Posts by bianca@ethicaltraveler.org

The Ethical Tourism Conversation We’re Not Having: Social Media and Meaningful Cultural Exchange  

by Bianca Iriarte » 10 July 2026 at 8:12 am

After sharing her experiences online from a visit with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, Anniina Sandberg noticed something unsettling. Some of the responses focused less on understanding the community and more on portraying Indigenous people as entertaining or amusing. In an era of accessible travel, ubiquitous cameras, and content creation, for Sandberg, it reinforced a […]

Graveyards Behind the Pyramids: The Cost of Tourism on Egypt’s Working Animals

by Bianca Iriarte » 1 June 2026 at 3:56 am

Animal exploitation in tourism is not a new issue. Across the world, experiences once marketed as “once-in-a-lifetime” have come under scrutiny—from elephant riding in Thailand, to holding sea turtles in the Cayman Islands, to “walking with lions” in South Africa. As travelers, we are naturally drawn to these experiences but too often, tourism continues to […]