The traveler’s moral dilemma is an issue that all travelers, from backpackers to luxury travel enthusiasts must deal with at some level or another.

The basic idea is that travel/tourism is an exploitative process. Travelers visit sites around the world looking for new experiences, however each new experience involves some level of exploitative consumption or either human resources, environmental resources, or both. In effect the traveler takes something from local ecosystems or communities, without sticking around long enough to give anything back.

The effect itself is obviously quite difficult to quantitatively define, and there are many sides to the argument. Most members of the traveling community, myself included, believe that tourism can be incredibly beneficial to all parties involved if practiced in a responsible manner. However, what does that actually mean, to travel responsibly? What does a responsible traveler do that an irresponsible traveler does not? How can you effectively determine if your unique travel footprint is having a positive effect or a negative one?

These are difficult questions to answer, and ones that I plan to write about in the future. Today, however, I would like to help get the idea of the Traveler’s Moral Dilemma out there, and invite all breeds of traveler to give a little more thought to the concept and how it relates them and their travel style.

The following links contain some great food for thought regarding the concept, and I recommend all my readers check them out, and always keep the Traveler’s Moral Dilemma in the back of your mind:

• Where the Hell is Matt: Traveling Matt’s personal struggle regarding the ethics of travel.
• Privilege and Responsibility: The Role of the 21st Century Traveler: Brave New Traveler article on the responsibilities of the 21st Century Traveler
• The 9 Paradoxes of Modern Tourism: Another Brave New Traveler article exploring the contradictions of modern tourism.
• The True Cost of Travel: World Hum interview with Leo Hickman (author of The Final Call) as he recounts his experience exploring the ugly side of tourism around the world, and gives his opinions on the future of travel.

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