Get in Line or Else.

Destination Dispersion: CO2 Much Tourism? (Premise).

Immediately Pre-Pandemic—What could Orlando, Rome, Yosemite Valley and Tanzania possibly have in common? Try congenital congestion…

If Egypt’s tour bus explosion, Venice’s tourist tsunami, Everest fatal climb lines, the Kilimanjaro ‘tram’ controversy—even a now wavering Woodstock II can show us anything, it is that there are way too many tourista types glomming onto too few ‘popular’ attractions.

Come another peak travel season, another worldwide fit of pique. As we embark on the first of 2019’s triad of U.S. summertime three-day weekends, lines are already backing up, the usual mass tourism ‘hotspots’ are overheating once more—as are visitor tempers and temperature gauges, not to mention those of the locals who must weather the heathenal onslaught summer after summer.

All over again, Venice will be swamped with international tourists, Anaheim will be one big Dizzyland, Buckingham Palace shall be thoroughly outflanked, national parks overrun by selfied hiker/campers—while ‘Everybody’s Favorite City’ wrestles with banning tour buses and charging tolls to the inexhaustible auto flow snaking down its famously crooked Lombard Street.

But to what truly travel-lovin’ end? How do we break this vacuous circle? What’s the route to escaping endless wait lines and sandwiched aisles—the way out of this perennial tourist trap?

Something Else Altogether.

In a word: elsewhere. What in the theme park hell does that mean? The difference between cookie-clutter and genuinely local, reality TV and reality, parchment and plastic—exposing, exploring, cannily exploiting it all as we go—fanning out far and wide.

Enter: Destination Dispersion…bypassing the overhyped, swarmed over tourist ghettos and formulaic fantasy lands, dodging the unnatural wastelands—instead dispersing wisely, wittingly toward greater experiences in place and times, traveling not just in tourist ‘high season’, but all year round. 

That is, venturing Elsewhere, to elselands, elseplaces, else- groves, elsevilles, elseparks, elsetowns, elsedales, elsewaters, etc.—thinking differently, looking outward, seeking broader vistas at wholly different times—maybe even capturing them all by mixing in creative, panoramic elsies with the routine, myopic selfies. How better  to alleviate chronic selfietitis?

When All Else Prevails.

Which is not to say there won’t be conflicts to traverse, issues to resolve along the Vamigre ‘Elseway’.

There is the wanton trampling, trashing of popular parks and cherished historical sites, what with custodial staff and budgetary cuts resorting to tour and time limits. The damage done by unruly visitors, deeply resented—even by residents (e.g., New Zealanders) who count upon travel/tourism revenue, yet are considering new visitor taxes to pay for the all the damage. Conversely, while standard tourist playgrounds are overplayed, so many ‘undiscovered’ destinations, with unique features and offerings, warmly welcome more traveler traffic. If only timely, trustworthy word got out…

Moreover, there come matters of place/land usage, such as the ongoing conversion of former military facilities to civilian purposes, San Francisco’s Presidio being an immediate case in (Fort) Point. Then again, there are protests, boycotts, the smoldering controversy over historical statues, (up or down, in or out) a monumental clash of legacy versus reparations: and where or how it affects/pertains to us travelers. 

Now, What Else? 

Ultimately the long, diversified journey begins with a single step, and this brief survey is but a modest first toe in. Which is to say that Vamigre’s Destination Dispersion movement is just getting started, so in the meantime, just deftly skip the usual lines…that is, if you don’t happen to be rollin’ to some private chateau, helicopter or yacht.  (much MTC…)