Gringo Trails was released in 2014 and produced by Pegi Vail and Melvin Estrella.
‘Take only memories. Leave nothing but footprints’. The quote from Chief Seattle – which appears at the opening of Gringo Trails – is the perfect bridge between the documentary’s message and its title: “Gringo” is the word used for someone considered as a foreigner in most Latin American countries. The Gringo Trails questions what the foreigners - the tourists - leave behind in the countries they visit.
Through the past two decades, mass tourism has tremendously impacted the Nature. In the documentary, we observe the damages done to several regions. Tourism in remote places always starts with adventurous backpackers and in the case of the Bolivian Amazon Forest, it was Yossi’s book that started it all.
Back in the 80s, when tourism was very slowly developing in Latin America, Yossi Ghinsberg came to explore the Bolivian Amazon forest with some friends. Yossi ends up lost and spends a month in the jungle, trying to survive. He was miraculously rescued by locals and writes all about his adventure in a book. Ten years after his book was released, the region close to the Bolivian Amazon has more than 45 hotels and offers hundreds of tours to have the same “jungle experience” as Yossi. Indeed, Yossi had no idea at the time what would be the impact of his book on the Amazonian forest. Anja Mutic, a Lonely Planet Guidebooks writer, points out that there is a real responsibility when you show a new remote place to the mass public. On the one hand, you want to share your experience and let the people know about how beautiful a hidden spot is. On the other hand, you know that as soon as the tourists start going there it will never look the same.
Thailand is a great example of that phenomena. In “Gringo Trails'', one backpacker tells us about his experience in Thailand in 1979. He looked for the most removed island and ended up in Koh Phanghan where he spent a month living with a fisherman. In Koh Phanghan, he discovered one of the most beautiful beaches he had ever seen and made sure to not tell anyone about this secret paradise. Despite his efforts, ten years later we can see the Haad Hin Koh Phanghan beach completely destroyed by the full moon parties. You can observe hundreds of people partying and having no respect for the environment around them. As one of the locals puts it: “it moved from backpacking to backpackaging”.
However, the documentary is not only denouncing the damages of mass tourism but also showing that there is another way to do tourism. Bhutan and the Chalalan Lagoon are great examples of sustainable tourism.
Bhutan has found a way to benefit from tourism while not damaging its environment. The Bhutan government has a “high value, low impact” policy that requires visitors to pay 250$ per day. Tourism is regulated and visitors are told the rules through their journey in Bhutan. As a result, the Bhutan land is intact and provides an authentic tourism experience while preserving its environment and culture.
Unfortunately travelling to Bhutan is not the most affordable experience. Alternatively, the Chalalan Lagoon is one of the first examples of community-led tourism. The guides are all locals and are properly trained to visit the land with tourists while respecting the forest and the animals. Through the visit, the guides explain why the forest matters to the community and gives clear guidelines on how to act around animals. The community controls the intakes of tourism, and clearly states that protecting their land is a priority over any economic benefits.
Overall, the documentary displays the damages of mass tourism so that travelers realize their impact. The tourism industry can be sustainable as long as it does not go out of control. The first step to sustainable tourism is to educate the travelers.
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