Abby Rapoport moderates a panel discussion on “What’s the Right Way to Travel?” at SXSW on March 14, 2023. Courtesy: Abby Rapoport

By Wendy Goodman

Three travel experts joined Abby Rapoport, publisher of Stranger’s Guide and former Shalom Austin board chair, for a conversation about the future of travel in a session titled “What’s the Right Way to Travel?” at SXSW on March 14. Panelists included Kike Arnal, documentary photographer, Katalina Mayorga of El Camino Travel, and Cassim Shepard of City College, New York.

“Our panel was unique in that it brought together voices from both inside and outside the travel industry to consider how we can visit new places in ethical and sustainable ways. I loved Katalina’s perspective on why traveling ‘like a local’ is a flawed premise and Cassim’s ideas for taking trips within your own hometown,” said Rapoport.

Rapoport began by asking the panelists about the difference between tourism and travel. Mayorga said, “It’s OK to be an outsider. Whether you’re a tourist or a traveler, it’s important to go in with a sense of humility and curiosity and asking questions.”

As a photographer, Arnal agreed that maintaining humility and curiosity while traveling help him connect with people. Shepard shared that being a tourist in one’s own town can inspire new experiences. He said, “I’ve always seen travel as a way to form relationships. I always try to make friends wherever I go because I think the hospitality industry should be about reciprocity.”

When asked about the wrong way travel, instead of traveling with stereotypes or expectations, Mayorga said, “Let the destination surprise you.”

During the talk, Rapoport explained that one of the goals of Stranger’s Guide magazine is to support the idea of place. “We don’t always see places as equal. Some places are seen as homes, and other places are seen as destinations, and some places are seen as negative or scary. Other places are seen as good or exotic. One of the goals at Stranger’s Guide is to unpack that and to acknowledge that every place in the world has elements to celebrate and also elements with which to grapple. That’s what we try to do with every one of our guides,” said Rapoport.