Rethinking Tourism
Tourism is a platform to truly connect to the local communities and their knowledge
In the middle of the pandemic, I wrote the following statement:
COVID-19 has drastically changed the entire travel and tourism landscape, and, some would argue, changed it forever.
But now, I am starting to wonder if it genuinely changed the sector for the better, or are we falling back into our old habits?
Pre-pandemic, the tourism sector struggled with too many tourists in certain locations at certain times of the year (commonly referred to as over-tourism). I have never agreed with the terminology, primarily because I think the sector was dealing with a destination management problem. A thriving destination should have a good understanding of the origin of its visitors, their typical holiday calendar, and their experiences and interests; and then ensure they create products and services that would attract them at different times of the year and in various locations.
The other element that makes a great destination is the close collaboration between international travel businesses and local residents and communities. Sadly, this is where most destinations fail. The lack of communication and interaction with locals creates tension that results in tags and messages we have seen and heard before: “Tourists go home!”.
Some may feel that the tourists are encroaching into their space and preventing them from enjoying their city or local scenery. For a while, I naively thought that with COVID, this problem was gone. However, with borders reopening and people craving holidays, we have again seen crowded beaches and cities over the summer.
The tourism sector must act on a promise made long ago: to develop sustainably and responsibly.
I have traveled to 100 countries, and wherever possible, I’ve made a point to meet and interact with locals. I’ve met amazing people through my journeys, many of them have become friends, and even years after, we still stay in touch. From Ali, the taxi driver we’d met in Petra, to a group of Bedouin women in Amman who cooked us the most fantastic meal and countless more in different places. Sharing a meal, tea, or coffee with locals is often the best way to build long-lasting friendships and learn about the local culture.
As a tourist and someone who has worked in tourism for over a decade, I care very much about the interactions with locals and especially with the indigenous communities. More importantly, how tourism, if responsibly developed, helps protect and preserve culture. After all, cultural exploration is a primary motivation for many like me to travel. Food, music, dances, religious practices, storytelling, craft, and artifacts must be preserved so that future generations of travelers can enjoy what we have had the privilege to enjoy today.
But to do this, we need to ensure that locals earn a fair income from their cultural activities. They also need to be taught how to invest their earnings to preserve what they have and teach younger generations to do the same.
Rethinking a more sustainable tourism
As we celebrate World Tourism Day 2022 we are inspired to ‘Rethink Tourism’ and reconsider its role in development. What if tourism could actually benefit the people and locations we visit?
I believe new technologies like blockchain provide an interesting solution to solve the challenges that the tourism sector faces. During the 2020–2022 bull market, Web3 has grown as a new paradigm and we are now seeing new use cases that are aimed at redistributing wealth and fairness.
This is why I back projects such as Quantum Temple. They use Web 3.0 to preserve and promote cultural heritage while providing economic and social impact to local communities.
The tokenization of cultural heritage/Web3 provides three main benefits:
- Preserving cultural heritage on the blockchain so it can be securely stored and accessed in the future.
- Distributing equitable income to local communities to realign the incentives to continue the practice of cultural heritage.
- Promoting a deeper understanding of local heritage and therefore attracting a new breed of conscious travelers to destinations.
Their inaugural cultural region is focused on Bali, Indonesia which will launch in the fall of this year, and many more exciting destinations across the world coming in 2023.
Tourism has an opportunity to change the life of many for the better, however, we first need to change our mindset. We need to seek a deeper experience of cultural heritage when we travel.
Then, tourism becomes a platform to share, learn and truly connect to the local communities and their knowledge. Re-connecting with the ancestral teachings of myriad cultures, which uncover many intellectual, spiritual, and social truths, could help us address and resolve the challenges of our time.
Quantum Temple envisions a world where ancient wisdom is enhanced by modern technology and preserved to inform and enlighten our futures.
- They strive to create a space where we can explore the sacred relationships between ourselves, nature, and others.
- They’re keen for people worldwide to value a connection to those Cultural Keepers (such as local artisans and traditional performers) generous enough to share their rich traditions.
- Above all, Quantum Temple desires to see cultural heritage respected as humanity’s most significant legacy and nurtured to evolve continually.
Travel and only leave your footprint! And on your future journeys, make a point to sit down with locals, bring valuable memories and tell your stories.
Dr. Mario Hardy, conscious traveler
About Dr. Hardy
Dr. Hardy is an advisor for Travel & Tourism at Quantum Temple.
He’s the ex-CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the largest non-profit, non-political organization in the field of travel and tourism, with a focus on the protection of the environment, the conservation of culture and heritage, and support for education.
In his 35 years of experience in corporate, venture, and tech leadership, he’s founded the VC firm MAP2, focused on of FinTech, AI, and GreenTech.
In 2017, Dr. Hardy graduated from the Executive Program of Singularity University in Exponential Technologies and was honored as a “Global Ambassador of Peace Through Tourism” by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.
In 2016, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Capilano University for his philanthropic work in Cambodia, where he helped develop a school for underprivileged children, and for his support in the development of a Community Based Tourism project in Vietnam.
Dr. Hardy is also the Vice-Chairman of the World Rural Tourism Conference, and also holds several advisory board positions with privately-owned technology companies.