Sex tourism has existed for hundreds of years. And with the rise of globalization, it’s become a booming industry that exists in most corners of the earth. Sex work and sex tourism is complex. This kind of work intersects with history, power, race, economics, and global inequality. Dr. Christopher Ewing joins the show to unpacking the history, misconceptions, impacts of sex tourism on local communities, and how travelers can think more critically about this side of the tourism industry. PLUS we ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 112
Over the last few years, we’ve all noticed and felt the impact of growing inflation. During economic downturns, the tourism industry typically takes a hit. People are either nervous to spend money, or just don’t have the disposable income to put towards travel. In moments like these, budget travel is on everyone’s mind. But can we actually do that responsibly? Guest: Emma Cartwright is a travel blogger, podcaster, and influencer whose work is focused around educating tourists about sustainable t...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 7Ep. 111
You probably follow a few travel content creators on social media, and every once in a while, you’ll likely notice that they share content from a trip that is a collaboration with a tourism board. These trips, which are typically called media trips, or press trips, are a common way for travel creators to make an income, and a tool to give creators and tourism boards a chance to share insights about a region. But not every press trip (and not every travel influencer) is made equal. Bri Mitchell j...
Apr 30, 2025•57 min•Season 7Ep. 110
Erin and Kattie recap the season 3 FINALE of HBO's The White Lotus, unpacking each characters wild trajectory and crowing the Most Conciencious and Cringiest Travelers of the seaon! Tell us what you thought of our recaps on Instagram! Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network & you can find more travel podcasts from around the world at https://voyascape.com/
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 24 min
Erin and Kattie recap S3E7 of HBO's The White Lotus, unpacking Gary and Chloe's proposition to Saxon, Gaitok's determination to avoid conflict (even though he's caught the bad guys), the deterioration of the gal pals, and much more! Find the last recap of the season out next Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network & you can find more travel podcasts from around the world at https://vo...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Erin and Kattie recap S3E6 of HBO's The White Lotus, unpacking Saxon and Lochlans morning-after hanxiety, Gary's motives, Timothy's decent into darkness and... light? and much more! Find a new recap out every Thursday morning (usually) until the end of the season. Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network & you can find more travel podcasts from around the world at https://voyascape.com/...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Over the last few decades, tourists have been going out of their way to see places before they disappear, from Antartica to Australia. This has been deemed "Last-chance tourism". We're diving into the phenomenon of last-chance tourism; how it started, why it's so appealing, and the ethical questions it raises. Paige McClanahan joins us on the show to discuss. Paige McClanahan is an American journalist based in France. Her reporting has covered multilateral trade negotiations, humanitarian crises...
Mar 26, 2025•58 min•Season 7Ep. 109
Erin and Kattie recap S3E5 of HBO's The White Lotus, unpacking Belinda’s "Thriller-Romance-Novel Era", the reckoning of Piper’s lies and ambitions, Timothy’s descent into darkness, the Gal Pals rowdy evening, good old fashioned brotherly love, THAT monologue, and much more! Find a new recap out every Thursday morning (usually) until the end of the season. Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network &am...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Curious Tourism recaps S3E4 of The White Lotus ! Find a new recap out every Thursday morning until the end of the season. Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network & you can find more travel podcasts from around the world at https://voyascape.com/
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr
Curious Tourism is recaps S3E3 of The White Lotus ! Erin and Kattie share their theories and internet deep cuts about the tsunami is that is about to come, and present the coveted “Conscientious Traveler Award” to a White Lotus character. Find a new recap out every Thursday morning until the end of the season! Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the Voyascape Travel Network & you can find more travel podcasts from arou...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Curious Tourism is recaps S3E2 of The White Lotus ! Erin and Kattie share their theories on the monkeys, Belinda seeing Greg (aka Gary) again, and more, and of course share the top cringe travel moment (who are we kidding, everything Saxon does is cringe) and present the coveted “Conscientious Traveler Award”. Find a new recap out every Thursday morning until the end of the season! Follow us on Instagram: @curioustourismpod Reach us by email: erin@pinatravels.org Curious Tourism is part of the V...
Feb 27, 2025•54 min
When you think of traveling to Canada, what do you think of? Maybe beautiful nature, ice hockey, or maple syrup. But these aspects are just a very small piece of Canada’s cultural identity, and tourism identity. Canada has a long, rich, and diverse history that was shaped by the people who were here first: Canada’s First Nations. Juanita Marois of Métis Crossing joins the show to discuss. Guest: Juanita Marois is an inspiring leader, visionary, and advocate for Indigenous tourism who has transfo...
Feb 26, 2025•47 min•Season 7Ep. 108
Curious Tourism is recapping the third season of HBO's The White Lotus ! In every recap, Erin and Kattie unpack their feelings about the show through a responsible travel lens, unpack the top cringe travel moment from the episode, and present the coveted “Conscientious Traveler Award” to one of more of the show's characters. Find a new recap out every Thursday morning until the end of the season! Resources: ATMOS | " The High Price of Paradise in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 " POST REPORTS | " Can...
Feb 20, 2025•49 min
Join Erin Hynes and Amanda Kendle as they explore mindful travel, cultural awareness, social media impact, and tips for responsible tourism in 2025. Please note: Midway through this episode we mention that a woman was killed by an elephant in Spain. This was a mix-up in reference to the recent news that Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a 22-year old woman from Spain, was killed by an elephant while in Thailand: https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/07/asia/spanish-woman-killed-elephant-thailand-intl-hnk/index.htm...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 107
Responsible, sustainable tourism has been gaining more and more attention, but now there’s the risk of "social washing". Lily Girma joins the show to discuss what social washing is, how it applies to the tourism industry, and how to avoid it. Guest: Lebawit (Lily) Girma is the founder of Tourism Lens. She is currently a full-time travel news reporter at Bloomberg Pursuits— the lifestyle arm of Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek—as well as a freelance award-winning journalist. Lebawit coun...
Dec 11, 2024•55 min•Season 7Ep. 106
“Is it safe to travel there” is a commonly asked question to most travel bloggers and creators. It’s also one of the most difficult to answer. We’re unpacking the complexities of safety while traveling. Guest: Sojourner White is a blogger, travel and education writer, and social worker who encourages others to make travel part of their life. She is also known as the ultimate train travel QUEEN! Links: https://sojournies.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/Sojournies/videos https://www.instagram.com/t...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 105
Food is more than just a means of sustenance – it’s an essential part of every culture. This makes food a big part of the travel experience. Through food, we’re invited to learn about and experience local culture, heritage, and tradition. We're chatting with Katie Johnson, host of the Tasty Trails Travel Podcast, about how food impacts and shapes our experience of a place. We unpack the ways that we can engage with cultures around food, and how food can be a deeply ingrained part of a person’s c...
Oct 30, 2024•53 min•Season 7Ep. 104
According to science, travel can change us. Erin chats with JoAnna Haugen about the ways that travel can change us. They unpack how turning to travel as a means for personal development is a privilege, and how we can make meaningful change both at home and abroad. In this episode: Erin and Kattie share updates. Erin and JoAnna each share and discuss a recent piece of travel news. Erin and JoAnna discuss the ways travel has changed them. Erin and JoAnna unpack the good and the bad of looking to t...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 7Ep. 103
After two months abroad, Erin and Kattie finally reunite over a stable internet connection and talk about Erin's 150 day trip so far! They discuss the highlights from Tanzania and Sri Lanka - like what happened to Erin's Teva's on Safari and the memorable hike up Sri Pada at the crack of dawn - and how Erin's body has been hanging in there... Up next... NEPAL! If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Follow us on social...
Mar 27, 2024•28 min•Ep. 102
Erin and Kattie sit down together to chat about Erin's big news, big year, and big travel plans for 2024! Happy Holidays! If you're a fan of the show, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Curious Tourism: Responsible Travel Podcast! Follow us on social media @curioustourismpod . Read Erin's award-winning blog, Pina Travels . Subscribe to Kattie's podcasting newsletter, Pod the North. CREDITS Written and Hosted by: Erin Hynes Producer: Kattie Laur Music from Motion Array Logo by Nicole Hal...
Dec 21, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 101
Spending time outdoors is a big part of travel and tourism. But the outdoors are vulnerable, and it’s important that we all know how to enjoy them responsibly. Erin chats with Taryn Eyton, a Leave No Trace Master Educator and a former member of the board of directors of Leave No Trace Canada, about what it actually means to "leave no trace". They also unpack gatekeeping the outdoors. Is it good to gatekeep? Is it bad? Let’s find out. Erin and Kattie also have a fun discussion looking back on the...
Nov 15, 2023•51 min•Season 6Ep. 100
Museums are important spaces where the stories of people, culture, history, and our planet, are both preserved and shared. When you’re traveling, they can give you important context about the region you're visiting. We’re digging into museums with María Elena Ortiz, Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. We chat about the history of museums, and we unpack the colonial undertones that they sometimes have. And of course, we’ll talk about the role of museums in tourism. Links: https://www....
Nov 01, 2023•49 min•Season 6Ep. 99
In Oaxaca, Mexico, there’s a growing trend of Canadian snowbirds buying up beachfront land, being promised that these properties will be the perfect vacation home. The problem is, the land that is being developed is not up for grabs. It’s communally owned by Indigenous and rural residents. Erin chats with Dawn Marie Paley, a journalist and author based in Mexico who covered this phenomenon in a piece for Breach Media, to unpack why this is able to happen, and how gentrification and tourism is im...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 98
We all have a responsibility to share our travels mindfully. This is because what we post on social media, write, or say about the places we visit, has the power to shape perceptions, maintain unfair stereotypes, and perpetuate colonial views. Erin chats with Vincie Ho, a linguist, educator, social justice advocate, and the founder of RISE Travel Institute . The RISE Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel th...
Oct 04, 2023•58 min•Season 6Ep. 97
Is it responsible to visit zoos? Some argue that animals in zoos suffer physically and mentally by being enclosed. But zoos can also be really important for conservation, and make learning about wildlife more widely accessible. To learn more about the industry of zoos, aquariums, and roadside animal attractions, we're chatting with Stacia Lock. She explains the ethics behind zoos, and what it’ll take to make animal and wildlife tourism more responsible. Guest: Stacia Lock Resources: https://stum...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 96
In 2021, a documentary came out that addresses the inconvenient truths of the tourism industry. The Last Tourist explores the benefits, and the harms of tourism, as well as the myriad of social issues that factor into the current tourism landscape. Ultimately, the film argues that tourism has reached a tipping point. Today on Curious Tourism, the responsible travel podcast, we’re chatting with Tyson Sadler, the director behind The Last Tourist. Tyson shares with us some of the themes that come u...
Sep 06, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 95
Thinking back to the flights you've taken in the last few years, how many times have you noticed a woman-identifying pilot boarding the plane, or making those in-flight announcements? According to 2020 data from the FAA's Aeronautical Center, about 7% of commercial airline pilots that year were women, and it’s been reported that less than 1% of pilots in the US are Black women. Joi Schweitzer is part of that 1% and she joins the podcast to unpack the ins and outs of what it takes to become a pil...
Aug 23, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 94
If you take a quick browse through travel media, you'll notice a lot of cliches like, "wild", "untouched", and "remote". These descriptions are commonly applied to places that are considered rural, and they might seem harmless. But often, these descriptions can play into misconceptions about places and usually lack the context behind why the places we visit are the way they are. PLUS , Erin and Kattie discuss Erin's recent trip to Ireland and why the "O'Hynes" family castle isn't going to be her...
Aug 11, 2023•54 min•Season 6Ep. 93
What is halal travel, and how inclusive is the tourism industry really when it comes to Muslim travelers? Erin is joined by Soumaya T. Hamdi to chat about how the Muslim travel market is growing, the barriers are Muslim travelers facing when they travel, and how can the tourism industry address these barriers and create a welcoming, inclusive space. PLUS , Kattie and Erin share their thoughts on an article about "the most disappointing Canadian cities according to tourists". Guest: Soumaya T. Ha...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 92
What is responsible tourism, really? We’ve been exploring this question for years, looking for tangible ways that we can be more responsible travelers. Today, we're moving away from the small individual things travelers can do, and talking about how collective action is an important piece of responsible tourism. PLUS, Erin and Kattie finally get to talk about HBO's White Lotus, and chat about how they think the show will impact tourism over the next year. GUESTS: Zac Schraeder Nora Loreto If you...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 91
