Musings: Travel, Tourism & the Creative Economy

If you consider your own personal behaviors towards travel and tourism, the thought often arrives with an image – a “destination”.  I want to see……. the Nile and pyramids in Egypt, the beaches in Crete, the (melting) glaciers in Antarctica.  There are significant discussions about "destination" management – including how to manage too many tourists in much of southern Europe during peak summer travel and how to make other locations more attractive to tourists and “destination” worthy - including cleaner beaches, better security and other types of activities for families and kids.

The ease of travel today compared to horse and buggy days and prior is incredible.  Yet, the access to travel – to cross borders, whether to need visas, to have expendable income, to have the time, to speak English (used in many countries) - is not equitably distributed.  We know this – to a degree.

The world is currently experiencing large economic shifts where the global economy is likened to a K shaped graph.  Some people at the top of the letter K continue to benefit from the current economic paradigm and then there are many who face continued economic hardship, the descending part of the letter K. The wealth gap between the two is widening as the K stretches outward – and we can all feel it.

The alarm bell is sounding likely because this phenomenon has reached western economies. The middle class is shrinking exponentially. (So much for thinking western democracies still contain the economic dream.)

I propose that the K shaped economy has existed for most of history.  There have always been two co-existing economic realities that do not mix, have not been integrated and do not work even from “trickle down economic” policies.  As such, the elite class remains elite and the plebeians remain at their given status, far below.  Granted, this excess in wealth has contributed to epic material culture and places to visit on the “destination” map of the globe including the opulent palaces in Rajasthan, India; luxury lodges in Kenya; the Colosseum in Rome and of course the numerous castles scattered across Europe.

This K shaped economy is why everyone seems to be searching for greener pastures.  If you are born economically challenged in a country and assume you “can make it” by leaving and entering another country where there are far better opportunities – you will likely seek out that option.  If you see your lifestyle rapidly declining from middle class status in the west, you will potentially seek to capitalize on your purchasing power privilege and enter the expat lifestyle in an economy that benefits you. 

Why is this even important and why should you care?

If you care about travel and tourism then you should consider your personal geography in relation to this situation and how you and your spending impacts the countries of your chosen travel “destination”.  Sustainable travel, sustainable ecosystems, and the green economy are all things that need to gain more traction in our world.  (Does anyone think about how much waste and plastic are accumulated on one plane voyage?  Or, is this just me?)

How is my guilty conscience of travel privilege potentially resolved?  Obviously, a more integrated economy is needed and so is ensuring local people in these economies benefit from travel spending.

Enter – the creative economy.

Of course, ease of infrastructure, visible cultural heritage and material culture are enticing for tourism.  However, many countries have extremely vibrant creative cultures that need to be experienced.  In order to make economies more functional there needs to be significantly more investment in expanding the support to creative industries – musicians, artists, craftspersons, and even new technology.   

This is exceptionally apparent in Kenya where tourists primarily make a pit stop in Nairobi on their way to the main event – an incredible safari.  Even tour companies act as if Nairobi is primarily devoid of anything worthwhile beyond the National Museum, the Karen Blixen House and the Giraffe Center.  Sometimes Brown’s Cheese Factory is added for a new option.  

Having personally seen Nairobi shift and change since 2006 from one coffeeshop (Java House) to a sophisticated coffee culture with many options you lose count, and personally living in Nairobi from 2020-2024, there is so much to offer in terms of artistry, music, vibrancy, food, cultural diversity, spirituality and dynamism.  One could spend a day eating nyama choma at a local joint and dancing to Swahili songs, visiting the West African Market in the Central Business District, walking the shady trails in the Arboretum or taking a class at Wonder House for some new age spiritual offering.

Uncovering local spots, engaging in regular life and seeing creativity in action allow for a sense of connection to a place.  It is also how investing in the local creative industries supports narrowing the wealth gap in the K shaped economy.  Beyond a museum, a safari or interesting colonial architecture, it is also personal and local experiences that make a “destination” truly magical and unique.

Join the journey.