I am a tourism student, interested in understanding what inspires people to travel off the beaten track destinations such as to middle earth, the Shangrila etc.
where do you get your inspiration to choose your travel destination?
Reply to this Hello Wendy 😊
For me it is a mixture of curiosity and liking variety.
I get my inspiration from people I talk with(both travellers who have been to these destinations and people who live there) and from books and movies set in certain countries.
Mel
Reply to this Dear Mell,
Thank you for sharing. is there anyplace from books and movies you have read or seen that has appealed to your travel imagination?
Wendy
Reply to this When I was living in Dublin I used go to a cinema which showed alternative(alternative to Hollywood Blockbusters) movies from around the world. Many of those made me want to visit those countries. I saw one set in Iran around 10 years ago. I had been wanting to go to Iran ever since and managed to get there last October. I cant remember the name of the movie. It was about a social worker living in Tehran.
History movies set in Eastern Europe during the communist days also make me want to go there again. I have been going there periodically since my first visit there, shortly before the 1989 revolution. I like to go back and see what changed. Sorry, I cant remember the names of the movies I have seen about this.
When Burma finally becomes a democracy I want to go there and see what a new democracy is like. The Glass Palace is the book that made me more aware and interested in Burma.
Last year I read 'The Beach'. It inspired me to take my daugher along some of the tourist trail in Thailand a couple of times. I figured such well throdden places like Koh Sumai would be safe and modern enough for a little kid.
Mel
Reply to this Hi Wendy!
Our daughter's education is our biggest inspiration and wanting her to grow up as a true global citizen. I enjoyed traveling as a single, with friends, as a couple, but find family travel the most fulfilling so far. We are bookaholics so books ( and movies) inspire us even as we travel as we use literature to enrich our itinerary. Reading the Odyssey in Greece or watching Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet before seeing their real homes in Verona, makes a huge impact on us all.
Most Americans do not take their children on camel treks in the Sahara, swimming with the gods in Pamukkale,Turkey, watching a famous sword fight dance in Korchula, Croatia, or exploring Knossos Palace in Crete etc ,but we have found traveling the world in small out of the way places ( and famous places) as a family an incredibly enriching and educational experience.
Round the world
We are almost 2 years into our open ended trip around the world as a family and even though we have seen so much, feel like we have barely begun. Next continent is Africa for a long stay and then South America. We are inspired by all that the world has to offer and the beautiful people that we meet.
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