Back in the pre-internet days, the world seem gigantic and exotic. They only access we had to a foreign land was the pictures we could see through an encyclopedia or a documentary on the Travel Channel. The travel industry targeted retirees with a comfortable retirement fund who can take that trip to Paris and get the famous picture underneath the Eiffel Tower to show to their family on Christmas.
Now, we are living through social media and the world seems to have shrunk significantly. We live vicariously through Instagram famous young travel influencers who make a living exploring every corner of the world and collecting every envy worthy travel picture imaginable. The young able bodied travelers now target the Instagram era generation who compete with each other over who has the better travel picture. Its no longer cool to just have the Eiffel Tower picture. Now you need to be draped in scarfs in Marrakesh, posed on the black beach in Vik, Iceland, and the Blue Lagoon.
The travel industry is booming with new innovative ways to allow adventurers of all ages and circumstances to go out and experience the world, but what happens when every civilized country has already been exploited? Where do these Instagram influencers go to stay relevant and exciting to their viewers when their viewers have experienced almost the same?
The last frontier.... Antarctica.
The white tundra is now open for business to the daring adventurers who have already explored the rest of the world. More articles are giving tips and tricks to make your time in Antarctica safe and enjoyable and accessible. The target audience being adventurers of all ages who can afford the trip. It is not cheap but it does offer multiple ways to get there and multiple styles of exploration.
This article is an interesting insight on the way our world is so small and easily accessible. The direction of the travel industry to capitalize on every inch of our small world. No one would ever think Antarctica as a summer vacation but its a fun new place to explore and experience memories that you can share with friends on and off Instagram.
-Roxanne Cepeda
You have a good point! Right now Antartica has opened as a touristic view but what happens after that? I think that certain places should remain undiscovered not because there won't be any new places to explore but because somehow human nature will destroy it. Once upon a time America was a beautiful and clean place and now there is more trash than ever. Some people just dont care about preserving our planet.
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