Imagine yourself surrounded by the serenity of Bali: rolling hills blanketed by tropical rainforests, the gushing sound of perennial waterfalls, the subtle scent of seasonal produce, and a surreal wooden swing decorated with flowers, overlooking the exciting drop of a canyon before you.
Suddenly, you see a young woman clad in a beautiful flowing red dress. And behind her, another one in yellow, the next in blue, so on and so forth till you’ve exhausted every hue and shade in the rainbow. All surrounded by a crew of cameramen, travel guides and tourist traps.
This is the depressing reality of the ‘Instagram Effect’ on travel. The Bali Swing is listed as a ‘must-do’ experience across nearly all itineraries on the internet today. However, before you face a long queue under the South Asian Sun for the perfect shot for your Instagram feed, here’s how it takes away from the true spirit of travelling.
‘Instagram tourism’ is a new-gen term for the effect that social media trends and influencers have on the travel and tourism industry. These may take the form of numerous reels about ‘Hidden Gems’ or ‘Unskippable Spots!’
Social media, like all other manifestations of the Internet, has led to increased accessibility and globalisation of travel, like in other sectors. In a country like India, where travelling is usually seen as an unaffordable luxury or a waste of time, social media has portrayed a truly attainable way of checking off your bucketlist through awareness about youth hostels, ticket booking ‘hacks’, itineraries and more. Furthermore, this bright new spotlight on tourism has mobilised the economies of many picturesque towns whose beauty was earlier hidden from the world. Online reviews and vlogs act as a safety check for hesitant travellers, stabilising and reassuring their tentative plans. In India, social media has helped potential globetrotters discover like-minded communities for group expeditions, sharing experiences and making connections.
Digital Support vs. Digital Dependence: The Paradox of Insta-Triggered Trips
While we’ve seen how the interplay of Instagram and itineraries has shaped the travel and hospitality industry in recent years, how far can this connection deepen? While the internet can be immensely helpful in planning trips undertaken for sheer wanderlust, the joy of exploration and forming real connections, it can also reinforce pressure and competition culture in tourism.
Trips taken solely to post on social media can never embody the true beauty of exploration. This leads to a quality/quantity paradox, where people travel in large numbers, but the spirit of travelling deteriorates.
Today, 48% of Instagram users rely on the app to help them choose destinations for vacations. When social media influences travel choices to this extent, it causes rapid fluctuations in the popularity of locations. This leads to overtourism, environmental problems and dissatisfaction among locals.
For example, the canals of Venice have suffered greatly from erosion and pollution from large tidal swells caused by tourist cruises and motorboats. Besides, in cities that build their economies and livelihoods around tourism, authorities generally scrap restrictions and deregulate travel, in hopes of profiting off the hospitality industry. This was also seen in Venice, when the city scrapped its 12000 tourist bed limit, improving market operations, but ruining local experiences.
The environmental impact of overtourism is another massive problem. Travel influencers promote deeply unsustainable travel practices like coral reef diving that bleach and obliterate ecosystems, staying at large-scale resorts that pollute local habitats, and ‘wildlife experiences’ that harm the very fauna they depend upon. Cities like Hawaii, which are global tourist hotspots, spend countless resources cleaning up after visitors who leave behind more than just footprints.
Food for thought: If years of sparse tourism have had such a widespread impact on these cities, what will a wave of Instagrammers only there for a Reel or a story leave in their wake?
SUSTAINABLE SUITCASES: A Better Impact
So, what can you do to create positive travel experiences?
Firstly, travel for the joy of travelling. Cherishing the memory over the snapshot will automatically help you care more for the people and places around you.
Choose better modes of transport and accommodation. Opt for local experiences like homestays or bicycle culture, rather than overpriced private cabs and resorts that destroy localities.
READ, RESEARCH and REPEAT: Plan your own itineraries rather than spending a fortune on commercialised, impersonal tours. This helps you travel mindfully, rather than participating in an exploitative and wasteful industry.
– Renaisa Saratkar (Student)
