The Illusion of Tourism

So, I've been thinking recently about travel and some of the reasons behind it - why we actually do it at all.
People are always looking for the new 'what's next' - the latest gadget, the hottest fashion accessory, that million-dollar idea; even wanting to be amongst the first to set foot in uncharted lands: we are promiscuous, to say the least.

However, a new travel phenomenon has recently emerged, for which the term 'trophy tourist' has been coined, describing a new wave of holidaymakers who make it their business to venture to the farthest reaches of the globe in search of a relatively untouched experience. Apparently, for this type of traveller, it is largely so that they can 'tick it off' of a proverbial list of places that they can then say they have visited.

My thoughts then led me to the apparent human trend of choosing the illusory over the actual, merely so as to seem more impressive to those around us. People seem so much more willing to embellish, lie and construct their own reality for a particular purpose these days.

But why is this? Is it because there are now more opportunities to be someone else with the invention of remote communication; or is it that there is perceptively now more of a need to create alter egos so as to disguise any character flaws we feel we own?

A prime example of this is social networking - sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Second Life allow a person to be anyone that they would choose to be, offering each the ability to iron out at least some of their less desirable personality curves, thus allowing them to converse less affected by the very human ailment that is the stereotype. We are free to assume the identity of anyone we want from the superstar football player at school, to the straight-A student, to the well-travelled entrepreneur just back from his (or her) most recent holiday to say... the moon (which apparently will be the new 'what's next' - so make space in your trophy cabinets).

But what effect is this having on us as individuals - is this relatively modern phenomenon of second-hand realities causing an epidemic of identity crises... all these untruths... all this creative embellishment? Are we such victims to social acceptance that we must acquire awards, not for pride, but for the illusion of pride?

Wouldn't our mantelpieces be better filled with actual photographs rather than empty accolades?

... Which brings me back to this idea of the 'trophy tourist'; people go to such lengths to impress that the line between truth and reality seems to be growing ever wider.

The irony of advancing communication technologies is that while we are ostensibly moving closer and closer to one another; in actual fact, we are growing farther and farther apart.

For whatever reason, if you are looking to book your next trip abroad, you'll no doubt need some inspiration, and the best place for that is online, where you'll find hundreds of holiday reviews to help you decide where to go.