I recently watched The Cove and was very moved by the work of Louie Psihoyos and his team in exposing the dolphin massacre that is taking place in Japan. Toxic Tourism speaks to a lot of these grassroots campaigns, like The Cove, and asks whether tours are even that effective with such high-quality, informative videos taking over in the world of activism. Is this wave of exposing-documentary work more effective than the toxic tours? Some would say, yes. On the other hand, can one truly experience the an environmental issue to the fullest extent through film alone? No. Obviously a first hand experience of a toxic tour would help someone be able to sense all the environmental degradation around them (the smells, sights, tastes, etc). Clearly, toxic tours are limited to the population that can participate in them and afford to travel and go on them. Films, on the other hand, can be shared and have a wider viewing potential. Pezzullo says in Toxic Tourism that the combination of tours, films, and interviews are the BEST way to may a lasting impression on people and encourage others to act.
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