Who am I?
I am a kid who’s an expert in wasting time. A student of economics who, between existential crises, does some climate activism. I am 25 years old and I hope that in the near future I will manage to work in organic farming.
Why am I interested in tourism?
I believe doing tourism is a necessary activity for growing up as a healthy adult (and also, it can be extremely fun). However, the kind of tourism I see nowadays is an experience that is almost interchangeable with an afternoon on Google Maps, except that it also promotes gentrification, emits GHGs, commodifies local culture, etc….
Dear Guacimara,
We missed you very much at the last village assembly. We hope that your time in the Sahara went well and that you arrived safely in the Ivory Coast. Remember that Berto asked you to try to bring some cocoa beans. He is very keen on experimenting with them on the cooperative’s farm. You know how he is. Everything has been progressing here, slowly but steadily. We have finally finished building the village fountain, it is incredible that until literally yesterday one had to go to a supermarket or a bar to get some water. With our fountain, it is now almost possible to walk around the island by foot and drink water from each town on the way. That’s great, no? With the fountain, the hostels and the canteens, people from La Laguna will finally stop complaining and take the plunge for once and for all – a bit of beach won’t do them any harm.
Last night, the last group of visitors we had planned for this month arrived. Among them were several French girls.They are supposed to stay until after you come back, so I hope you will be able to practice a lot of French before you leave again. With them, the gang is complete, and we are not going to leave any field bare. Our valley is going to be a blast, you will see. It will be full of trees, some fruit-bearing ones, some pines and laurels that come down from the summit (and in a couple of decades we will even have laurisilva growing here, haha), as well as many vegetables and flowers. Tourists are going to be absolutely shocked when they come in spring. Not even in the archives can any photos be found in which the valley is as abundant as it will be this year.
Things in the city are also getting interesting. About 5 ships have arrived since you left, and in one of them there was a company of actors. Actors! Although I don’t understand a word of what they say, they are supposed to come from Somalia or Kenya I may recall. People have been talking about taking the bus or going by bike and camping along the way to see them. I don’t really understand the camping thing – the stars look great from my bed but well, we’ll have to come to an agreement because going by bus with the 3 of us would not be nice.
Everything else is fine and everyone says hello!
Hugs 😀
– Original version: Spanish –
Wishes and hopes behind the image of the future:
1. “For the future of tourism I hope that…”
it is compatible with the carrying capacity of the territory.
2. “If I could wish for anything at all, I would…”
wish to see it develop in a way that promotes mutually beneficial relationships and that it is fairly shared.
3. “If I were a powerful politician, I would…”
try that in the future, tourism becomes a much less common activity than it is now, and one in which destinations that are geographically close take precedence.
Further images of the future of tourism:
