MANAGING OUR
PRESENCE
.
INFORMED INTERACTION
LOCAL ECONOMIES
LOCAL CULTURE
INTELLIGENT TRAVEL
SOME PLACES JUST DON’T BENEFIT FROM THE JUNK FROM OUR WORLD ENDING UP IN THEIRS
D.S. 2015
WHEN A LOCATION IS ALREADY SUBSUMED BY TOURISM, THE LOCALS ALREADY DEPENDANT ON VISITORS AND THE ECONOMY ALREADY RELIANT ON THE STUFF THAT GOES WITH THAT, THE IMPACT THAT NEEDS MANAGING IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO PLACES WHERE TOURISM DOESN’T EXIST.
FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS ALMOST ALWAYS TAKE PLACE IN AREAS WITH NO TOURIST INDUSTRY, AND OUR IDEA OF MANAGING THAT MEANS KEEPING THINGS THAT WAY. THIS DOESN’T MEAN THESE PLACES HAVE NO TRADITIONS FOR WELCOMING OUTSIDERS, IT SIMPLY MEANS THEY DON’T SEE US AS INCOME AND WE DON’T SEE THEM AS PROVIDERS. IT’S NO SECRET THAT TOURISM RARELY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN A SOCIETY. WHERE TOURISM IS ABSENT PEOPLE SUSTAIN THEMSELVES WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT ARE USUALLY MORE UNDER THEIR CONTROL, WITH LONGER TERM SUSTAINABILITY THAN TOURISM. DISRUPTING THIS, AS THE WORLD HAS DEMONSTRATED, USUALLY MEANS AN IRREVERSIBLE PROCESS OF CULTURAL LOSS AND INDUSTRIAL INVASION.
FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS MANAGES IT’S IMPACT ON THE SMALL MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES WE PASS THROUGH BY SHOWING UP AS SELF-SUFFICIENT AND NOT DEMANDING ANYTHING THE LOCALS DON’T PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES. WE STAY IN LOCAL PARTS OF TOWNS, EAT AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS, USE LOCAL EXPERTS AND WHERE APPROPRIATE SOURCE FROM LOCAL MARKETS. WE INTERACT USING LOCAL LANGUAGES, WE SPEND TIME AT A LOCAL LEVEL AND WE AVOID THE TOURISM BUBBLE THAT DICTATES AN INDUSTRIAL PERSPECTIVE. WE PRESENT AS VISITORS NOT AS VOYEURS.