In The Beginning

Bradley Woods National Park

Less than a minute away from where I've lived my whole life, is Bradley Woods- more commonly known to me and other locals as Bakers Park. I've practically grown up in this park learning to ride a bike, picnics with friends, running away from cows and swooning over footballers (Number 5 in particular, but never had the courage to talk to him) all being fond memories for me. I love it here,despite the fact it isn't the biggest or most beautiful nature reserve in the world. Devon is full of places like this, not to mention gorgeous beaches and friendly people, and so it naturally attracts a lot of tourists. Old people, families and stag-nights alike flock to the English Riviera to enjoy what we have to offer, and for this reason a lot of people live off of the tourists with ample seasonal work and streets full of hotels.

This was partly the inspiration for my proposal for the Circumnavigators Foundation's fabulous scholarship: if I feel so strongly about my home and national park, how do people round the world who are intimately involved with much vaster natural areas feel about theirs? Does the tourism have a similar fueling effect, or is it destroying the places they love and cherish? Like the 20 years in which I have been familiar with Bakers Park, have others noticed change? Has it been for the better or worse?

I hope to answer some of these questions and fulfil my curiosity by visiting areas of natural beauty and tourist hotspots around the worlds this summer, more specifically in South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.

As all of these places are considered megabiodiversity and developing countries, and so I want to understand the effect of tourism on the local communities and environment- either as a source of income and sustainability or a catalyst for inequality and erosion. Can the environment and society move forward together with the help of tourism? We shall see.

My travels start today when I fly to Johannesburg and I cannot begin to describe how excited I am. If you are interested in my travels and the discoveries of a curious twenty year old, just watch this space.