Opinion Panel: Travel Ethics
As we travel around the world, we often come across ethical dilemmas such as 1) Should we blog our stories and photos about "secret" places which most likely will result in a surge of new visitors to the place? 2) Should we take along gifts when visiting villages in poorer countries? 3) Should we willingly pay inflated rip-off prices charged to foreigners? 4) Should we pay to take photos of people? Should we post the portraits we captured of strangers on our blogs and social media without their knowledge and consent? and Should we boycott controversial countries? Many questions and few correct answers. We asked the opinions of five distinct travellers.
Most of us love to travel to experience different cultures while meeting the locals. We also like to take photos and videos to offer exciting blogs, vlogs, and to spread our experiences through social media. While most travellers don’t set out to cause any harm, we can unwittingly do so. So when we travel, in particular to foreign countries, we face moral dilemmas every day. We present here ten selected travel dilemmas with the opinions of five thought leaders in the travel industry to help travellers make better and more informed choices while on the road.
We asked five travellers, who also write about their travels, to offer us their opinions about our selected ten moral dilemmas. Each panel member is an expert in their own field and all are thought leaders. They come from four different continents, namely Australia, Asia, North America, and Europe. Our heartfelt thanks to you for your willingness to share your opinions.
Each panel member was presented with two dichotomous statements that presented the IT’s OK versus the IT’s NOT OK sides of 10 moral dilemmas in travel. While we understand that each dilemma has many “it all depends” qualifications, the panel was asked to focus and address the concept, rather than the details. They were thus forced to choose either side, as an “it all depends” was not an acceptable answer.
Marion Halliday, Adelaide, Australia
Marion is “Red Nomad OZ”, author, blogger and Aussie traveller who loves discovering nature-based attractions and activities – and scenic loos – all over Australia. Her Aussie travel blog and published book “Aussie Loos with Views” provide inspiration for other Aussie explorers.
Claire Bennett, Kathmandu, Nepal
Claire lives and works in Kathmandu, Nepal, and freelances as a trainer and consultant. She is passionate about global education, ethical travel and ensuring good intentions are put to good use. She is co-author of Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad.
Matt Long, Washington, DC, USA
Matt is an experiential luxury traveller who shares his adventures with thousands of readers every day through his award winning site LandLopers.com. He has been to more than 95 countries and all 7 continents and is also the host of the weekly Explore the World Travel Podcast.
Lauren Yakiwchuk Toronto, Canada
Lauren is a part-time traveller and full time travel blogger for justinpluslauren.com. As a lifelong vegetarian and longtime vegan, she seeks amazing plant-based cuisines as she travels – and she loves sharing her favorite meals on her blog.
Christine Dutaut, Essex, UK
Christine has been living in the UK for most of her life and more specifically in the little town of Maldon, Essex. By her side is her partner in crime, and equal travel enthusiast Toby. Together they travel the world and offer inspiration to others to go and “See it with your own eyes” too.
DILEMMA 1: Making secret places not so secret
“When I discover ‘undiscovered’ places such as remote villages and unspoiled beaches, I love to write about it (and how to get there) and post on my blog and all over social media because that gets me a lot of follows and likes”.
“That remote village and beaches I wrote about 10 years ago now gets bus-loads of tourists so locals set up tacky tourist junk shops and the kids beg for handouts. I keep the best places secret and only tell close friends. I protect villages from tour groups and irresponsible travellers”.
NOTE: Panel member opinions are randomly presented for each dilemma so no opinions can be directly associated with any member.
The world is there to be explored and shared! Nowhere stays the same forever and places are constantly adapting and growing. By sharing our knowledge of ‘undiscovered’ places we can also share responsible travel practices.
I don’t think individual travelers “own” or “discover” places—the idea that places are “secret” is almost always false as local people know the place is there. The forces of tourism can be damaging and need regulating but that is not going to happen through individuals not posting on social media.
The world is becoming smaller and smaller with social media and the frequency that people are traveling. There are becoming less ‘undiscovered’ places in the world. As a blogger, I will inform people of beautiful and special places around the world because I want to share it with others. I won’t keep it to myself because I want others to have similar experiences. At the same time, I do encourage travelers to act responsibly when visiting the world and I share reasons why it is important to be mindful and kind.
One of the best things about discovering a new place is being able to return and find it’s as good as you remember it. My main reason for travel is to have new experiences, not to become more popular on social media or be the ‘first’ to show a new destination. So it is NOT OK to share, when it’s likely (as so often happens) to destroy what attracted you to the destination in the first place.
Nothing is really secret in the world, at least not anymore. There are spots that are and aren’t as well known, but I’ve never been the first person anywhere, at least I don’t think so. My job is to encourage people to travel and explore, and sharing where I go is a big part of that. It is incumbent on the destinations to learn how to best manage their resources in order to avoid some of the pitfalls associated with over-tourism.
Except for one panel member, our panel likes to share their finds with fellow travellers—no wonder they are leaders in the travel blogging sphere. I like to share too, but my most favourite unspoiled locations will remain my secret to protect against mass tourism.
DILEMMA 2: Taking gifts to villages in poor countries
“It gives me great pleasure to take educational gifts such as pens and paper to poor kids, or healthy foods for the people, or give money if deserved”.
“Taking gifts into slums and poor villages create child (and often adult) beggars so next time travellers visit these people will be very disappointed if you don’t give them something. They become dependent on visiting tourists who sometimes give and other times not”.
I don’t take gifts with me when I travel. There exist many reputable organizations around the world empowering locals by involving them with tours in a way that makes them partners and not be exploited. Avoid orphanage tourism and instead take part in activities like a bike tour in a South African township led by a resident.
How many national heroes from humble beginnings tell the story about how they got an unexpected lucky break—a gift, donation, sponsorship or experience—that changed their life? And how they wouldn’t have got where they have without it? A lot! So yes, it’s OK to give—especially when the gift is meaningful to the recipient’s situation and helps them move towards a better and more sustainable life.
I generally do not take gifts to people in poor countries because I do not want them to rely on tourists for handouts. It becomes problematic when adults send their children to beg for handouts rather than going to school. An education will serve these children far better than any gifts from tourists. It also creates an imbalance within a village or community if some people receive more gifts than others.
Handouts are nearly never the answer to systemic problems—giving a pencil today will not improve access to or quality of education. What is worse, offering incentives for child begging often has the opposite effect, as children can be kept out of school as they can make more than their parents can at work from begging on the street. If you want to help people in the country you travel to, think about making a donation to an organisation working towards solving those issues sustainability
I am completely OK with this. Your gift could be the difference between a child receiving an education or not. Ponchos to walk in the rain and school equipment can make all the difference to an underprivileged child and their future.
I think we all can agree that taking candies and packaged goods into remote villages is a bad idea. When it comes to taking educational items and much-needed medicines, this becomes a more contentious debate. Best is to give such items to the school master.
DILEMMA 3: Paying inflated "tourist prices"
“Tourists can’t expect to pay the same prices at markets as the local people because we can afford to pay a more”.
“I rather not buy than paying more than the locals. Prices should be the same for everybody”.
A similar dilemma occurs in my home country every holiday season—like Christmas—when accommodation and fuel prices are significantly increased and consumers are ‘ripped off’. But you have a choice in these situations—pay up, or don’t go! I see tourist prices as just a variation on this theme, where the same choice applies. I might not like being charged extra, but it’s OK as I have a choice as to whether or not I accept it.
I don’t have any problem paying more than the locals. Even at attractions, there are tourist prices and local prices. I can afford to pay more than a local, and I don’t mind contributing what I consider to be a fair price back into their local economy.
While it can be frustrating, the reality is that the vast majority of tourists are richer and more privileged than the people selling goods in the markets. Realistically, few of the market sellers will ever have the luxury of travelling abroad. Often even a “tourist price” can seem cheap to the traveler, and the extra $1-2 can be important income for the seller’s family when it is not an amount that many travelers would really notice.
If I can afford a plane ticket there, I can afford to pay tourist prices – 9 times out of 10 times the item is much cheaper than it would be at home so why not let someone in need benefit from the profit.
Plus, haggling is good fun and if you’re looking for a bargain, you’ll likely find yourself in some interesting situations!
I’m ok with paying more at a national park or UNESCO site if I’m not a resident, but I’m not ok with different prices for normal everyday items or even gifts.
We have a very free-giving panel here, though it is unknown how much more they are willing to pay than the locals. We like to travel to developing countries due to cheaper costs, though when local businesses charge foreigners substantially more, its not good.
DILEMMA 4: Paying for posed portraits
“In developed countries we won’t walk to a person and take a close-up photo, unless we ask permission, or the person is our paid model, which is a fair and acceptable practice. Why do we so often take close-ups in poor countries, and refuse payment if the person asks for it”?
“I don’t pay for portraits while travelling in poor countries, even $1, because it sets a precedent for future photographers. It spoils the travel experience”.
I don’t pay to take photos of people, but I also don’t take photos of people without asking their permission in advance. I generally don’t take photographs of people unless we become friends and know each other fairly well.
You don’t have a god-given right to have photographs, especially if they are of other people. If you want a portrait and that person’s condition is that you have to pay, then not paying and taking it anyway is extremely unethical. Some of the subjects might see paying as simply a fair exchange, others (those dressed up in costumes etc at a tourist site) may see the service they are offering as a job.
If I ask to take a photo of someone and they say $1, it’s my decision whether I decide to proceed. If I want the photo that badly I’ll pay it! Chances are I don’t, but I don’t think it’s OK to just take photos of someone without their consent and/or payment.
I ask people if I want to take their photos and they almost always say yes. Once I paid for that photo in Egypt, and maybe I shouldn’t have done that but the time it didn’t seem like a bad thing to do.
In my travels I’ve found the posed portrait is generally not an authentic local experience. I’ve seen situations where the model has sometimes dressed especially for photos which are taken completely out of cultural context. As I’m looking for a real understanding and experience of local culture, I say paying for posed portraits is NOT OK.
The message is clear: Ask permission, where possible, before taking portraits, and if the person demands money, you need to decide if it is worth the photo, based on your moral compass. We all own photographic rights to our own faces, but only if its a closeup.
DILEMMA 5: Publishing your travel portraits
“People won’t even know if I publish their portraits on my blog and social media, and what does it matter anyhow”.
“I won’t like if a stranger takes a spontaneous closeup of my face and blast it out via social media and blogs”.
This is exploitative. You are gaining from that image, and the person in it gets nothing. Even if you get permission for portraits to be used, “informed consent” is very tricky, especially in more remote areas. How can you explain (usually in a foreign language) how images are seen and used across the internet, and how can people who are unfamiliar with the risks legitimately consent?
This is so not OK. I would not be happy if someone was circulating photos of me without my consent. It’s polite to ask and chances are you’ll get a good story out of it.
If it’s a portrait and the individual can be plainly recognized, I ask before I take the photo. If it’s in a public setting of a larger group or the back of that person in public, I don’t usually worry about it. In the US at least, if you’re in public there’s no expectation to privacy by law. But I never take advantage of that either.
Many photo sale websites stipulate that photos with recognizable people need to have the express permission of those people before being accepted for publication. While social media channels do not have the same restrictions, it’s a good rule of thumb to follow to avoid potential complications down the track, especially if the photo is going to be used for commercial gain. Also it’s good manners to ask, and tell people tell why you want their portrait.
I don’t take photographs of people without their knowledge, and I certainly wouldn’t post them on social media. I always ask before taking a picture. If the person says no, I respect their privacy.
Generally (global) acceptable practice is that when portraits are for commercial use, such as in advertising, photographers need written consent. For editorial use (posting on a travel blog), ask permission, then follow your own moral compass.
DILEMMA 6: Boycott controversial countries
“I know it is subjective which countries to boycott but when I don’t agree with their governments I won’t go there. Right now I boycott Saudi Arabia, Iran, Myanmar, Brunei and North Korea due to their repressive governments (not safety issues)”.
“I believe we should visit all countries, spend our money with the local population as far as possible, and support the local people as much as we can. Boycotting a country does not bring any relief to the innocent people who are suffering under their repressive government”.
Stay away! I totally get that innocent people suffer from the lack of income from boycotting but by continuing to visit and supply tourism money, the government will feel no reason to change. I was desperate to visit Myanmar last year on our big trip but I just couldn’t bring myself to book the flight.
Such a dicey question that comes down to the individual. If I boycotted every country I had disagreements with I’d never go anywhere and I would probably also have to move. That being said, I don’t believe in visiting dangerous countries just for the cache. This would include North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and so on.
If a country has attractions and experiences that interest me, then I will travel there. If I boycott a country because of its (for example) repressive regime, then doesn’t that make me a victim of that regime too?
I don’t boycott countries that are controversial due to their repressive governments. In many situations, the people have no choice in what their governments decide, and the people are lovely. I would travel to a controversial country and spend my money with the local population. Furthermore, there are many reasons that we could boycott countries like the USA and Canada for having controversial governmental policies, but this is rarely an issue that comes up with travelers.
I think boycotting is OK as a way to demonstrate principles but I don’t mean to suggest that this is what we “should” do. We are only getting partial images of what is really going on in those countries from a biased media. A Nepali friend of mine went to Iran recently (as it is one of the places where Nepali passports are more welcomed than most western ones) and he said it was one of the most welcoming places on earth, and people were genuinely concerned that their media image outside of the country is unfair and wrong.
It is true that if we want to blame a government for not visiting their country, these days we will find few countries to visit. Travel everywhere safe, bring hope and income to the local people, and make sure as few of your tourist dollars as possible go to the government.