Most of the locals don’t live in Luang Prabang anymore. They began an exodus from Laos' seeming Shangri-La after their hometown was listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, and sold itself wholesale to tourism.
Our need for instant gratification ensures that until the idea of taking a tiger selfie is seen as a badge of shame rather than a bucket list rite of passage, the likes of the Tiger Temple will continue to prosper.
It is time to start questioning the myths. And to realise that any scenario of unabated climate change is far worse for global tourism than changing price structures for travel.
Today’s holiday brochures boast bargains like an Argos catalogue; instead of homeware and cheap electronics, we find tigers, temples and tribal villages. All are commodities, just the same
