Why being mindful of the past will make those future travels better
The great travellers of history, such as Magellan, Columbus, Cook and Speke, are known as brave souls, whose discovery of new lands increased knowledge and opportunity for everyone. But, for the people who already lived in those lands, the explorers’ arrival was rarely a good thing.
Following in the wake of those initial explorers were the traders, the conquerors and the curious. Indigenous people were studied, at best, with exploitation, dispossession, enslavement and genocide as more common outcomes.
Now, we shouldn’t feel responsible for the behaviour of our ancestors, but we need to be aware of it, because that history shapes the world today. Of course, destinations want to present a positive image to visitors, so the onus…
