We’ll be highlighting our trip to Tibet this month.
The Controversy of Encouraging a Trip to Tibet
Before we start, we want to address a legitimate question raised by @Tibetans, one of our Twitter followers: “How can you promote Tourism to occupied Tibet where Tibetan are suffering under Chinese brutality?”
Whether the accusation above is true or not, we want to start answering this question by first clarifying why we travel and most important of all and why we believe everyone should get out of their comfort zone and travel to understand the world around them.
If All You Want is a Picture, Stay Home Instead
Sometimes, travelers get a bad rap.
They go to a new place, pack the top tourist sites in the morning hours, snap a bunch of pictures, get back on the bus and go to the next place. To them, traveling is like a social proof that they have “seen” the country and they have all the pictures to prove that too.
That is NOT why one should travel. Honestly, if the only objective you have to travel is to snap pictures in front of the “Eiffel Towers” of the world, then there are tons of photo software you can leverage to do that. Don’t waste thousands of dollars to go there.
An Example of Power and Danger of the Media: a Victim or Murder Suspect
To travel (as opposed to vacationing), in our opinion, is only worth the money if the journey enhances your perspective of the world in some way.
If there is one thing we confirmed from our decades of traveling around the world is this:
Do not trust any media or anyone to tell you what is happening on the ground elsewhere.
Why? Because every article is influenced by the viewpoints and opinions of the author. Every word on the article has implied meanings that can sway how you think about a situation.
For example take the case of a recent story about George Zimmerman who was accused of murdering a black teen. Was he the “victim of media persecution” or a “a murderer”?
Depending on which of the labels you saw the media assign to him the most, you would have formed an opinion about who Zimmerman is, regardless of the real truth. You’ll begin to believe one side of the story based on the ‘facts’ the media reported. It would not be until a verdict in a competent judicial court (and sometimes even after that) that you will start to understand the real course of events. Unfortunately not all events go through the rigor of due process in a justice system thus leaving you to form an opinion on the information you get from whoever reports it.
And that is the danger (and power) of media.
Our Right to Informed Opinion of Tibet
Now, going back to why we promote taking a trip to Tibet.
We strongly believe everyone should go there to see and determine for themselves the condition of Tibetans under the Chinese rule. If we didn’t believe in that, who are we to criticize those who blindly follow what state-controlled and supposedly free-speech media outlets say about any situation at all. Everyone has the right to see and make that decision for themselves.
We Encourage You to Visit Tibet!
If you have the opportunity, you should visit this amazing land and its people! It was an eye opening and intriguing visit for us. If you are planning a trip to Tibet, have a look at our Tibet itinerary that we will share on our next post. Hope it helps you out!
We know this is a very passionate topic for some. What’s your view on taking a trip to Tibet?
Interested in Tibet? Then check out our other stories:
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