Backpackers.com

Omelette Wars And The Lonely Planet Effect

When you’re on the road, looking for places to visit, trusty guidebook in hand, do you go by the book, so to speak?

By that I mean, if the guidebook recommends this or that shop, or eatery, or beach, or bar, is that where you’re most likely to head? They must know what they’re talking about, right?

Or are you the kind of traveller who flies in the face of tradition and goes to the shop next door to the one recommended, the beach farthest from the guide’s first pick, the restaurant that got the lowest review?

A recent Reuters article highlights the consequences of what’s been dubbed the ‘Lonely Planet effect’:

Ideally, guidebooks try to unobtrusively nudge tourists towards the authentic sights and pleasures of a destination. In reality they have the power to transform almost anything they touch, especially in places popular with backpackers.

The example the article uses is that of the ‘Omelette Shop’ in Jodhpur, India. Unexpectedly recommended by Lonely Planet, the formerly quiet shop has become a busy hub for all the tourists looking for the ‘authentic, off-the-beaten-track experiences that they took a long-haul flight to find’.

Not so off-the-beaten-track when there are more tourists there than locals, now is it.

Some backpackers will defiantly go out of their way to choose the rival omelette stall, but isn’t that just the same thing, in reverse?

Perhaps the trick is not to be too dependent on your guidebook. Get your advice, visit a few places, sure, but don’t only go where it tells you to go (or not to go). Be prepared to leave it behind sometimes, and create your own truly authentic experiences.

You left home to explore, so do it!

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(Photo by Alana/Flickr)

Posted in General Travel, Travel News, Travel Tips & Planning