LAST MONTH I wrote about a trip to Vietnam that had been four years in the making. I told of golfing exploits, visits to markets, sightseeing and general immersion in the local culture.

And then I watched The Last Tourist….

For those who haven’t heard about this documentary feature, it deals with the subject of “over-tourism” and how we may be destroying the very things we have travelled so far to see.

We’ve all seen and read about the gradual damage being done to places like Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, the Pyramids (to name but a few) through the footsteps and general wear and tear of tourists.

The movie puts this into sharp focus and much more, including the half a million animals worldwide that are being used and often abused in the name of “entertainment”. It also shines a harsh spotlight on overseas orphanages, with many of the “orphans” having at least one living parent.

You’ll learn more about the film in our Talking Point article, but it certainly set me thinking. As a fellow travel writer remarked as we went into the cinema, “should I feel guilty about doing the job I do?”

It is an occupational necessity that I travel the world and report back on what I see and experience. I’m extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel as often as I do so, like many of you I’m sure, I’m conscious of my environmental footprint and try to minimise it wherever possible.

Maybe, as the world continues to shake off the after effects of COVID, writing about travel is also going to change. Destinations will need to be sustainable, eco-friendly and socially responsible to get a mention – and it’ll be our job to write about those who are and those who aren’t.

The Last Tourist is hard watching in sections but it doesn’t really tell us anything we didn’t already know – it just collates all the areas of concern and points out the dangers of continuing down this destructive path. I would urge anyone who travels to watch it.

On a much happier not, I had the pleasure of talking to Johanna Griggs and Graham Ross from Better Homes and Gardens for the third episode in our popular Talking Travel podcast.

They listed some of the top places around the world that they’ve visited with the show – and also some of the hilarious moments that didn’t make the program!