Acts of Tourism

When tourists travel they often buy a story, a pre-packaged experience tailor-made for their desires and expectations. The pictures on Instagram become proof of the ‘authentic’ experiences and on social media the stories are shared as life-changing events. But what if most of it was made up? When on holiday, people want to be entertained and not bothered with the complex truth of tourism destinations. But what is at stake when tourism is altering realities for the benefit of showmanship? When a prison’s past becomes the set-up for an interactive theme park in Latvia, when refugees from war-torn Myanmar act as exotic photo models in Thailand and when deadly active mines in Bolivia are being advertised as an adventurous must-do experience.