Blog Archives

What Is Second City Tourism?

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Bemused Backpacker — 6 Comments

With the rise in overtourism causing significant problems for destinations and local communities, a new trend has emerged called second city tourism where travellers are leaning toward visiting less crowded places. But what is second city tourism? Why does second city tourism help local destinations and why has it become so popular all of a sudden when backpackers have technically been doing it for decades?

Tagged with: overtourism, responsible travel, responsible travel tips, second city tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

What Can You Do To Help Overtourism?

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Bemused Backpacker — 6 Comments

Overtourism has become a serious problem in recent years, to the point that many authorities are calling for restrictions on tourism to reduce damage and harm to local ecosystems and populations, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Travel itself is not a bad thing and can have a positive impact if it is done right, so here are the best and easiest ways you can help as an individual traveller by reducing the impact of overtourism on the destinations you love.

Tagged with: backpacking, gap year, overtourism, responsible tourism, responsible travel, travel, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

10 Best Unexpected Travel Hotspots.

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Bemused Backpacker — 9 Comments

Many of the worlds popular travel hotspots are popular for a reason, but that doesn’t mean they are a travellers only option. For every major destination there is a nearby alternative that is often underrated and a lot less busy. Here are some of the worlds best underrated or unexpected travel hotspots.

Flight Shaming Is Wrong And Will Not Help The Environment.

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Bemused Backpacker — 15 Comments

Flight shaming has been on the rise in the past few years with growing calls to ground all aircraft and stop flying altogether. As increasing numbers of people become more conscious of their environmental impact on the world the focus has inevitably turned to what is percieved as one of its biggest polluters, flying, and those travellers who fly a lot have come under increasing demands to stop. Envioronmental concerns are a good thing, but flight shaming is illogical and wrong, and is not the way to help the envioronment. In fact flight shaming may do far more harm than good.

Tagged with: airline, flight, flight shaming, Flying, responsible tourism, responsible travel
Posted in Responsible Travel

Restarting Travel Respectfully.

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Bemused Backpacker — 19 Comments

After a prolonged period of forced lockdowns the world is once again starting to open up to travel, but are backpackers themselves ready to return to travel? Will we go back to a world of overtourism, disrespecting local cultures and monuments and using the world as a drunken playground? Or will travellers take the time to reflect, leave a positive impact and practice respectful travel?

How To Make Your Travels Deeper And More Meaningful.

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 2 Comments

Travel has changed drastically in the last decade, with the rise of social media and Instagram fuelling the shift to a ‘look at me’ and selfie focused way of travelling, as if travel itself is only real if it is…

Gap Years, Overtourism, And How Travel Is Ruining The Destinations We Love.

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 8 Comments

Travel in general is a very positive thing, both for the traveller and for the destinations they visit, but what happens when the sheer level of tourism threatens the very places travellers love? What happens when overtourism becomes a burden to a destination? And what can travellers do to help solve the problem of overtourism?

Making Positive Tourism Count In Lalibela.

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 4 Comments

Lalibela is a small town in northern Ethiopia that despite being a significant pilgrimage site for Coptic Christians and a UNESCO world heritage site, has yet to be hit by mass tourism. But as travellers wake up to the beauty of this region and start arriving in larger numbers, the local population are already taking steps to make sure that any future influx of tourism has a balanced, positive impact on the local population.

Plastic Free Travel, Taking The Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Challenge.

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Bemused Backpacker — 14 Comments

This past month I have taken a plastic free travel challenge with Better Places Travel to reduce the amount of single use plastic water bottles I use when travelling by using refillable water bottles as much as possible, with the ultimate aim of going completely single use plastic bottle free. But it wasn’t as easy as I first thought. Did I succeed?

Why You Should Travel Slowly.

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Bemused Backpacker — 8 Comments

There is always the temptation on any gap year or backpacking trip to ty and fit as much in as humanely possible, but that isn’t always the best thing to do. Here’s why you should slow down, take your time and really soak in the culture, the atmosphere and the experience of the places you are visiting.