These Books Will Make Make You A More Thoughtful Traveler

While travel can expand your worldview, an onslaught of tourists can cause massive cultural changes for locals. Luckily, there is a way to travel while also minimizing the negative affects you’ll have on resources and traditions.

Many terms are bandied about for thoughtful tourists—conscientious traveler, ethical traveler, global citizen. Whatever the designation, the hope is the same: Travelers should seek ways to see the world without compromising their personal values, without interfering with local culture, and with doing their best to minimize their carbon footprint.

One way to start traveling with intention is to do your research. The following books explore how locals are affected when tourism booms in their communities.

How to Travel Without Seeing by Andrés Neuman

Andrés Neuman spent a whirlwind book tour traveling throughout Latin America before coming to the realization that most of travel is “not seeing.” How to Travel Without Seeing consists of snippets of his observations and small scenes he gathered as he made his way through 19 countries including Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, and more. Neuman himself is an Argentine-Spanish citizen and takes his time to explore cultural identity, globalization, the intersections of history and current events.

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Set in the popular tourist destination, Jamaica, Nicole Dennis-Benn explores the lives of the people who work in and are affected by the tourist industry there. This award-winning novel doesn’t shy away from the dark sides of the lives of the three women it follows, but it is also not afraid to deal in their joy. As described in the NPR review, “There’s no character in Dennis-Benn’s novel that’s anything less than complex, multifaceted, and breathtakingly real.” For a book that will push you further than the typical beach read, give Here Comes the Sun a read.

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo

While Nigeria isn’t as known as a tourist destination as some of the other locations on this list, Chibundu Onuzo’s Welcome to Lagos is a deep exploration into the ways globalization and imperialism have affected the development of her home country of Nigeria. This brilliantly atmospheric novel follows seven people as they live their lives in Lagos. In dealing with the turmoil of Nigeria’s history, Onuzo brings humor, which is hard to believe when first hearing about a novel which begins with two soldiers deserting an army that forced them to commit numerous human rights atrocities.

He Mele A Hilo by Ryka Aoki

Through a large cast of characters, Ryka Aoki explores what it means to be Hawaiian and how individual actions have shaped the community in Hilo. The story centers Noleani Choi’s play telling the story of Jesus Christ through hula. This novel is written entirely in Hawaiian pidgin English, but don’t let that slow you down. The story is completely comprehensible and there is a glossary in the back for the less self-explanatory phrases. Aoki makes it impossible to shake the sounds of Hawaii from your ears when you leave the world of He Mele A Hilo.

Cuba and the Cameraman by Jon Alpert

While not a book, this documentary explores Cuba and three families over the course of 45 years. Cuba and the Cameraman offers rare insight into both the actions of Fidel Castro and the government and into the daily lives of Cubans affected by policies made beyond their control. As the world changes around them and tourists come in, the lives of families Alpert follows changes too. This documentary brings their heartfelt stories to the forefront.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.