A recent tweet about travel “exclusivity” has sparked an online conversation about travel elitism and travel habits.
The X user, @mlssbbm, posted “Turks and Caicos lost its exclusivity to the point where I’m not pressed to go anymore. Please take me to St. Barts,” according to Atlanta Black Star.
After many responses, the user has since private her profile, making the post unreachable to those who did not already follow her. Georgia-based publication Atlanta Black Star reported that the post had reached more than one million views by Thursday evening.
Several responses mention travel elitism, the way travel is changing because of social media influence and travel habits.
Travel Elitism
Many responses accused or alluded to accusing the user of being a travel elitist.
Atlanta Black Star reporter that the user then went on to describe having traveled since she was young and how her standard of a vacation is different than most people’s.
The term “travel elitism” is used to describe a person or group of people who believe they are superior, better than, or more entitled to certain privileges or destinations as it relates to travel.
The belief or behavior can be seen in many different ways but is especially evident in the way people speak or think about the places they either want to visit or have visited. Travel elitists typically look down on people who don’t have the same access or believe that they should have better or more exclusive access than certain types of people.
Most travel elitism almost always relates to wealth and the lack thereof.
Social Media’s Role
Social media can be a double-edged sword when it comes to showcasing travel. One on hand, it helps people see places around the world and learn about them. It can also help less experienced travelers get a better understanding of what to expect before going on a trip.
But on the other hand, it can also create competition that fuels travel elitism. So much of social media is centered around exclusivity and special access that some of that same energy has begun to be associated with travel.
Certain destinations that are common vacation places or popular to travel to have become places to look down on. The X user was focused on not wanting to visit Turks and Caicos, specifically, because of its rise in popularity over the years.
As more people learn about the destination, more people are interested in visiting.
But for some people, as it appears might include the X user, increased interest makes the destination less appealing.
Travel Habits
Despite the prevalence of travel elitism, it is important to recognize that traveling is a privilege many people don’t have access to.
And though social media can be largely helpful and support local tourism in many destinations, it’s also important to recognize the role social media plays in fueling or encouraging travel elitism.
By being mindful of how we talk about and share our travel experiences, and making it a habit to speak with these things in mind, we can help promote a more inclusive approach to the travel space.
Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the world and various cultures, meet new people, and expand our worldview, ultimately making us better people.
