Systemic tourism: How global travel culture perpetuates unsustainable mobility and who benefits from the 'home vs away' framing
Original framing: “Home or away? Why planning a sustainable holiday is about more than swapping planes for trains” — The Conversation - Global
The piece references colonial-era leisure infrastructures, linking current tourism systems to historical patterns of exploitation and extraction. However, it could expand on how these systems evolved over time and how they mirror broader imperial and capitalist histories.
The article exposes how tourism is not just an individual choice but a deeply embedded system shaped by colonial legacies, global capital, and cultural narratives.
By framing 'away' as aspirational and 'home' as mundane, the tourism industry sustains high-carbon mobility and economic inequality. A systemic solution requires degrowth, decolonization, and a reimagining of leisure that prioritizes local, equitable, and sustainable practices. Integrating Indigenous knowledge, cross-cultural perspectives, and scientific evidence can help build a more just and ecologically grounded future for travel.