The Travel Channel has put together an interesting list of destinations that are in danger of losing their allure to the independent or adventurous traveler in the near future thanks to increasing globalism, tourist traffic, modernization, and more. They urge you to get to these places now, before the character and charm are gone forever.
The endangered destinations are:
Traditional China: China is modernizing at a startling rate, and they point to projects like the Three Gorges Dam as an indication of what is to come. When the dam was built, whole villages disappeared under water, along with countless ancient artifacts and sites. There was little regard to their cultural value, and it has changed the face of the area completely. As the next great Super Power, China seems more concerned with industrialization rather than preserving their traditional culture.
San Rafael Glacier, Chile: Two words sum this one up: Global Warming. As temperatures across the globe continue to go up, ice caps and glaciers are retreating everywhere. This site in Patagonia is changing rapidly, and it is only a matter of time before the glacier is gone altogether.
Quirky Caribbean: Travel Channel laments the loss of the independent, traditional Caribbean destinations. Those places are disappearing in favor of large, corporate resorts that lack charm and character. There are still a few places to go to get that old style, traditional feel, but you have to look much harder now.
The Red Sand Dunes of Namibia: These famous, otherworldly looking dunes look like something you would find on Mars rather than here on Earth. They are quickly disappearing though, thanks to natural erosion, but also because they are popular destinations for travelers who want to explore the area on quad-bikes and in desert safaris. There has been little effort to protect the dunes, and thus they are disappearing as more people trammel them.
Village Culture in Romania: While many places in Eastern Europe are losing their small village culture thanks to increased tourism, in the case of Romania, it’s all about the strip mining business, which is only expected to increase if or when Romania joins the European Union. The area still has it’s traditional charm, but industrialization will likely change that in the years ahead.
That’s the list. Anything else we should add to it? Post a comment. And book your travel to these locations before they are gone.
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We just added Jake’s in Jamaica to our benefits plan for outdoorzy. I went there about 1 1/2 years ago and loved it. Then contacted them recently because they are so “old school caribbean”. They are one of those true laid back, small-town, Caribbean get-aways. The nearest McDonalds is at least 2 1/2 hours away. If you eat seafood, it was caught that day and you can talk to the guy who caught it, if you speak to anyone, they have a jamaican accent, if you drink beer, it is red stripe. I’m not getting any sort of kick-back for working with them or saying this. They are owned by Island Outpost, which owns several hotels that support local communities and sustainability. They bridge the gap between resort and quaint village. I think this could be a viable way to save these type of places in the Caribbean. I just wish more big resorts would realize the value in the local cultures.
My next goal…. find more places like this in the Caribbean 🙂
ps – also on my list… see all the glaciers i can before they melt 🙁
I agree with you Wade. The big resorts could still embrace the culture rather than stamp it out in favor of America Abroad environments. A HUGE reason for why I travel is to experience the culture of the place I’m going to, not to avoid it, and certainly not to experience the comfort and convenience I have at home.
Jake’s sounds awesome by the way! It’s good to be an Outdoorzy Member! 🙂
regarding the Village Culture in Romania..
well this is only partially true.
the other side of the story is that Romania is developing rural tourism very rapidly, pepole each day realize that this is an unique opportunity for them, preserving their cultural values and promoting rural tourism as a way of living for them.
a lot of talking on the rural tourism in Romania and Sighisoara, Transylvania is going on on http://bookinnblog.wordpress.com
see u there
Hmm… so you’re saying there is a movement afoot to PRESERVE the village culture for tourism purposes? That’s good news, as long as it doesn’t lose it’s authenticity in the process.