Just ask yourself: is it worth the massive carbon emissions required to reach that one far-flung tropical island, or are there beautiful destinations nearby that you have wilfully overlooked because of their proximity to home? Think of the great privilege that it is to fly, when 1% of the human race is responsible for half of global aviation emissions and 89% of the population rarely or never flies. 

 If you are seeking out an exotic, cultural experience, is the local culture authentically represented, or is it a sterile, commodified illusion that is severed from its original significance? Who is benefiting from these representations of culture? Is it an indigenous, community-based tourism enterprise where they have the power and make decisions about their own representation? Or are they merely minimum-wage workers who derive little benefit from the outsider-run businesses that exploit local people in the newest iteration of neocolonialism? Take the region extending across Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico, for instance, where ancient Mayan culture forms the core of a very lucrative tourism industry. Nonetheless, while others profit off the heritage of modern-day, indigenous Mayans, 72% of all Mayans live below the poverty line.