Travel is a Propaganda

In modern days, traveling is not about movement and experience; it is about the narratives. The thrill of traveling is sold to us as the freedom through social media, campaigns, and trekking agencies. To people outside of Nepal, it is a dreamland of snow mountains, hills, and beautiful destinations, but the truth behind the silent labor struggles, economic dependency, and environmental degradation goes unnoticed.

The flow of tourism and its portrayal on the Internet raises the question, “Is travel just another form of propaganda, especially for a small nation like Nepal, where tourism is the economic stimulator? 

What do we mean by “Travel is a Propaganda”?

Travel as a propaganda means does not mean it is a blatant lie, but a twisted reality that is easy to digest. Nepal is, unfortunately, a victim of the propagandized travel. Traveling campaigns, the trekking industry, brochures, and advertisements sell traveling as a spiritual conquest by hiding the complex reality behind it. From the outside, Nepal seems like a land of spiritual beings and peace, but people here live each day in chaos and instability. 

Propaganda does not seem harmful at first glance, but it curates a false narrative of how things are supposed to be instead of what they are. It has the power to shift perspective from what is really important to what looks good on Instagram. 

Is traveling bad?

Traveling is not bad at all. It is good for the mind, body, and economy of the nation. What is considered bad is unconscious travel that promotes institutional ideology rather than actual reality. 

Guides and porters trekking without health insurance, cultural sites turned into photobooths, environmental degradation, and misrepresentation of people make traveling somewhat bad. Travelling is a respectable and encouraged activity, and moving beyond the propaganda makes the experience even better. 

The Paradox of Travelling: Economic vs. Moral 

The harsh reality for Nepal is that traveling is essential for economic survival. Tourism contributes about 8% to the total GDP and supports over a million jobs. Nepal has no option but to own every story about tourism along with its propaganda. 

Nepal's economic dependence on tourism raises the question of whether fighting to remove the false narrative and promote the bitter reality is even worth it. While ruling out the moral and economic consequences of traveling, it is vital to understand that the people living in the Himalayan region of Nepal depend on tourism to support their livelihood. When it's off-season and when tourism is low, sustaining their daily life becomes difficult. To even out the dilemma, we need proper government intervention that supports the economy, along with a correct doctrine.

Economic Sustainability and Tourism 

The businesses and local economy thrive when the tourism flow is high, but what happens after they leave? 

Despite tourism being the economic catalyst for Nepal, it is not sustainable. Therefore, instead of following and hoping for more tourists, it's time to promote local products and services that boost the economy in the long run and make people independent and self-reliant. 

Tourism should be the catalyst and not the end goal. Popular tourism destinations such as Langtang, Mustang, Manang, and the Annapurna region possess their own production capacity, but uncertainty limits it. Langtang is popular for cheese and handicrafts production; similarly, the Annapurna region is popular for apple farming, wool products, and so on. These things are sustainable, strong, and economically beneficial compared to tourism. 

Final Thoughts

Travelling may never be free from such propaganda and lies, but it can be minimized. As tourism is interwoven with economic survival, the narratives will sell, and the propaganda will spread. However, as a people of the nation, we can choose to speak the truth, promote local products, and support their economic activities. 

It's time people stop romanticizing and start questioning the narratives that can help to reduce the propaganda about traveling and tourism.