On behalf of Tourism. Sorry. We F*ed Up
To the world:
We owe you an apology. It’s us who gave you the towering cruise ships, disrupting the landscapes and communities they visit. It’s us who drove up housing costs until locals could no longer afford their own neighborhoods. It’s us who fill the skies with planes that pour out emissions, all in the name of "seeing the world." And yes, it’s us who destroy natural landscapes to build tourism infrastructure, forever changing ecosystems in ways we can't reverse.
The worst part? We’re still growing, maybe faster than ever.
Where Are the Critics from Within?
The criticism of tourism is at an all-time high. People are taking to the streets to protest, and locals are forced from their homes as tourism drives up costs. We’ve altered natural landscapes for tourist facilities, sacrificed cultural sites for profits, and watched as traditional lifestyles are pushed aside. And while travel media is abundant, much of the traditional media lacks the depth and nuance needed to address these complex issues. Many traditional outlets are still caught up in outdated PR and click-driven content, failing to represent the real impacts tourism has on communities and the environment. How much can they criticize the big companies that buy ads? Statistically, not very often.
This is why we’re stepping in to fill the gap with transparent, honest coverage that isn’t beholden to ad dollars or commercial interests. Transparency.travel is committed to telling the real stories—no matter how uncomfortable they may be for the industry.
Tourism Needs More Critical Voices—Not to Attack It, but to Protect It.
Our goal isn’t to criticize tourism for the sake of it. Instead, we’re here to address the industry’s challenges head-on, promoting lasting solutions that balance growth with responsibility.
Just like any industry, tourism needs self-corrective voices. As Yuval Noah Harari suggests in Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, systems without criticism risk becoming static and autocratic.
A critical press serves as a self-correcting force in tourism, challenging unchecked power and promoting transparency—a role emphasized by thinkers like Noam Chomsky and John Stuart Mill. Just as Edward Said underscored the risks of one-sided narratives, an independent and investigative press in tourism helps ensure a fuller, more balanced understanding of destinations and industry impacts.
We promise to do better.
Tourism isn’t all bad; there are parts of this industry we are proud of. After all we are in this industry because we know how good it can be, at it’s best. We know how to create jobs, foster inclusivity, and bring people together across borders and cultures. When done right, tourism is amazing, it can be a force for understanding, shared experience, and growth. But we can’t deny the harm that’s been done along the way, and we’re committed to finding a better way forward.
The Transparency Company was founded with a mission to push tourism toward transparency, responsibility, and sustainability. We’re a think/action tank dedicated to identifying challenges, testing solutions, and supporting the tourism industry in making meaningful changes. But we’re also a creative studio, a place where people like you—innovators, thinkers, and challengers—can work together to create a better travel industry.
Transparency.travel is our new initiative, and we’re not sure yet if it’s a media platform, a digital magazine, or something entirely different. We’re creating a space that adapts as we learn and grow. Whether that’s through articles, media campaigns, partnerships, or pilot projects, we’ll follow the ideas and questions that matter most in transforming tourism.
What we know is that we want it to be a campfire—a gathering place for the curious, the bold, and the visionary. Guided by questions and open minds, we want to dismantle outdated industry narratives, challenge assumptions, and explore new ways to reimagine tourism.
Our goal is to make complex ideas accessible. We’re building a network of contributors from diverse backgrounds and talents, creating a collective dedicated to improving tourism. We’re committed to moving beyond a single media channel because the path forward has to find itself, evolving with each question, challenge, and idea that emerges.
At Transparency.travel, we want to create a platform where in-depth journalism, creative expression, and diverse perspectives can thrive. We believe in going beyond the tourism bubble to engage decision-makers, fostering policies that truly serve communities, visitors, and our planet.
Instead of investing in formats nearing their expiration date, we’re creating a space where critical voices can expand the tourism narrative. By prioritizing diverse perspectives and innovative formats, we aim to give voice to ideas and individuals who have long been ignored or underrepresented in the tourism conversation.
We believe the conversation around tourism needs to happen openly, engaging communities, authorities, and other sectors. Our vision is to create a place for challenging, nuanced perspectives—a platform where tourism’s impact can be examined with honesty and care.
The truth is, the stories we need today demand a language and format we still don’t know. We believe in using new perspectives, poetry, arts, and essays to explore and express tourism’s complex questions. Transparency.travel should be a home for varied voices to challenge the status quo and keep tourism grounded in reality.
We want to give a voice to those who speak—and to those who can’t speak for themselves: employees, partners, stakeholders. Our focus is on inclusivity, ensuring that the conversation around tourism’s future reflects the experiences of all its participants—especially those whose voices are rarely heard.
We don’t just want to raise awareness—we want to influence those at the top. Through lobbying, strategic dialogue, and by creating books, frameworks, courses, and communication platforms, we aim to reach decision-makers, advocating for policies that align tourism with responsibility, respect, and sustainability. We’re determined to push the industry forward in a way that protects, rather than disrupts, the world we all share.
Whatever format it takes.
Join Us
Is this for you? If you’re someone who values substance, clarity, and genuine curiosity over easy answers, you might find a home here. Transparency.travel isn’t only about the tourism industry—it’s about shaping a future that respects people and places alike.
We welcome researchers, designers, philosophers, bloggers, podcasters, poets, activists, rebels, comic creators, data visualizers, economists, investigative journalists, and anyone who wants to help redefine tourism. In a world of endless clicks and conclusions, join us as we explore what tourism could truly become. Let’s create something honest, something real—together.
