R. El trabajo lleva por título ‘The geographies of Instagram: travel influencers and benign travel envy’ (Las geografías de Instagram: los influencers de viajes y la envidia viajera benigna) y como bien señalas en él se demuestra que los ‘travel influencers’ no solo promocionan destinos populares, sino que con el paso del tiempo están mostrando una clara preferencia por lugares cada vez más remotos, rincones del planeta especialmente fotogénicos, muchos de ellos muy vulnerables al cambio climático, como las Maldivas, Groenlandia, la Antártida o el glaciar Perito Moreno.
Ah, travel influencers. The people who seem to have a never-ending supply of vacation days, a passport that’s seen more stamps than a post office, and a knack for making you feel bad about your staycation. While we all enjoy a good travel post, have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact of these jet-setting social media stars? Spoiler alert: it’s not great.
Let’s break it down. The average travel influencer doesn’t just hop on a plane once a year for a family reunion. No, no! They’re off to Bali one week, then Paris the next, and somehow they still have time to squeeze in a weekend in the Maldives. Meanwhile, you’re trying to figure out how to stretch your annual leave to cover a trip to the grocery store.
Now, I get it. Travel influencers provide us with beautiful pictures of sunsets, exotic locales, and food that looks so good you can almost taste it through the screen. But here’s the catch: all that flying around is contributing to a pretty hefty carbon footprint. It’s like the world’s most glamorous game of climate roulette, and let me tell you, Mother Nature is not impressed.
You might argue that billionaires have a better excuse for their jet-setting lifestyles. After all, they’re often off to important conferences, business meetings, or charity galas (yes, those exist, right?). Travel influencers, on the other hand, are just sharing their “authentic experiences” while racking up frequent flyer miles like they’re candy at Halloween. And let’s not even get started on the environmental damage from all those Instagrammable resorts that pop up in previously untouched areas.
But wait, there’s more! Many of these influencers lean liberal or centrist, advocating for climate awareness and sustainability while simultaneously hopping on the next flight out of town. It’s a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.” They post about reducing plastic use and supporting local economies, all while promoting the next big travel trend that involves a lot of, you guessed it, flying.
It’s almost like they’re living in a parallel universe where the rules of climate responsibility don’t apply. The irony is thick enough to cut with a knife. And honestly, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Now, I’m not saying we should throw them all in a plane-less prison (though that does sound tempting). But it’s high time we start questioning the sustainability of the travel influencer lifestyle. Maybe we should hold them accountable for their actions or at least encourage them to take a break from the jet-setting and focus on local adventures for a change. You know, like visiting that quaint little coffee shop down the street that you’ve been meaning to check out.
In conclusion, while we may enjoy the pretty pictures and travel tips from our favorite influencers, we need to have a serious conversation about the environmental impact of their lifestyles. So the next time you scroll through their perfectly curated feeds, just remember: every time they jet off to another exotic destination, Mother Earth sheds a tear. Let’s hope they start to consider the planet as they plan their next trip—because at the end of the day, we could all use a little more responsibility in our travel plans (and maybe a little less envy in our hearts).
Inspired by: “Why don’t we go after travel inflauncers” (r/climatechange)