With reports suggesting most of us seek travel tips from those we know, it seems we’re all ‘influencers’ in one way or another. So how do we ensure we capture people and places in a way that’s fair and ethical yet still transmits the joy of travel? Writer, speaker and solutions advocate JoAnna Haugen takes a closer look.
Reading the headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking social media (and Instagram specifically) is destroying travel experiences and killing the planet.
If we’re pointing fingers, the obvious people to blame are stereotypical travel influencers—people who fill their feeds with idyllic, “Instagrammable” backdrops and beautifully curated lives that seep into the psyches of their millions of followers. These followers then dutifully follow in the influencers’ footsteps to see these places, recreate these experiences, and fill their own feeds with similar snapshots that are shared with friends, family, and followers.
And therein lies the crux: The truth is, we are all influencers. According to Expedia Group’s 2023 Traveler Value Index, people are most likely to turn to family, friends and travel providers for travel inspiration—although social media is a close second. This means we all need to be more mindful of how the content we tweet, shoot and share impacts the places we visit and the people who call those places home.
Certainly, sharing on social media offers inspiration on where to go and what to do, but it does so much more than that. What we decide to share (and not share) and how we frame our travels also influences what others expect to experience, how they will behave, and how they will interact with local residents and other travelers. Being thoughtful about how we use social media while traveling might take a bit more consideration than simply snapping photos of a #DreamDestination. However, that intentionality often results in more honest, contextualized and insightful posts—and it creates the conditions for others to have more responsible experiences too.
Have you ever arrived at a lovely viewpoint only to find it overwhelmed by other travelers? If you’re like most people (myself included), you’ve scouted out the situation, eventually worked your way to the front of the crowd, and taken a photo of that picturesque scene, free of any people.
But on its own, that photo doesn’t provide any context about the number of people just outside the frame, the traffic jam caused by all the stopped vehicles, or the amount of waste or noise created as a result of this constant flow of visitors. And that’s one of the challenges with social media: It only captures a moment in time. With each bite-sized piece of content shared, we also make decisions about what not to share.
If we wish people would ask us about special rituals we participate in or ask for permission before snapping our photo or making assumptions, extend the same courtesy to others.
Of course, it’s impossible to encapsulate everything through social media, but you can at least provide appropriate clarity and context about what can’t be seen through the camera lens. Take advantage of captions to provide additional information about a situation. Help followers understand the more complete story of the environment and circumstances that can’t be seen in a single image.
A balanced narrative that shows off a stunning landscape while being transparent about all the people, the bottleneck of cars and the overflowing garbage bins is far more honest and accurate—and establishes more appropriate expectations for future travelers. It might even encourage them to seek out a beautiful view elsewhere.
Meeting new people and learning about their cultures is often a highlight of traveling. But just because someone chooses to share themselves and their stories with us doesn’t mean we have permission to share these experiences with others, so it’s important to ask.
Similarly, we need to be mindful of taking people’s photos and sharing those on social media. People, their traditions and their sacred practices are not props and should not be objectified. It may sound basic, but remember that people are people.
Always take a moment and imagine ourselves on the other side of the smartphone. If we wish people would ask us about special rituals we participate in or ask for permission before snapping our photo or making assumptions, extend the same courtesy to others.
If we anticipate sharing these stories or photos with others, ask permission and clarify how and where we’d like to share. Once something is pushed into the public sphere, it’s nearly impossible to take it back.
When it first appeared on the scene, geotagging (that is, identifying the geographic location of an image) was being done by everyone, everywhere. Then, the negative impacts started surfacing: Geotags were tied to increased vehicle and foot traffic, environmental degradation, and encroachment upon wildlife. At times, visitors who relied upon geotags to find certain places were woefully unprepared and required rescuing. So, a lot of people stopped geotagging.
However, geotagging is nuanced, complex, and worth deeper contemplation. Choosing not to geotag is a form of gatekeeping with racial and socio-economic undertones because it surfaces the question of who gets to decide who has the right to visit a place.
Becoming more ethical travelers means recognizing that none of us exists in a bubble and that our actions have a real impact—positive and negative—on the places we visit and the people we meet.
Instead of avoiding geotagging altogether, consider what (if any) geotags are appropriate, depending on the context. For example, it may be appropriate to use a generic geotag, such as the name of a region versus a specific site. Geotagging can also help mitigate overcrowding issues if it’s used to promote less-visited areas.
Once again, the caption is our friend. This is a great space to create awareness about how to recreate responsibly in a destination. In other situations, such as places where endangered wildlife is at risk of poaching, visitors are often specifically asked not to geo-tag.
Because each of us can be a source of inspiration and influence, we need to model appropriate behavior. As mindful travelers, a lot of these behaviors are naturally built into what we’re doing already.
For example, if we avoid single-use plastics, there shouldn’t be plastic water bottles in our photos. And, when we visit sacred spaces, we respect cultural practices such as wearing a head scarf or covering our shoulders, so any photos communicate this mindfulness. In other words, our actions should reflect our words.
Becoming more ethical travelers means recognizing that none of us exists in a bubble and that our actions have a real impact—positive and negative—on the places we visit and the people we meet.
Social sharing amplifies that impact… so we have a choice: Stick with those static Instagrammable moments—or honor what came before, acknowledge what exists right now, and model the future we want to manifest.
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JoAnna Haugen is an award-winning writer, speaker, consultant, and solutions advocate. She is also the founder of Rooted, a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact, and storytelling.
