RE: El Nido, Palawan: Paradise Soon Gone?
Rants are welcome here :) We're here to speak the truth and hopefully the word spreads so people become aware. I see a lot of those who just care about what they'll put in their Instagram. They seem to just show off that they travel but don't really put value or find meaning from it. That's their loss for missing out on the experience when they had the privilege to see history. I would be okay if they impose huge fines for disrespectful behavior especially in historical site like that with the Aboriginals. They're lucky to be there and yet take it for granted.
We have some islands with stricter rules now and good thing the government has that political will to rehab one main tourist island. That made other local units follow rules (such as not building structures near the shores) so they don't get into forced rehab of the place. Drastic but good for long term.
You're right about the "instagram moment" folks. Can't stand that shallow nonsense, it's why I don't have an account as I prefer reading the more in depth and knowledgeable content which has a lot of effort put in to it and done with respect to the place that's been visited.
I fully agree with you - these guys are not travellers, they are tourists and there's a difference. I think I might have read this from a post by @trudeehunter who made the comment about travelers respecting the place they go to and understanding where they are going whereas tourists don't. I prefer traveling with travelers, not tourists :)
And you're right, it is their loss as they miss out on the true meaning of what it's like to live or have lived in the places we take the time and appreciation to visit.
I think the more measures are put in place to protect the land, particularly if it's good for the local communities and the overall country, the better. It probably was a culture shock when the government got involved and imposed a stricter approach to it but you're right, for the long run, it's much better!
I agree with the tourist vs traveler difference. I recall a debate about it few years back saying not to differentiate the 2. However, I think the difference is more pronounced now with the way people travel and behave, with social media influence and so on.
And regarding the culture shock on strict rules, it was also a financial shock for those who depend on tourism. In the case of Boracay, the island was closed for 6 months or so, but I read they were given jobs involved in the island clean up/rehab. It's a win-win still :)
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