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by amritananda
583 days ago
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I think tourism, especially in countries that rely on tightly controlling the experience, can tell you very little about the function of the country itself. I've had many people say the same to me about Nepal, ignorant of the high youth unemployment rate, the corrupt politicians, the complete lack of any basic infrastructure (schools, transportation, electricity, etc.) in some areas, or the astronomically high number of people leaving to work as migrant labourers in countries that are the absolute worst in the world when it comes to labour rights. None of these problems are visible to you as a visitor. This is especially true if you stick to areas that are heavily trafficked by tourists which tend to be rich enough to cater to their needs. |
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I think tourism, especially in countries that rely on tightly controlling the experience, can tell you very little about the function of the country itself.
Fully agree. Much of these observations were from peering out of the van we were in, or casual chats with our guide/hotel employees etc. Coming from Mumbai, there were some “telltale” (If you can call it that) signs. For example do people heat the house, or do they only heat themselves? If home heating, is it electric or burning wood or some other fuel? A lot of homes reminded me of the chawls and 2 storey tarp “kuccha” homes.