| || Fair tourism > Say cheese! |
Photos and films can capture unforgettable memories. But you need to be respectful.
- People traveling from the Global North to the Global South might unintentionally reinforce stereotypes of other countries and cultures. Via Social Media a video, picture or hashtag is shared rapidly, reinforcing old-fashioned neo-colonial clichés.
- Take some time without the camera to meet and get to know the people. Don’t reduce locals to mere „photo objects“. Never take pictures without asking or even against the peoples’ will. If you can’t speak the language, you can ask for consent simply by smiling, making eye contact or nodding.
- Before you travel, make yourself acquainted with respective laws, regulations and prohibitions concerning taking pictures. In Germany you need to have permission for publishing other peoples’ images on Social Media, such as Facebook or Instagram. Please bear in mind that the Internet “does not forget”.
- Photographs can be a good vehicle to facilitate a conversation, for example by showing others your images on the display or sharing pictures with them via Social Media.
- Please don’t take pictures of children and young people that you do not know very well. Everytime you take a picture of children, you need to ask for the permission of parents or legal guardians, and please think twice before taking a photo and question if it is really necessary to take the picture of the child at all.
- Show utmost restraint when it comes to taking pictures of religious ceremonies and death rituals, as well as of people in everyday situations or exceptional circumstances, and please be mindful of a dignified representation, avoiding traditional stereotypes and traveling clichés. Be sensitive and think carefully why you want to picture a specific situation and which messages you are going to communicate about the country and its inhabitants.
- More information for taking and posting pictures responsibly via social media can be found at https://www.tourism-watch.de/en/focus/avoiding-trap.