playing)
We have got to get
tourism right,
because if we don't,
we're going to see Ko Pha Ngan
reproduced around the world.
(water trickling)
(birds chirping)
(indistinct chattering)
- One hour?
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- Wow.
(birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(birds calling)
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
(birds chirping, cawing)
(inspirational music)
(Bruce): We are born explorers.
We have a carnal desire
to want to travel.
You know, people dream
about travel.
Our ancestors
were all explorers.
People risked their lives
to travel, originally.
(Goodall): Travel opens
our eyes, and we learn
so much about the world
and about ourselves.
(man): Travel. It's a sense
of our innate curiosity.
(gentle music)
We're driven by a desire
to experience and to learn.
(indistinct chattering)
(Bruce): We were born
to explore.
We were born to want
to seek out new experiences.
Learn from other cultures.
And somewhere along the way,
you become a tourist.
You become someone
who is disconnected
from the very place
you're travelling to.
(advertiser): This is
the way to travel.
Relax and enjoy yourself.
Yes, this is the way to travel.
- Back in the 1950s,
when world tourism,
mass tourism was just beginning,
the first jets
were crossing
the Atlantic ocean,
there were 25 million
international trips a year.
Last year, that number
was 1.3 billion.
That's a multiplication
of 52 times.
(energetic music)
(reporter): The jumbos
are coming.
Heathrow airport took
the arrival of the world's
first fully loaded
jumbo-jet aircraft,
which will revolutionize
the future of civil aviation.
Captain Jess Tranter
and his crew
brought the first jumbo
from the States
in just over
six-and-a-half hours.
(Gary): With the advent
of mass air travel in the 1960s,
747, when it was inaugurated,
was three times bigger
than any public airplane before,
so we've gone through a journey
of global mass travel.
Today, with technology,
you can find ways
to get to pretty much
any part of the world, now.
The world has become
an oyster for the masses.
(engines roaring)
(Arnie): Over-tourism is
simply too many people
in the same place
at the same time.
The increase in visitors
to the point
where it is too much
for the landscape
and the environment.
It's too much for
the local residents.
So, you're seeing examples of it
in what are sometimes called
"honeypot destinations."
They're places that people
just really want to go.
(Rachel): Places that
used to be protected
are becoming more accessible.
- Places that are really
being loved to death.
We're having an infinitely
growing number of tourists
going to finite places
that are exactly the same size
they were back in 1950.
- It's this fascinating history,
because it has
everything to do with
what was a great success:
the end of the Cold War.
Literally half of the world
had been cut off
from the other half
during the Cold War.
One of the first things
the end of the Cold War did
was open borders
around the world,
and with those open borders,
trade.
Around the globe,
you saw the growth
of the middle-class.
All of this within
literally about a decade.
This is astonishing.
(Rachel): We have emerging
markets such as China and India
coming onto the scene,
in terms of
the affordability of travel.
(Elizabeth): Simultaneously,
we had a great
technological leap,
the Internet.
Tourism is not an elite
hobby anymore.
Tourism has become
a global industry.
(Arnie): This industry is
covering our entire planet.
Eighty percent
of the world's countries
count tourism in their top five
foreign exchange revenues.
One out of ten jobs
in the planet
is connected to the travel
and tourism industry.
- There's more travellers,
it's easier and cheaper
to travel,
and the way we experience,
and our expectations
for what we want when we travel
have changed.
(insects chirping)
(wind howling gently)
(birds chirping)
(indistinct chattering)
(gentle music)
(camera clicking)
(cameras clicking)
(Rachel): The advent
of social media
has completely changed
the way we travel.
We're going after a photograph
rather than actually truly
having experience.
(Bruce): Holidays are
a status symbol.
You work hard and you earn
that vacation with your family
once a year.
It's status.
(gentle music)
- Twenty-nine percent
of millennial travellers
said they wouldn't go
to a destination
if they couldn't post
about it on Instagram.
(indistinct chattering)
(cameras clicking)
(gentle music)
People see their friends
who have taken a picture
of themselves
in a beautiful spot,
and it spreads,
and it goes viral
and then everybody
wants to go to that same
beautiful spot.
- Social media's become
the ultimate tasting menu.
(Arnie): Some of
the most isolated
and fragile areas are now
getting inundated with people
who just simply
really want to say,
"I was here."
(Rachel): Is that
our tourism industry?
Are we just travelling
for the iconic photo?
Or are we really trying
to truly change
the way that we learn,
and gain,
and benefit, and become
enriched from travel?
(indistinct chattering)
(birds chirping)
(speaking foreign language)
(deep rumbling)
(cheering)
(rhythmic music)
(brakes squealing)
(gulls squawking)
(indistinct chattering)
(engine roaring)
(woman): Right now,
two cruise ships are there,
and I can't believe
nothing is out here,
it's just as dry as you see it.
And it's not only today,
it's always,
for a good while, now.
It's about five years now
we have no season,
and the cruise ships
come in always,
and nothing for the locals.
So I keep on wondering
what is going on for us.
- Over two months I have not
made a sale at my store.
My rent is just piling up
and I can't make no money.
- We are not benefiting
from tourism.
Tourist, we don't
get from the cruise ships,
they're coming to Montego Bay.
(jazz music)
(excited shouting, cheering)
(advertiser): Embrace the sun
on the largest racetrack
at sea, zooming past
Alaska's glaciers.
Or pristine Caribbean beaches.
- You know,
when you find yourself,
on a go-kart track
on a cruise ship
in the middle of an ocean
and they've sold it to you,
at some point you got to think,
"This is kinda weird."
(upbeat music)
- The cruise ship business model
it to basically
keep the money,
not surprisingly,
flowing back to the ship.
(dinging)
- There's seminars
on how to go shopping.
To fulfil your diamond wardrobe.
(Bruce): Making sure
you have a thread count
in your bed sheets,
and you have amenities
in your bathroom,
and you have five swimming pools
and six restaurants
to choose from,
and you can be in the Caribbean,
make sure you still get
Italian food.
Maybe we should just
think of another word for it,
'cause it's not travel anymore,
'cause you're being transplanted
from one Western environment
to another Western environment.
So let's just call it
a transfer of environments.
(Martha): Most of the tours
that they take onshore
are sold actually on the ship,
and the ship takes
a hefty commission.
A tour costs 80 dollars,
40 dollars of that goes back
to the ship as a commission.
In addition to that,
there are designated
shops and restaurants
on shore that the cruise lines
have done arrangements with,
so every time you shop
at one of those stores,
the cruise lines
get a commission.
(Elizabeth): You arrive,
you're given
a little map of where
you're supposed to shop
and warned not to shop
anywhere else,
because you can't trust
the locals.
(pop music on speakers)
(indistinct chattering)
It's the exact opposite
of a real experience.
- The reality is that
there have been
surveys of visitors,
and when you look at,
"How important is it
that a particular resort
or tour operator
is keeping locals in mind?"
It's actually
ten percent that consider that.
(Bruce): Travel has taken a turn
and the destination
is no longer relevant.
I was born in Trinidad,
I can speak firsthand,
there's a tension that's built
between local people
and the tourist,
and that tension is being used
by the tour operators
to build compound walls.
Pushing more and more people
into isolation
because they're saying,
"Don't leave these walls,
because the natives
are restless."
Because they are restless,
because they're not benefiting
from the fact that
you're living in luxury,
consuming mass amounts
of resources,
but outside of those walls
there's not access
to medical care
or clean drinking water.
Traditionally,
tourism has been
a one-way conversation.
(gentle music)
(Elizabeth): The people
who change your bed,
clean your room,
wait on your table,
their wages are not
very good at all.
So you have a very
wealthy industry that...
...pays very low.
Fifty dollars a month
for a waiter.
- On the one hand,
travel has been
the source of money,
and on the other one,
work has been the source
of profit,
and that you just
treat them like objects
being exploited.
(distant excited screaming)
- All-inclusive travel packages
deny host communities.
They don't just deny
them revenue,
they deny them even
the richness
of integration with travellers.
(gulls squawking)
(upbeat party music)
(woman singing in Spanish)
How will tourism
connect cultures
when we have
all-inclusive packages
that keep you
in your hotel in one place?
(indistinct chattering)
Indeed, tourism can be
a great distributor of wealth...
Only if we manage
the distribution of the revenue
that comes from tourism.
If we don't do that,
tourism will not contribute
to development in destinations.
(flamingos squawking)
(rhythmic music)
I'll use a typical
Kenyan example.
You're going to Maasai Mara
in Kenya.
If my trip costs
5000 $, I book a whole package,
how much of that 5000
ends up
in Maasai Mara
where you lodge,
it's located,
and where you will
enjoy your safari?
(all singing)
- In a case like Kenya,
only 14 percent
of every dollar that's spent
in the country,
stays in the country.
The other 86 percent
leaves the country
in terms of foreign ownership
by hotels, or airlines,
or transportation,
in terms of food
that needs to be brought in
from somewhere else.
Anything that the country
does not keep
in their local pocket
is called leakage.
(rhythmic music)
(Elizabeth): What has been
the case in Cambodia
and in other countries too
is that a lot
of the foreign hotel chains
will simply
build their hotels,
import the food,
import all kinds of things,
and take up that space
so the locals aren't doing it.
So that you are changing
what that city or place is
by making it foreign
and not local.
You're depriving the locals
of a lot of economic space
and cultural space.
Most of the money goes
to international companies.
(elephant trumpeting)
(growling)
(chanting)
- Tourism has created
consumption patterns...
...in the minds of the traveller
that need to be deconstructed
a little bit.
We have to change our mindsets
about travel.
- If you're going to Africa,
especially with the rise
of luxury travel,
to go into a luxury lodge
and have gourmet meals,
and sit in
your air conditioning,
and then in your ride in
from the airport,
you may have seen
living conditions
which really can be
quite devastating...
And this is absolutely
a bubble that you're in.
- The leakage is huge.
Tourism can perpetuate poverty
by not integrating communities,
and you find,
unfortunately,
for some destinations,
the most acclaimed tourism
destinations
also have the highest
levels of poverty.
But why does it happen?
Because they were never
integrated into the tourism
value chain.
(indistinct chattering)
(gentle music)
We talk about tourism
creating jobs
in destinations.
But we never question
what kind of jobs.
(indistinct chattering)
- One dollar for one.
(children's chatter overlapping)
- Please, one dollar.
- One dollar. Yeah, one dollar.
(gentle music)
- It's important
to pay attention
to how tourism impacts
the developing world
because of the vulnerability
of the populations that live
in tourism destinations.
This is unlike the west, right?
Where tourism still happens,
but their host
communities are not
as vulnerable.
(gentle music)
These vulnerable populations
live on a day-to-day basis.
It's about survival every day.
And they can be exploited
by any economic activity,
because they desperately
are in need
of transforming their lives.
Their ability to question
and to challenge capitalists
and government policy
becomes very difficult.
(Arnie): Asia,
Africa, South America.
This is where this crossroads,
this critical crossroads
of poverty,
indigenous culture
and biodiversity
are all found in the same place,
and this is where tourism
is going into right now.
(Bruce): We're travelling
to some of the most
in need countries in the world,
yet people are coming
in and out of those countries
and not benefiting
local communities.
(Rachel): We, as tourists,
have kind of lost
the plot, I think.
We're at a tipping point.
We have a fundamental
problem with tourism.
(gentle music)
(Johnathan): The biggest
challenge facing
the tourism industry today
is the need for
a paradigm shift.
A change in the way of thinking
of how we do travel.
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
(indistinct chattering)
(Bruce): You know, Machu Picchu
is a tourism hot-spot
where there's hundreds
of thousands of people
going there every year.
Local communities migrate
to where there's jobs
or opportunities.
The Andean communities that live
in the rural areas,
the younger generation
is moving
to the cities for work.
Working in retail stores
and restaurants,
selling things on the street.
Opportunities for them to stay
within their communities
becomes an issue.
(honking)
(indistinct chattering)
(speaking foreign language)
(lively music)
(excited shouting)
(popping)
(Bruce): In the area surrounding
Machu Picchu,
there's very few
jobs available.
So the travellers pay
thousands of dollars
for their holidays,
but outside of those
tourism hot-spots,
they just drive right through
and ignore all
the other communities.
(speaking Spanish)
(chicken clucking)
(dog barking)
(dog barking in the distance)
(bleating)
(bleating)
(speaking Spanish)
(bleating)
(fire crackling)
(gentle music)
()
(rhythmic music)
(dramatic music)
(indistinct chattering)
(elephant trumpeting)
(indistinct chattering)
(elephant groaning)
(laughing)
- For you, for you, for you!
(laughing)
(man): Do I take it?
(camera clicking)
(elephant groaning)
- Yeah!
(laughing)
- Ah!
(indistinct chattering)
(Melissa): Our research shows
that the people who are
buying tickets to these
wildlife attractions
are wildlife lovers.
And they have no idea
that they're harming
the very animals
they care about.
(laughing)
- Actually, I'm really not sure
what's natural and what's not.
I have less knowledge,
and that makes it, for me,
really hard
to have a great opinion
about all the centres here.
- Good afternoon!
(monkeys chattering)
- What happens after the show?
Actually, I think if
they just do the show,
and then they will go
to a nice cage
with some forests,
and they will be treated well.
Then, I have less
of a bad feeling.
(tense music)
(elephant groaning)
- If that's how they live,
actually,
I feel bad, yes.
(Melissa): More than 500 000
animals are suffering
around the world
for different types
of tourist attractions.
Just to entertain people.
(monkey chattering)
(hissing)
(presenter speaking
indistinctly)
- Are you ready?
Okay!
(elephants trumpeting)
(monkey chattering)
(roaring)
(Goodall): It's completely
shocking.
There's a lot of cruelty.
Tigers bred for tourism.
Exhibited sometimes
in very small enclosures
or in cages.
(Melissa): Tigers are used
for selfies.
That tiger was likely drugged.
And dolphin experiences
are also very popular
in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Elephants are still being
poached from the wild
for tourists to ride them
or to force them
to perform silly tricks
for people.
You're seeing a very sad,
distorted version
of that animal.
(indistinct chattering)
(chittering)
- It's pretty grim.
And those are the kinds
of things tourists
need to learn about.
(birds chirping)
(distant drumming, clapping)
(Judy): We have travellers
who have knowledge
about the places
they are visiting
because they have sat
behind their computers,
they have clicked
online travel agent,
and been giving
a glossy picture
of what everything is.
But they are not aware
of what is happening,
/about what they're dealing with
when they come to destinations.
(honking, whistle blowing)
I think that tourism
that doesn't have knowledge
about the people in destinations
that we travel to...
...it is not travel.
It becomes more of a holiday
from the reality of places.
(cars honking)
(gentle music)
(Meenu): Poverty is
one liability
of marginalized communities.
Gender inequality.
These problems have
existed in the world
for ages and ages.
Tourism didn't cause
this problem.
But every single person
who decides
to become a tourist
has to make a choice.
Whether I'm going to be part
of the solution, or not.
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
Tourism is a big industry,
I mean, it's a booming industry,
and more and more people
are talking
about responsible tourism,
sustainable tourism,
They're talking about
how they can give back
to the communities,
and how they can make
their experiences of travel
more meaningful.
But there has to be
an interaction,
there has to be sharing,
there has to be knowledge.
(bells ringing)
(indistinct chattering)
It's when we travel
to different places,
we learn about things.
There are other worlds possible.
There are other ways of being.
You know, build an understanding
of the world
which is so much more diverse
than where I live
and what I know about.
(soft music)
(speaking foreign language)
(honking)
(bells chiming)
(Meenu): One in three
women globally
has faced violence
in her lifetime.
In India, more than 90 %
of the cases of violence
that happened against women
are happening
in their families
and communities.
The reality is that
the men's own homes
and their own communities
are the most violent places
if you look at the records
of crime against women
across the world.
It's not just in India
that we are fighting
against oppression.
Can tourism be a part
of the solution?
(elephant groaning)
(cameras clicking)
(elephant trumpeting)
(applause)
(indistinct chattering)
(applause)
(bird cawing)
(speaking foreign language)
(elephant groaning)
(elephant trumpeting)
- For travellers,
when you visit a place,
you become part of that place
from the moment you arrive,
by what you do,
where you spend your money,
who you talk to,
how you behave.
There's an interaction going on.
This wallet is a vote,
and every dollar
or euro you spend
is sending a message,
"I like this, do more of it."
- There are more than 3000
elephants suffering
in tourist attractions
across Southeast Asia.
In Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Thailand
is really the hot-spot for this.
What people don't realize
is the harsh treatment
that the elephants
have to endure
in order to accept
a person on their back.
- It's horrific, really.
I hate to tell people about it,
but I think people need to know
that any elephant that's forced
to give tourists rides
or perform circus-like
tricks for them
was beaten into submission.
(indistinct chattering)
(shouting)
(elephant groaning)
(somber music)
(elephant trumpeting)
(Melissa): Many elephants
experience
post-traumatic stress disorder.
You can see them rocking
back and forth, pacing.
These are called
"stereotypical behaviours."
We've never seen them
in the wild in elephants.
(elephant groaning)
(elephant trumpeting)
(Goodall): And it's the same
with a chimpanzee, or a gorilla,
or orangutan, or monkey.
And lions and tigers.
They become psychotic.
They show very
abnormal behaviour.
Pacing back and forth.
And in the end,
will become deeply depressed
and just withdraw
into him or herself.
Like a person would.
You see the same
with orphaned children
in some of these
terrible orphanages.
(children chattering)
(insects chirping)
(child crying)
(speaking foreign language)
(indistinct chattering)
- Adjective...
Describes... Does that
describe a noun?
What is a noun?
(chuckling, chattering)
I don't have any
teaching qualification,
I've not done my
teaching English
as a second language
qualification.
It's not necessary,
if you want to spend time
with the children, and enjoy
spending time with children,
it's all you need.
And a basic understanding
of English yourself.
It's super easy to volunteer.
We emailed maybe...
three weeks before coming
here at absolute most.
Ferio called us the night before
to confirm times,
make sure everything was all
okay and then, yeah.
We were here within...
twenty-four hours.
It was so simple.
It could not have been
any easier.
- Volunteering is one of tourism
industry's
fastest-growing trends,
and it's often unregulated.
(gentle music)
About two billion dollars a year
are spent through voluntourism
by sending out ten million
volunteers.
- I spent my entire childhood
in institutional care.
The number of volunteers that
came in through the doors...
You lose count.
There are so many.
(Clarissa): Imagine a bus load
of tourists
coming into a school
and disturbing a class...
- Guys, I found
the kindergarten.
(Clarissa): ...to play
with the kids,
to take selfies with them.
- She's gonna let me
come see the babies.
- I don't think they've ever
seen hair like mine before.
- We can't really talk
to each other,
but honestly, they just
want to touch you.
(children chattering excitedly)
- Sometimes, they give out
candy and then
also expect the children
to do a performance for them.
Would this happen
in your own country?
Probably not.
So, why do tourists think
it's okay to do it
in developing countries?
See the saviour complex.
This idea that you can go
abroad without skills,
without qualifications,
whether you know
the local language,
have worked with
the issue before.
It's rooted in this belief
that you can actually
change societies
and communities.
Let's be honest here.
This is neocolonialism.
This is deeply rooted
in prejudice.
(indistinct distant speaking)
- Beautiful.
- Anything else?
White, beautiful?
(Judy): The visible impact
of voluntourism
is what we see.
It's the pictures from
those who went to the orphanage.
It's the report
from the company.
It's the amount
that was contributed,
but there are invisible,
emotional impacts
that happen when we go
to these places
and leave.
It's undocumented.
(birds chirping)
(man): Can you just tell me
where we are, where we're going?
- Uh, we are at...
(speaking foreign language)
...a Children's Home.
Here, I've been here
since I was in grade four.
We were around 42 children.
I've been here for eight years.
And...
Here, there was...
This is where we used to play.
And here, mostly where
the volunteers could come.
Here, we could just
entertain them.
(rhythmic drumming)
(indistinct chattering)
(Michelle): In 2008, I boarded
an airplane
from Toronto to Nairobi.
I remember meeting Teresia
very well.
Teresia was one of the older
girls at the orphanage.
She was friendly,
she approached me.
She cuddled with me.
She wanted to talk to me,
play with my hair,
braid my hair.
And I'll be honest,
this just made me feel
absolutely wonderful.
(bright piano music)
(children chattering)
- Since 2005, in Cambodia,
there's been a 75%
increase in orphanages,
and this directly reflects
the tourism industry.
So, what this 75% increase shows
is that orphanage tourism
has become a lucrative business.
(Clarissa): The majority
of the orphanages
follow a very similar pattern.
So, you usually see a lot
of children
in very dire conditions.
The operators want to pull
at the heartstrings
of these travellers
and these volunteers
to get the donations
from them at the end.
"Orphanage" has become
a dirty word.
They've rebranded themselves
as "child centres"
or "residential care
institutions,"
so they can still
attract volunteers,
attract travellers
under the same game.
About 80% of children
living in orphanages
have at least
one living parent.
(soft music)
(speaking foreign language)
(Peter): Research has shown
that poverty is a big factor.
Communities, they are quick
to postulate into these places.
It's a quick fix
and unfortunately,
that does not work
in the childrens' interests.
So, what then,
does that tell you?
Voluntourism fuels the demand
for children to be
in these facilities.
It fuels the separation
of children
from their families of origin.
(chickens clucking)
- I've been building a big zoo
for them to stay.
For them to stay all together,
I think, in the future.
For me, I feed them.
I love them like my children.
Like, I take care
of the children in here.
(Judy): It is very difficult
to separate voluntourism
from the kind of, often,
a zoo kind of tourism.
Where we go and we click,
and we cuddle animals,
and we take nice pictures.
And we go to orphanage homes
through volunteers
and do exactly the same thing.
It's a mirror of what we do
with animals in the zoo.
To do this with little ones.
Children.
(babies crying)
With another human being.
(baby cries echoing)
- It's very painful memories.
And thinking how many years
are wasted in depression.
(baby cries echoing)
We knew we had family members
who loved us,
but you describe yourself
as a total orphan,
and we had nobody to totally
share with the truth.
(babies crying)
(gentle piano music)
(birds chirping)
- Someone came into
my life today.
But then, tomorrow,
they weren't there.
I felt worthless,
undeserving.
(children chattering)
- You can tell that
all of the children here,
they want that relationship,
that connection.
(child calling)
They just want to be
with you,
they will write messages like,
"We love you so much.
Thank you for helping
our school,
thank you for bringing money."
(indistinct chattering)
(Michelle): A decade has passed,
and I'm learning that
those hugs and affection,
they're a sign of
an attachment disorder.
(camera clicking)
It means they will be unable
to form healthy bonds
later in life.
I was just one
of many volunteers
who came through
a rotating door,
off a bus to hug them,
to play with them.
Causing them harm.
I had all the best
of intentions,
but in hindsight,
I didn't do my homework,
I didn't take the time
to really understand
what communities needed,
what my impact would have been
on those communities
or why those children
were there.
And when I got there,
I really learned
the horrible truth.
They were there because
I wanted to be there,
not because they
needed to be there.
And because of people like me,
they were separated
from their families.
(gentle music)
(insects chirping)
(Peter): One in three
ends up homeless.
One in seven gets involved
in prostitution.
One in five
has a criminal record.
And one in ten...
ends up committing suicide.
(gentle music)
These are experiences
I have lived through.
I'm the last one
in a family of six.
And we were six of us,
taken to an orphanage.
We all left at different times.
But it was not long after that
my brother committed suicide.
And so, for many children
that are going through...
what I went through,
it's important
that we think, really...
about what is right for them.
(children singing)
- Selfie, say, "Selfie!" Selfie!
(children continue singing)
- And how can they still get
to be in family settings?
How can they get to experience
the love and care of a family?
(children singing)
(gentle music)
Rain, rain, go away
Rain, go away
Come again another day
Rain, rain, go away
Rain, rain, go away
(clapping)
(children chattering)
- There are different ways
of doing voluntourism
and we can do voluntourism
without being disruptive,
by still leaving
a positive footprint.
And in situations where
we can determine
that positive footprint
in advance,
and we can be accountable
for our actions,
I think it's the best way
of volunteering.
- So, talk to us just
a little bit about
the Stahili Foundation
that you helped found
after making this.
- Well, a couple of years later,
we came together
and realizing what was actually
happening in the institution,
Stahili was born.
It wasn't initially born
as an NGO, it started...
- The most important thing
about being
a responsible traveller
is to be an informed traveller.
- For me, the travels
that I took
were really my education.
To lead us in the direction
of ensuring
that this massive industry that
we call travel and tourism
and all of its components
protects the very places
we visit.
Ko Pha Ngan, it was a real,
dramatic experience
that kind of made me begin
to question
conservation from a different
perspective.
And suddenly, tourism became
a part of that.
- We should ask more questions
about the places
that we want to visit.
And I'm not asking the traveller
to be government,
I'm not asking them to be
the inspector of tourism,
I'm just asking them
to put value
in the places that they visit.
- What if we could
harness tourism?
What if tourism
was done differently?
What if tourism was based
on supporting local people?
What if tourism actually
invested and supported
the very places that people
were travelling to see?
(gentle music)
(elephant bellowing)
(Melissa): There are many places
that have rescued elephants
from these other
tourist attractions.
These elephants can't be
released into the wild,
but there is hope
for the elephants
that are currently
in captivity.
If we are to phase out
elephant rides,
they still could have a life
worth living
if they are provided proper
a natural environment.
(gentle music)
(Melissa): You can,
as a tourist,
feel good about
supporting these venues
and seeing elephants
in proper sanctuaries.
Those people are leading
the way in helping us shift
this change in tourism demand.
(gentle music)
(laughing)
(Goodall): The important fact
that unless we work
to improve the lives
of local communities
around an area
that we want to conserve,
if we don't do something
to help the people,
we can't even try
to conserve the animals.
- Responsible tourism is
tourism that puts people first.
It must be inclusive
of the people in destinations
that we travel to.
(Goodall): If communities
are helped a little bit,
then they do better.
(gentle music)
(singing in foreign language)
(singing continues)
- Because, if tourists didn't go
and pay money to see
these "entertainments,"
then the entertainments
would change.
(Judy): But if we don't
demand it,
they will keep selling us
the same packages.
When we, as travellers,
begin to demand this,
then the travel industry
will give it to us.
(gentle music)
(cars honking)
(speaking foreign language)
- I think one of the most
important ways of making tourism
more sustainable
is by engaging with
organizations like Sakha,
where every time a tourist
comes and uses a Sakha cab,
they are contributing
to new pathways
for women's empowerment.
(Meenu): A majority of Sakha
clients are foreign tourists.
Tourism has played
a significant role
in helping women drivers,
those who are in more vulnerable
positions get opportunities
for a livelihood, for dignity.
Driving, it strikes
at the heart of patriarchy
because patriarchy,
one of the key things
it rests upon is restriction
of mobility for women.
And it's linked to the whole
issue of violence.
Normally, little girls grew up
inside homes,
they're not even allowed
to be on the roads and streets.
(speaking foreign language)
(teacher and students
speaking foreign language)
(Meenu): Driving, it brings
women out of their homes,
onto the roads,
behind powerful cars.
I think anyone who has ever
learned driving in their lives
will identify with that feeling,
because it does
make you feel empowered.
Today, in Delhi,
we have nearly 40 cars,
and we are able
to give employment
to more than
100 women chauffeurs
through this initiative.
We believe that women need
to get into the travel industry,
because there's a huge
transformative impact
that this amount of money has.
Women are able to negotiate
delayed marriages
or better marriages, or walk out
of violent relationships.
(indistinct chattering)
(car honking)
Ultimately, if there
are just more
number of women on the road,
their own homes will also become
safer for themselves.
(speaking foreign language)
(cars honking)
(gentle music)
(Judy): I think that
as travellers,
we should seek more to connect
with the reality of places.
We need a change of mindset,
to become more aware travellers,
to become more
conscious travellers.
We need the industry
in itself to transform
and change completely.
(soft music)
(birds chirping)
(rhythmic music)
(speaking in Spanish)
- We were taking passengers
through that area
on the way to Machu Picchu.
Hundreds of thousands
of passengers going
right through The Sacred Valley,
and you realize
that there's an area
there that had
zero employment for women.
And really, it was just
on the way to Machu Picchu.
We met Francesca
and her community,
and we realized that
they had an idea.
(speaking in Spanish)
- For us, it seemed like
a natural extension on the way
to Machu Picchu,
so it made sense for us
to have a dialogue
with the community,
to think of how can we help,
and how can we bring
passengers to you?
You know, what we have to do
as tour operators
is listen and create a dialogue
with local communities.
That's the basis
of community tourism.
Actually listening to
the storytelling locally,
of what local people want.
(Judy): Culture
preserves itself.
Tourism can come in
and strengthen it,
and showcase it to the world
without trying to alter it.
That starts by
asking the question,
"Is tourism the right
tool for this area?
And if it is, in what form
will it benefit
the host community?"
(Bruce): That's really
the magical part of tourism
when you get it right,
when you create that dialogue
and you're meeting
the needs for everyone,
and you're creating an amazing
experience for travellers.
(gentle music)
(speaking Spanish)
(Bruce): There's
the multigenerational
ripple effect impact,
goes beyond creating jobs.
(Elizabeth): You give locals
a voice, and you give
all the different
stakeholders a voice.
And you develop it with
the community in mind,
and with the natural
assets in mind,
and you protect those two,
then you have a great
experience, and you make money,
and everybody can win.
(speaking Spanish)
(Judy): These places
that we visit,
that we call destinations,
are actually people's homes.
We have come
into people's homes.
(rain spattering)
(birds calling)
(soft music)
(Costas): A traditional
homestay is about
staying with a family
in which they've set
the conditions and the terms
to welcome you
as part of their lives.
And you stay with them
in their home.
You share their day-to-day life
and they open
their world to you.
(gentle music)
They become the local guide.
They teach you
about the local culture
and they also help us
remember we are guests
in somebody else's home.
In somebody else's country.
In somebody else's community.
(rain spattering)
(birds chirping)
(speaking Spanish)
(singing in foreign language)
(tense music)
(Johnathan): The challenge
of how to deal
with increasing numbers
of tourists
is gonna be with us
for the foreseeable future.
And part of it
is simple arithmetic.
(man): We're gonna likely
have close to 10 billion people
on planet Earth
in the next 35 years.
(Rachel): If you add 160 million
visitors to the current number
of 1.4 billion travellers
that are travelling now,
every year,
that's gonna increase,
and then you add it to
the already
two to three percent,
which is the global growth,
you have a phenomenal
amount of people travelling.
- We're in an
"all hands on deck" moment.
If, just like a light
switch, right now,
I could just go "click."
And shut down the entire
global aviation industry,
every plane flight
in the world,
what does that look like?
(reporters speaking
successively)
- Airplanes are supposed
to fly in the sky,
but currently, there are more
planes on the ground.
- The Coronavirus effect
has been fast and devastating.
- There has been
so many lives lost,
the numbers are
impossible to grasp.
- COVID-19 has now spread
to more than 140 countries,
a truly borderless disease.
- Most borders
are lines on a map.
The virus is taking
no account of those.
- Travel into the European Union
is being severely restricted.
- Governments are sealing
their borders.
- India is suspending
tourist visas.
- ...expects a drop of...
- ...restrictions on foreigners
coming into Kenya.
- Some airports have turned
into ghost towns.
- Tourist hotspots
are virtually empty.
- Many destinations
are in lockdown.
- Travel was down 80%.
- Billions in one of
the world's biggest industries
suffering a devastating blow
to their livelihoods.
- Many countries
in the developing world
being hit hard, when a high
percentage of their GDP
was tourism-dependent.
- We think of the tourists,
who seem to have vanished
into thin air.
- Wondering if their jobs
and their means to provide
for their families
are going to be able
to survive this.
- You've seen the disruptions
in some of the most
sophisticated supply-chain
countries in the world,
you can imagine if you have
a problem there,
what you're gonna have
in the most fragile environments
or economies.
(dramatic music)
(Bruce): International travel
today
is one of the strongest
catalysts for conservation
and poverty alleviation
that we have.
(Meenu): Tourism has an
opportunity to change now.
We have to learn how to make
this interaction
and sharing more responsible.
(Bruce): The idea we've had
of a tourist has to end.
We need a new tourist,
a new traveller.
(Arnie): The key issue isn't,
"Do we stop travel?"
It's, "How do we get
travel right?"
(Judy): We travellers
are a very powerful lot.
So, when travellers
say things like,
"I can only do that,
because that is what
is available."
What did you ask for?
What do you, yourself,
want as a traveller?
How much do you want
a different form of travel?
How much do you want
to reduce leakages
in destinations?
How much do you want
to be accountable
for your actions
during the travel?
How much do you want
to leave positive footprints
out of your travel?
(children chattering)
(Gary): At heart, an ethical
traveller isn't selfish.
They don't just see travel
as being about them,
it's not just their trip,
the trip is shared
not only with other travellers,
but with residents,
and with the environment.
(Goodall): Responsible tourism
can be really beneficial
to the animals,
to the environment,
to the local people,
to the government,
and to the tourist.
(Bruce): For sustainability
to be achieved,
it's about educating
the tourist.
The tourist has to understand
the power they have.
If people just took the time
to do a bit of research
on where their money's going,
you have this ability
to suddenly make your holiday
a transformative experience
for so many people
that would be impacted
by your decision to just
go on holiday.
- Making sure that travel
companies
are being held accountable.
"This is what you say,
and this is what you're selling.
So, now, I'm going
to take the tour
and I want to make sure
that this is actually
what you deliver,
not only to me
as a traveller,
but to the workers, too."
(Rachel): We have
a responsibility to ask
the hotel what they're doing
for the local community,
or if the hotel or cruise ships
have an environmental policy.
(Elizabeth): As a traveller,
tip generously.
That's the best person-to-person
thing you can do.
(Clarissa): When abroad,
and considering interacting
with activities such as
visiting a school
or an orphanage,
it's always good to step back
and ask yourself, "Would this
be okay in my country?"
And if it's not,
there's a good chance
you shouldn't be doing it.
(Melissa): Do your research,
make informed decisions,
understand what happens
behind the scenes.
Simple rule of thumb:
if you can ride it,
hug it or take a selfie
with a wild animal,
chances are it's cruel,
so don't do it.
- We need to be responsible
about where we're purchasing
our products and make sure
that we buy
ethically sourced
and locally sourced.
We need to bring our own
water bottle
and our own coffee cup,
it's just unexcusable, now.
We need to stop using
single-use plastics.
- I think one of
the most important ways
of making tourism
more sustainable
is by ensuring that we work
with communities'
own initiatives.
Tourism can encourage
a redistribution of wealth.
(Bruce): Travel can be
the greatest form
of wealth distribution
that the world has ever seen.
And suddenly, your holiday
can be transformed
into your form of giving back.
Imagine a world
where that happens.
(man): I think that travellers
are like pollinators.
Wherever they go,
they get pollinated by ideas.
Experiences, places,
situations, people.
And they're transporting
them to other places.
But they also contribute,
because they have
the privilege of travelling
to many other places.
(bells ringing)
So, if they hear
the right message,
the right ideas,
the right questions,
that will create
a very good synergy.
(gentle music)
(Meenu): By travelling,
by meeting new people,
by learning new things,
you become part of,
in India, we say...
(speaks in Hindi)
World is a family.
(inspiring music)
(cheering)
(speaking Spanish)
(mysterious music)
(birds chirping)
(soft guitar music)
(speaking Spanish)
(deep breath echoing)
(rhythmic drumming)
(speaking foreign language)
(speaking Spanish)
(whistling)
(singing in foreign language)
(continues singing)
(rhythmic fanning)
(gentle music)
(birds chirping)
- Alright.
I'm committed to travelling
responsibly.
- I commit to making
travel decisions that align
with my personal values.
- I think it's fantastic
for travellers
to always have a mindset of,
"How can I support the locals?"
- Small changes can go
a long way.
- I commit to never using
plastic bags, utensils,
coffee cups and shampoo
and conditioner bottles...
- Because we are the ones
that are visiting,
it is very important
to be mindful
toward the local communities.
- Refuse housekeeping.
It's such a simple thing to do,
but you only really need
your bed sheets washed
every few days,
same with your towels.
And it saves a lot of water.
- Choosing hotels
and accommodations
that have sustainable practices.
- And also committing
to only using
reef-friendly sunscreen
to ensure that chemicals
aren't leaching into our oceans.
- Never participating in cruel
animal tourist attractions.
- I commit to supporting
women-led businesses,
organizations,
and shopping fair trade
whenever I possibly can.
- Trying to encourage people
to travel solo
or in small groups.
If you are gonna choose
a group tour,
then choose one that supports
and works with locals.
- I commit to always doing
my research before I sign up
to volunteer
with any organization,
and I commit to making sure
my impact is sustainable
over the long term.
- Go to a local fresh market,
go to a local farmer's market
and buy the things
from the locals,
where the money goes
right back into their economy.
- Deciding where
we put our money,
to what businesses
do we support?
- And continually thinking about
how my travel choices
can have an impact,
both positively and negatively.
- And I so, I think it's up
to us as travellers,
you and me. We have
a responsibility to search out
opportunities that will
benefit communities,
because we have so much
information at our fingertips.
- Sustainable, responsible,
ethical travel.
All of these practices,
everyone needs to be aware of it
and needs to think about it
when they're exploring
this great world
that we live in.
- Because I want to keep
exploring this big,
beautiful planet of ours.
(Bruce): I think what
the world needs now
is for people to travel.
(soft music)