Is travelling the best thing in the world?

Travel has been crucial to human history, starting from early migrations and trade routes to
modern tourism. In ancient times, humans travelled primarily for survival, looking for food,
shelter, and safety. For example, early nomadic tribes moved with the seasons, following
animal migrations and better climates.

The development of trade routes marked a big change. Around 2000 BCE, the Silk Road
connected Asia to Europe, making easier the exchange of goods as well as culture and ideas.
Similarly, the Incense Route in the Arabian Peninsula and the Amber Road in Europe played
important roles in ancient trade.

During the Middle Ages, travel was supported by religious reasons. Pilgrimages to sacred
places such as Jerusalem, Mecca, and Santiago de Compostela were usual. The Crusades also
prompted movement across continents. Discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries marked
another important phase. Explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and
Ferdinand Magellan went on trips with the aim of improving international trade and
incorporating new territories into countries.

With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the way of travel changed
completely due to the advances of the time such as the railway or the plane in the 20th
century. This allowed international travel to have a place in our lives.

Nowadays, there are different types of trips from the most luxurious ones like going all over
the world to the most economical trips like visiting the countryside or going to another city in
your country.

Currently, tourism is growing exponentially, especially among the new generations. In a

survey of 17 students between 3 and 4 of ESO, 82.4 percent considered it to be the best thing
in the world. This is a graph where we can interpret the development of tourism in the last
few years

However, they have very different reasons that motivate them to travel. 35.3 percent think
that the best thing about travelling is getting to know the new culture of the country they are
in. While 11.8 percent consider that the best thing about the trip is to taste the gastronomy
exclusively, leaving aside the rest of the culture, they are the so-called culinary tourists. 29.4
percent of those questioned in the survey say that they like to travel because they meet new
people. On the other hand, 23.5 percent believe that they travel because it opens their minds.

However, in the same survey targeting adults rather than adolescentsonly 23.1 percent of
them considered travelling to be the best thing in the world. This is a difference of 59.3 points
between one generation and the next.
Different types of travel can mean understanding a period of history that you may not have
recognised before the trip. For example, if you travel to Rome you can talk about the Roman
Empire, or if you travel to Machu Pichu you can understand America before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus. It can also be a challenge or a journey of self-knowledge; many
people like to travel because they can break the limits they have established, for example at
the level of language or autonomy.

We also have to consider that travelling helps your health, as you can disconnect from your
work or studies and reduce your stress level.

Also, more and more people are travelling for social purposes, volunteering is a way of
getting to know new countries that more and more young people are choosing to do.

We cannot deny that tourism allows many families to live off of it. In 2022 alone, tourism
activity earned 155,946 million euros in Spain, 11.6 percent of the gross domestic product.
While the characteristic branches of tourism generated more than 1.9 million jobs, 9.3 per
cent of total employment.
Furthermore, It is believed that tourism improves your relationship with your loved ones, as
you share happy moments with them that allow you to establish a connection with them and
memories that you would not have without tourism.

For all the reasons listed above. In a survey of a group of secondary school students, 57.1
percent of the respondents considered tourism to be no inconvenience or problem at all.

Nevertheless, Sometimes tourism is a clear example of price increases for basic commodities
or for the leisure and nightlife of those who live in the areas where tourists go.Sometimes
tourism is a clear example of price increases for commodities or for the leisure and nightlife
of those who live in the areas where tourists go.
Mass tourism leads to price speculation in goods such as housing, where it is already causing
problems in communities such as the Balearic Islands where the lack of doctors on the island
of Ibiza has already reached the Congress of Deputies in the Spanish parliament. In addition,
the care of specialists is even more broken, as there are no oncologists or endocrinologists
due to the price of rent and the requirements that are also demanded, such as knowing how to
speak Catalan perfectly. According to the house sale portal "fotocasa". The communities
where the square metre is the most expensive are mainly: Madrid, as it is the capital of Spain,
but the most expensive The Balearic Islands with a price of 4,159 euros/m2. In the case of the
purchase level.

It is also true that there is a direct relationship between tourism and GDP per capita.

This is a graph where we can see the GDP per capita in the different regions in Spain.
And this is a map where we can see the most touristic areas in Spain.

When we contrast one map with the other, we realise that the poorest communities such as
Andalusia or the Canary Islands, a community in which the average salary is 13,000 euros, is
a very important area in terms of tourism. 36.2% of the population of the Canary Islands is at
risk of poverty and/or social exclusion in 2022, according to a report by the EAPN, the
agency in charge of achieving the objectives of the 2030 agenda.

On the other hand, there is a strong relationship between abandoning or not completing
optional studies such as university.
Communities such as the Balearic Islands do not even reach 11% of graduates in a degree,
with the rate in Spain being 31.6%. While the Canary Islands have 18.5%.
All the autonomous communities dependent on tourism have a lower average of university
studies. From my point of view, this is because people do not seek competitiveness, which is
what our system is based on. The inhabitants of these areas of Spain want to dedicate
themselves to the tourism industry by working in a hotel or in a bar.
Another tourism problem is known as “tourism of excesses,” which incorporates uncivil
behaviour by tourists that gives rise to health interventions and State Security Forces and
Bodies. An example of excess tourism is "balconing." This practice consists of jumping from
a balcony to the pool or going from one balcony to another, people who do this illegal
practice use to be drunk. Many people died, for example, last June 2023, a british women
died when she was jumping to the swimming pool in her room, or a 22-years-old a British
football player died in Ibiza in the same month.

Tourism-related pollution is a growing problem. When people travel, they often use cars,
planes, and buses, which burn fuel and release harmful gases into the air. These gases can
damage the environment and contribute to climate change.

Tourists also produce a lot of waste. They often use plastic bottles, bags, and other items that
end up in landfills or oceans. This waste can harm wildlife and pollute natural areas.

Hotels and resorts use a lot of water and energy to keep tourists comfortable. This can lead to
shortages of water and electricity for local people.

In many popular tourist spots, the large number of visitors can damage fragile ecosystems.
For example, too many people walking on trails can wear down the soil and hurt plants.

People can travel in eco-friendly ways, because people are more concerned about
environmental problems, that’s why tourism are using different ways of travelling such as
using public transportation during their stay, staying in green hotels, and reducing their waste.
Travelling is often seen as one of the best things in the world because it lets people explore
new places, learn about different cultures, and take a break from everyday life. It helps people
grow, have fun, and make great memories. However, whether travelling is the best thing
depends on what each person values. For some, spending time with family, working on a
career, or pursuing other hobbies might be more important.

Additionally, traveling can have bad effects on people's lifestyles and the environment.
Frequent travel can disrupt routines, cause stress, and lead to fatigue. It also contributes to
pollution and environmental damage through increased carbon emissions from planes, cars,
and other modes of transportation. So, while traveling can be amazing, it's not necessarily the
best thing for everyone, and it's important to consider its impacts.