gatekeeping in travel: elitist or protective?

my hot take on the gatekeeping debate in tourism

One of my favorite places in Paris I discovered through Instagram. My favorite german fashion influencer who lives in Paris shared a photo of her sipping a cappuccino from a little red cup. The cafe interior was minimalist yet warm. I immediately saved the location on my google maps - and on my next trip to Paris, found myself there. The place certainly lived up to it’s hype, however, I was shocked to see a small sign near the door saying:

No TikTok.

Perhaps the influence of social media on tourism brings great benefit. Under-visited destinations can experience higher numbers of visitors, which can improve the local economy and bring needed attention to humanitarian needs. Even in a general sense, the concept of gatekeeping is looked down on. I mean, “hot girls don’t gatekeep” is the motto online, defending the act of sharing insider tips for universal knowledge. But perhaps hot girls should gatekeep. Bear with me, in the age of instant information, we have to examine all facets of the gatekeeping narrative.

After encountering that sign in Paris, I saw many more - especially in Rome and Barcelona, cities notorious for their over-tourism issues and the local slogan: “Tourists Go Home”.

“As a lifelong student and supporter of tourism, I’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly of what this industry can bring. But the outward disdain for online-marketing is a new note in the page.”

I’ve spoken to local business owners in these places who long for online viral-ity, the more eyes, the more awareness and likelihood of more customers. On the other hand, it’s clear that locals want their favorite places out of the spotlight, keeping it “local”. And rightfully so, at the root of cultural preservation is resisting the appropriation of sacred place - a concept encompassing all aspects of lived culture. Which certainly doesn’t simply apply to temples and churches (though excellent examples).

The corner bookstore or the grocery shop with the best prices. The ristorante owned by a family for 8 generations and counting that makes the best focaccia in the country. These are hallmarks of a lived culture, the day to day and slightly mundane parts of a community. The exposition of “local secrets” on a mass-media scale has the potential to cause more harm than we believe.

Napoli, and it’s vivacious chaos of non-conformity

so where does that leave travel writers and influencers?

Being that my mission is not only to be well-travelled, but to share my experience, this is a tricky thing to maneuver. On one hand, I want to share the most authentic places so my readers can dig deep into the cultural landscape of where they’re headed - and bring home the TRUE representation of the destination they visit. But on the other, I am so passionate about cultural preservation and using tourism as a tool for connection, education, and renewal of local economies. That’s why I gatekeep.

I share my travel tales and occasional tips for my free subscribers - in order to raise the collective consciousness on how to be a better tourist (and oh how we need a revival of international curiosity in America). But for the in-depth city guides and my personal recs, I save for my paid subscribers. And this isn’t about the money (the income goes straight into fostering new editorial content), this is about creating a necessary boundary. For those who prioritize self-education on travel topics, respect the places they visit, and want to really dig their teeth into transformational travel. The investment into joining this community is worth it to them, because they walk the talk and are dedicated to changing the industry from the ground up. Because change really does start with us, the ones dictating where our spending power flows and the choices we make abroad.

Want to debate this with me? I’m all ears for ways to improve and create a better educational environment for us all.

If you resonated with this and want to join the Atlas, an exclusive community of “better tourists”, subscribe for the price of a monthly coffee (you’ll get the guides mentioned plus much more):