Great piece, Matt. And a beautiful country! I’ve been thinking about these topics a bit more recently, because I’m working with a writer on a story about climbing in Vietnam. In some respects the circumstances are similar. Visiting climbers and locals alike seem keen to create systems that foster harmonious and sustainable development, not growth at all costs… but it’s a critical time and (of course) not all parties agree on the way forward. At its worst, climbing can be a bit of a poster child for how not to do this stuff. I think it has always got to start with talking and listening.
Thanks Alex. As it goes, I've been pulled up on the growth-at-all-costs line for being a tad hyperbolic. But I agree and I think the point broadly stands that local operators and communities attempting to influence this, and us all taking more responsibility for our presence, has to be a positive thing.
A good read and a multi-faceted conundrum the world over—especially given how much exposure the next must-visit 'undiscovered' destination is given through social media and the ease of travel. Places that would have once likely required some token effort to find out about through print can now be reached relatively inexpensively.
The allure of the new and relatively unknown is a strong pull, especially when it comes to adventure sports; often to destinations that haven't previously experienced large numbers of visitors. Plenty of us have probably thought 'I need to go there before it is spoilt'. The honeymoon period before the gloss is lost can be short. For journalists the 'new' is the hook.
Even the well-known and popular destinations can reach a tipping point. The Costa Blanca and Mallorca are currently concerned about the impact of the number of cyclists that visit the region during the winter months. Closer to home in north Wales, the Ogwen Valley and Dinorwig slate quarries are inundated with adventure seekers looking to 'escape' at weekends, bringing with it anti-social parking. The inevitable management and infrastructure that follows steals some of the 'romance' that drew people there in the first place. There is no easy answer.
Thanks Ray. I think that's why what Shota is trying to do is so interesting. As the examples you give demonstrate, in practise it is really difficult to strike that balance.
Hey Matthew, thanks for the shoutout—that '93 Greece trip feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s cool to hear those photos helped inspire your travels! You nailed the tension between finding untouched spots and ruining them, and Shota’s approach to getting ahead of the growth in Bakhmaro makes total sense.
The down side… Managed scarcity drives demand which in turn increases value which in turn alienates most people from being able to afford access. We’re only ever a few greedy operators away from exclusive resorts for those who can afford to play.
What a great piece and what important points. The quote "we will make money but the experience will be gone" could not be more relevant. I wonder if as well as scarcity, the draw to perceived frontiers helps people find what they couldn't get to or face about themselves 'back home' and that challenging, novel and almost magical adventures in surf and snow support a kind of self reconciliation process and "rendering of accounts". Nice one Matt!
It's a case of perhaps erecting barriers to entry, but rather than simply doing so to create an economic moat, the idea behind this is to preserve the "purity" and authenticity of the initial experience that people are searching for.
I guess you could go very deep on this subject, and start discussing the secondary, tertiary and even wider effects of such barriers to entry/regulation, but maybe that's for another time.
It's so tricky isn't it. We want empty waves & mountains & for places to remain authentic/how they were when we first visited them but Georgia's a poor country so you can see why other operators are trying to get in on the act at Bakhmaro. It's like surf tourism in Morocco. Visiting surfers complain about how crowded it is and the scourge of surf schools but when I interviewed surf instructors for a piece on this very topic they were all so happy to be earning a living as surf coaches rather than farmers or fishers as their parents had done, esp at a time when youth employment is so high. But yeah there are ofc environmental costs to this growth and you don't want extractive multinationals taking the tourist money out of the country or to kill the golden goose of that tourism by making it so busy that the tourists stop coming or to make things so crowded that isn't safe. No easy answers
A very interesting piece! Also, very curious to know when the FT article is out? Always keen to read what travel journalists have to say about Georgia (my country). You should also go to Svaneti, it’s absolutely stunning up there.
Man, really well articulated. Best thing I’ve read in a while. Thank you.
Thanks so much for reading 🙏
Still slightly miffed that the U.S. embassy held my passport for this week. Nice to live it through your words and images though.
I mean we’ll have to go back, right?
Great piece, Matt. And a beautiful country! I’ve been thinking about these topics a bit more recently, because I’m working with a writer on a story about climbing in Vietnam. In some respects the circumstances are similar. Visiting climbers and locals alike seem keen to create systems that foster harmonious and sustainable development, not growth at all costs… but it’s a critical time and (of course) not all parties agree on the way forward. At its worst, climbing can be a bit of a poster child for how not to do this stuff. I think it has always got to start with talking and listening.
Thanks Alex. As it goes, I've been pulled up on the growth-at-all-costs line for being a tad hyperbolic. But I agree and I think the point broadly stands that local operators and communities attempting to influence this, and us all taking more responsibility for our presence, has to be a positive thing.
A good read and a multi-faceted conundrum the world over—especially given how much exposure the next must-visit 'undiscovered' destination is given through social media and the ease of travel. Places that would have once likely required some token effort to find out about through print can now be reached relatively inexpensively.
The allure of the new and relatively unknown is a strong pull, especially when it comes to adventure sports; often to destinations that haven't previously experienced large numbers of visitors. Plenty of us have probably thought 'I need to go there before it is spoilt'. The honeymoon period before the gloss is lost can be short. For journalists the 'new' is the hook.
Even the well-known and popular destinations can reach a tipping point. The Costa Blanca and Mallorca are currently concerned about the impact of the number of cyclists that visit the region during the winter months. Closer to home in north Wales, the Ogwen Valley and Dinorwig slate quarries are inundated with adventure seekers looking to 'escape' at weekends, bringing with it anti-social parking. The inevitable management and infrastructure that follows steals some of the 'romance' that drew people there in the first place. There is no easy answer.
Thanks Ray. I think that's why what Shota is trying to do is so interesting. As the examples you give demonstrate, in practise it is really difficult to strike that balance.
Hey Matthew, thanks for the shoutout—that '93 Greece trip feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s cool to hear those photos helped inspire your travels! You nailed the tension between finding untouched spots and ruining them, and Shota’s approach to getting ahead of the growth in Bakhmaro makes total sense.
Thanks Trevor. And thanks for the insp all those years ago
The down side… Managed scarcity drives demand which in turn increases value which in turn alienates most people from being able to afford access. We’re only ever a few greedy operators away from exclusive resorts for those who can afford to play.
This would indeed seem to be the case
What a great piece and what important points. The quote "we will make money but the experience will be gone" could not be more relevant. I wonder if as well as scarcity, the draw to perceived frontiers helps people find what they couldn't get to or face about themselves 'back home' and that challenging, novel and almost magical adventures in surf and snow support a kind of self reconciliation process and "rendering of accounts". Nice one Matt!
Definitely another way you could interpret Finnegan’s Conrad quote. Thanks Lesley 🙏
Thought provoking as always.
It's a case of perhaps erecting barriers to entry, but rather than simply doing so to create an economic moat, the idea behind this is to preserve the "purity" and authenticity of the initial experience that people are searching for.
I guess you could go very deep on this subject, and start discussing the secondary, tertiary and even wider effects of such barriers to entry/regulation, but maybe that's for another time.
I think what’s interesting about Shota’s idea is that the barrier of entry is proposed at the operator side.
Excellent piece Matt. Travel experience culture and snowboard in a remote place or lesser known resort is where I want to be every time.
Thanks very much - and yes hard same 🙌
It's so tricky isn't it. We want empty waves & mountains & for places to remain authentic/how they were when we first visited them but Georgia's a poor country so you can see why other operators are trying to get in on the act at Bakhmaro. It's like surf tourism in Morocco. Visiting surfers complain about how crowded it is and the scourge of surf schools but when I interviewed surf instructors for a piece on this very topic they were all so happy to be earning a living as surf coaches rather than farmers or fishers as their parents had done, esp at a time when youth employment is so high. But yeah there are ofc environmental costs to this growth and you don't want extractive multinationals taking the tourist money out of the country or to kill the golden goose of that tourism by making it so busy that the tourists stop coming or to make things so crowded that isn't safe. No easy answers
A very interesting piece! Also, very curious to know when the FT article is out? Always keen to read what travel journalists have to say about Georgia (my country). You should also go to Svaneti, it’s absolutely stunning up there.