With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the biggest social media sites in the world.
We share pictures of food, travel, and ourselves but can 1 billion people be wrong? The answer yes.
We are travelling now more than ever, broadening our horizons and exploring our beautiful planet but it’s taking it’s toll on beauty spots. We are selfishly ruining our beautiful landscape from rising carbon dioxide levels from our aeroplanes to wearing away paths at natural landmarks.
Instagram users love to photograph the beautiful locations they visit but sharing this information is beginning to overwhelm certain countries around the world.
According to The World Counts, there are over 1.4 billion tourists arriving at their destination every second of every day, every year.
One of the top locations struggling with the drastic numbers visiting is Iceland.
Every year visitor numbers are increasing at an alarming amount with a 76% increase during 2014-15. Visitors come to see the Gullfoss Waterfall and Thingvellir National Park but often find themselves over run with other visitors.
Gullfoss Waterfall can be incredibly treacherous if tourists wander off of official pathways. The result of this can be deadly, as could be seen in July of 2017 when a man fell to his death after ignoring signs stating the path was closed.
The search and rescue effort was extensive with Icelandic search and rescue, divers, police and coastguard helicopters at the scene. Due to the dangerous conditions his body wasn’t recovered until a month later in the Hvítá River.
Another popular Instagrammable location is Bali, Indonesia which has seen it’s numbers jump astronomically. This has caused many issues for Bali as they declared a “Garbage Emergency” after tourists left popular beaches littered with plastic. Not only this, but people have been disrespectful around sacred temples, posing in front of them in bikinis.
With the current rate of litter piling up on Bali’s beaches it’s quickly becoming the opposite of an Instagram Hot spot. By travelling to these locations through our social media lens and not looking after it, we are ruining them in the process.
There are over 1.4 billion tourists arriving at their destination every year. That’s 45 arrivals every single second.”
Although Instagram has a negative reputation for bringing so many tourists to these destinations and causing problems, there are silver linings that can be found in the clouds.
This influx of interest in visiting less “popular” parts of the world has brought significant money, economic structure and local jobs. This can be seen in a 2018 study completed by The World’s Travel and Tourism Council listed the top destinations most reliant on tourism.
Top 10 destinations most reliant on tourism
- Maldives – 39.6% of GDP
- British Virgin Islands – 35.4% of GDP
- Macau – 29.3% of GDP
- Aruba – 28.1% of GDP
- Seychelles – 26.4% of GDP
- Curaçao – 23.4% of GDP
- Anguilla – 21.1% of GDP
- Bahamas – 19% of GDP
- Vanatu – 18.2% of GDP
- Cape Verde 17.8% of GDP
These countries have a heavy reliance on the tourism industry in comparison to countries such as American who came out with a mere 2.4% of GDP.
This positive impact of Instagram tourism has become too much for some of the countries as they struggle against waste management, and infrastructure.
How can I be a responsible Instagram Tourist?
If you still want to visit these beauty hot spots in the future, ensure you take extra care when visiting. A way to remember the rules is C.A.R.E
- C – Carefully navigate your environment
When you are visiting beautiful locations around the world, ensure that you are taking care of your safety and the safety of those around you. Don’t make impulsive decisions in an unfamiliar environment.
- A – Always take your rubbish with you
This one is pretty self-explanatory, ALWAYS take your rubbish with you. Carry it until you get to a bin or if not, when you get home. Waste disposal is difficult in some tourist hot spots and they need all the help they can get!
- R – Read the signs
Whenever visiting a busy and dangerous tourist hot spot make sure you read the signs and follow the efficiently. These signs are usually there to keep you safe and the environment nice for everyone.
- E – Everyone is responsible
You are not only responsible for looking after yourself but keep a look out for others. Pick up any extra rubbish you find on the floor and take it with you. Do your bit, everyone is responsible.
How can I avoid the Instagram stampede?
The answer is to spend more time doing research on further out locations, take your rubbish home with you and respect others cultures. Book with a local guide and soak up the culture in a whole new way!
As for in the future, we can only hope that everybody C.A.R.E s enough to look after our beautiful planet.