Overtourism, according to Ashish Sanghrajka, President of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, is being villainized. “We can’t take all tourism and load it in there,” he told Recommend during a recent face-to-face interview. Saying all tourism is “overtourism…it’s short-sighted. It just puts a band-aid on the problem,” he says.
Sanghrajka, whose company Big Five Tours & Expeditions offers voyages around the globe, trekking through Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the South Pacific, notes that he has worked with countries such as Colombia, specifically the Colombia Tourism Board, to really dig into tourism expenses, hoping to spread the message that it’s important for a country to invest in wages, infrastructure, etc. to benefit those who work within the country’s hospitality industry.
“If every country takes apart their entire operational budget—the whole country, not just tourism, the whole country—then takes the number of visitors, tourists, they have coming in and gets an actual hard cost, how much it costs per tourist to run this country, what they’re going to find, in many cases, is that they’re not charging enough.
“So, if we’re able to take apart those budgets and actually see that countries really aren’t charging enough, [you realize via data] that they should be charging more, but not for the sake of charging more. Like any business, [figure out] how much it costs for me to run this country,” says Sanghrajka. He says putting a higher price on a hotel, F&B, etc., is about supporting both the people who work in tourism and the general population, because he notes, they need to make the right wages to live in the destination they’re serving. That’s responsible tourism, he stresses.
He points to the capping on visitor numbers many destinations have implemented and says that’s a “short-term solution. People will find a way to game the system.” And he stresses, it doesn’t “address what people are concerned about, which is the high cost of living [in these destinations].”
Sanghrajka says that the type of tourist a destination attracts is also crucial, noting that it’s about the visitor being socially responsible and understanding that it’s a privilege, not a right, to visit the destination. Locals, he says, “want to show you their heritage. They want to show you their culture, but not at the expense of their livelihood.”
When asked if he thinks travelers are thinking about sustainability when traveling, Sanghrajka says, “no.” He points, however, to the Community Conscious Travel global campaign, the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) global campaign that was created to raise awareness and inspire action to protect the delicate balance between resident quality of life, traveler experience and the environment of the destinations. He says this type of campaign raises awareness about traveling “to more remote places and going [to a destination] at different times of the year.”
He uses Kenya as an example. “When we talk about the migration, people go, well, I want to go in these months. Yes, everybody wants to flock there for two or three months of the year, but there is something happening every single month,” he says.
The Travel Advisor Role
How should you communicate the importance of responsible travel to your clients? We asked Sanghrajka that very question, and he commented that it’s important to ask consumers why they want to go to that destination. “That will dictate the conversation,” he says. Secondly, he says, “they have to understand fully what they, the advisors, stand for. It can’t just be, ‘I curate dreams’; everybody does. You have to go deeper—‘I curate dreams because…. I got into this industry because….” Thirdly, he says, “They can’t be afraid to stand behind what they charge because their service is so important. What we’re dealing in, it’s not travel, it’s not lifestyle, it’s intellectual property. The only difference is you can’t patent it.” So, he stresses, it’s important for clients to know why they are choosing that destination and what they’re looking to get out of visiting said destination, with your expertise being the guiding light.
For example, he says, he spoke with an advisor’s client, a family, who was headed to Africa, visiting four countries for a full African safari. He spoke with the father, who said that his son at age 14 had had a stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. The father put a map in front of his son and said, “Please wake up and point somewhere on this map and I’ll take you there.” When he came too, Sanghrajka continued, “the child was pointing to Africa, specifically Botswana. When they got to Botswana, the mom broke down and said, ‘My son is not supposed to be here.’
“Imagine if every trip had that level of purpose,” he says. “What if every trip gave your clients goosebumps? What if every trip made your clients draw tears, tears of joy, right; that their life is so transformed….”
Updates on Big Five Offerings — Combating Overtourism
Big Five, with decades of experience in sustainable tourism and renowned for its innovative approach to preserving cultural heritage and supporting local economies, has worked with Kenya, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Peru and most recently with Costa Rica to promote responsible tourism practices. Its latest initiative in Costa Rica is aimed at combating overtourism through the adoption of the WTTC’s Community Conscious Travel global campaign.
The campaign serves as a guiding principle for Big Five’s efforts in the Central American country, emphasizing three pillars:
- Experience: Big Five educates travelers on the benefits of embracing a more authentic travel experience in Costa Rica. Encouraging visits during the shoulder seasons, such as September, allows travelers to enjoy quieter periods with reduced environmental impact and deeper cultural immersion.
- Impact: Recognizing the significant social impact of responsible travel & tourism, Big Five’s programs in Costa Rica focus on fostering meaningful connections with indigenous communities such as the Bribri, Malekus and Borucas. These initiatives are pivotal in preserving cultural heritage and supporting local livelihoods.
· Action: In collaboration with Costa Rica’s tourism authorities and local stakeholders, Big Five advocates for a balanced tourism narrative that showcases the country’s diverse offerings beyond traditional attractions. This approach ensures fair economic opportunities for all involved.
“Fair Market prices are a must to allow livelihoods to not only be protected, to thrive through socially responsible tourism” Sanghrajka said in a press release statement. “Overtourism and commoditization only make the current challenging economy in Costa Rica worse. The indigenous communities in Costa Rica must have a seat at the table. Travel and tourism globally make up one in 10 jobs, and in some countries one in 6. Those jobs must reach the communities who rightfully belong in the conversation, so tourism done right may protect their cultural heritage.”
To recommend: One of Big Five’s President’s Pick is the 10-day Pura Vida Family Touring experience takes clients to off-the-beaten path destinations such as Bijagua for horseback riding, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest, where travelers can go on night hikes. There’s also tubing in Rio Celeste, exploring the inside of a 98-ft.-tall tree in the forest canopy, preparing lunch with freshly harvested ingredients and snorkeling at night while experiencing the bioluminescence phenomenon at Santa Teresa Beach.
