As The Last Tourist hits streaming platforms, Wanderlust speaks to the film’s Executive Producer Bruce Poon Tip on why responsible and sustainable travel is more vital than ever...
In the 30 years since Wanderlust published our first issue, we have always championed the road less travelled – highlighting the value in community immersion, cultural understanding, respect for the environment and care for wildlife. Today, sustainable travel is at the core of our ethos – and we choose to champion the businesses and initiatives that also work in a responsible and ethical way. However, as the global tourism industry continues to stealthily grow, it’s clear that not everyone chooses to travel in a responsible and conscious way.
The Last Tourist, released on 24 May 2023, addresses the true impact of travel. Written and directed by Tyson Sadler and executive produced by Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, the film delves into the destruction caused by mass tourism particularly to local communities – along with the devastation unleashed when animals are used for entertainment, and the intrinsically cruel nature of some popular voluntourism projects.
To mark the launch of the film, we speak to Bruce on why the time has come to confront the negative effects of tourism, and why we all need to be more conscious travellers.
I think what’s necessary is for the consumer [travellers] to be more educated. The consumer knowing more is going to create the demand we need to make changes. There [is] a lot of pressure on hoteliers and operators [to take more responsibility] – but ultimately we need consumers to demand a more responsible and sustainable product in all industries, including travel.
This film was necessary to put new ideas in front of people. We make people confront the truth. I don’t think anyone thinks an elephant kicks a soccer ball naturally, or that a bear walks on its hands, or that a tiger will sit on a chain to be photographed – but people conveniently don’t think about it but when it’s put in front of them. I hope the message from the film is that we [as travellers] can be so much more than this.
I do hope everyone sees this film, but ultimately there are two groups that I hope see it the most; those who travel and those who sell travel. When you decide you want to go on holiday, and before you book, I hope you see this film because it can prepare you to make the right decisions and be more conscious of your decisions.
Travellers have to understand that travel is a privilege. It’s not a right. With privilege comes responsibility in every aspect of life. There are so few people on the planet who can say they want to go on vacation – and [those people] have great responsibility. And that responsibility brings a great opportunity to impact some of the poorest countries in the world.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort but you have to be conscious and aware – and we have to lean into that responsibility. We’re not asking travellers to be the inspectors or be the judge and jury when it comes to tourism, but we are asking people to participate in the value chain of travel, so others benefit from you visiting their country.
Firstly, no matter what service you’re booking – whether it’s a tour, hotel, cruise or car rental – the person [taking your booking] should be able to answer your questions. If a company genuinely cares about being responsible, they are going to scream it from the rooftops.
If they can’t tell you about their initiatives or programmes – that is a sign that they aren’t doing a lot. If you get told to check the website or they can’t tell you about [their measures] on the phone, there is a good chance they’re not doing anything. Also, be mindful of greenwashing. If they’re donating money, but not taking particular action, it’s all well and good, but it means the company aren’t doing anything locally.
Secondly, ask them: ‘Where does my money go?’ Find out who is there, on the ground, looking out for the locally owned businesses.
Lastly, ask to see impact reports. Companies who really care about this issue will study their impact – because every company has an impact, but the question is how they work to mitigate that impact and how they work to make it better. Whether they look at that metric to measure their success says a lot.
Community immersion and cultural understanding is at the heart of responsible travel (Shutterstock)
I’m from the Caribbean – which is the most tourism dependent region in the world. I’ve also been witness to – for example – the selling off of coastlines [for luxury resorts], where there are no longer public beaches available for locals. I’ve witnessed the tension that builds when local people can’t bring their families to their own beaches – or when they are left with the remnants of land that wasn’t worthy enough for sale to a beach resort. I’ve witnessed how an operator can then use that tension to bring revenue back into an all-inclusive resort. It’s a vicious cycle.
There’s the message that says, ‘don’t leave the [resort], we are all inclusive – spend your money here because outside these walls the natives are restless’. And it’s true, they are restless. Because within that compound, people are having a luxury holiday, consuming mass amounts of natural resources, while outside those walls they don’t have access to clean drinking water or medical care.
So, that’s always been in the back in my mind and when I started G Adventures back in 1990, I was passionate about travel that was culturally immersive so that people could learn and exchange ideas with local people – that’s how we pioneered the idea of community tourism.
'People need to know that they're harming the very animals that they care about' (The Last Tourist)
If you’re just a little bit conscious about where your money goes, you can create wealth distribution by just going on holiday. If you travel the right way, you are giving back. For instance, if you eat in a restaurant that’s locally owned and family run – you will be [positively] impacting communities, children and education, even women’s empowerment.
No volunteer experience should be about children. In cases of teaching English, people should question why, in a country where [English isn’t the first language], it is set up for you to come and teach English? In the case with animal welfare [where animals are trained through fear, starvation and pain to entertain crowds] – the people who are buying into these encounters are paying for this industry to exist, really love animals. They want to be near a tiger or to pet a dolphin. Their love of animals has driven them to a point where they are contributing to the torture of those animals.
Volunteering can be helpful, but it can’t be scheduled or sold to you by a tour operator [as is the case with voluntourism]. You can’t schedule the need to teach kids English. Volunteer work is needed as it arises. Volunteering can’t be merchandised in a commercial way.
The first step to being a more conscious traveller is to understand the vast power and privilege that you have when you decide to go on holiday. That fact you have that disposable income, a job that’s given you that time off – it’s a privilege. Take a deep breath and realise your privilege and then understand what great responsibility that brings – and proceed from there.
Remember travel isn’t a one way experience where you make sure you’re enriched by travelling. Understand that there is also an opportunity for you to enrich everyone you come into contact with.
Wanderlust travellers are already responsible travellers so they are the ambassadors of this message, so to them I say: talk about it. The biggest thing we can do to move the needle on sustainable [travel] is to endlessly talk about it. So, tell everyone you know [about how to travel consciously] and help spread the message.
The Last Tourist is available now to stream on Sky and Prime
Get the very best of Wanderlust by signing up to our newsletters, full of travel inspiration, fun quizzes, exciting competitions and exclusive offers.