With the freedom to travel opening up more each day, Americans are finally getting out there again…
… which also means so are the so-called “travel influencers.”
This season, they’re more obnoxious than ever, and just wait until you learn how they continue to ruin travel for the rest of us.
To start, those of us who truly love to travel enjoy soaking up the local culture.
Which means actually talking to residents, discovering the best hidden gems of their city, and experiencing the heart and soul of each destination.
From wandering off the beaten path to stumbling into a local boutique with handmade items to finding a street vendor with the best street food in the city, one of the best parts about traveling is immersing oneself into the culture.
But travel “influencers” don’t care about any of this.
All they care about is taking the latest “daring” photo for Instagram…
… they’re even willing to destroy people’s homes and livelihoods to get the “perfect photo” so they can boast to their audience about how “cool” they are.
Except in the process, they’re also destroying natural habitats and ignoring the advice of locals.
In Hawaii, influencers were so desperate to take the perfect photo, they destroyed property and even endangered themselves to score the perfect shot.
And, they’re rude.
So rude.
The Skift reported:
“The visitor of 20 years ago is very different than what we have today,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau.
“With the whole Instagram thing, people want the beauty shot in the remote location. They are often not aware of what they are doing and often will not listen to advice from local people. There have been some nasty exchanges when residents try to help, but just get told off.”
Because of these rude influencers, locals are less likely to interact with true travelers, thinking we’re all the same.
As if rude, property-destroying travelers weren’t bad enough, there are so many of them, they are making it tough for the rest of us to actually get into our destination.
Like the time when thousands of travelers flocked to California to see a super bloom of orange poppies.
So many people came to check out these wildflowers that they trampled and ruined them.
Local officials even labeled the crowd a “public safety crisis” as travelers barged through barricades with their cars – one even striking an employee.
Thanks to “influencers” ruining travel, some places have resorted to photo bans.
Of course, every hardcore traveler knows travel isn’t about taking the most stunning Instagram pic, it’s about the experience.
And knowing that some of the best places to score a good meal are the rundown holes-in-the-wall – not some Insta-worthy restaurant with floating lights and truffle oil everything.
So while these “influencers” want to travel the world and take photos – and make YOU pay for it…
… the rest of us will enjoy mingling with the locals and sampling their culture – that is, if they’ll still have us.
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