Read on Twitter
As a traveler, I saw the #Bali thread and thought... this isn't going to end well 
it's why I didn't share it or retweet it. I've been to Bali several times. Last being when Mt. Agung erupted in 2017. I have some thoughts...
it's why I didn't share it or retweet it. I've been to Bali several times. Last being when Mt. Agung erupted in 2017. I have some thoughts...
1. Encouraging people to move to a developing nation during a pandemic is just irresponsible. I understand that tourism is their main economy so it makes sense that ppl think they are helping. But it's not that simple.
2. The promotion of the book made the whole thing seem a little... sketch. And frankly the IG tourism industry makes me uncomfortable. My IG is dedicated to travel. So in a lot of ways I might be contributing to the problem. Though I don't promote anything or any business.
3. I understand that the OP is a Black, queer woman. I understand her reasoning for wanting to 'escape' America. However, I don't believe that her voice should be amplified over the locals living in poverty there to make her luxurious 'expat' lifestyle a reality.
Was some of the criticism leveled at her tinged with a bit of racism? Sure. Being anti- Black is global. I was called a racial slur in Bali by a shopowner. Of course that is not indicative of the entire region or else I wouldn't have returned.
However, having an American passport carries privilege no matter how much of a minority you are in the U.S. She represents a privileged Westerner exploiting the local economy while locals struggle under it. I can't tell you how many Aussies I saw acting a plum fool in Bali.
It was frankly gross. I can understand why people there aren't too thrilled with the idea of someone encouraging more Westerners to move there creating a permanent underclass of people who were born and raised there.
4. I think the whole situation could be a real learning experience for the IG travel industry. It's filled with elitism and classism. And that's even the case among Black IG travel. The whole 'you could have a passport, but instead you have Jordans' crowd.
This pandemic has brought about a reckoning of sorts and I welcome it.
Bali is beautiful but there are a lot of problems that the locals deal with that you're not seeing on Instagram. Tourists need to be responsible and knowledgeable on the ways they are contributing to the issues and how they can help. That thread was not about helping.
