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Hunza is growing sick of reckless city tourists, says vlogger Rosie Gabrielle

Baby Leone

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A recent music festival organised in Hunza was slammed by locals for corrupting their culture, spreading vulgarity and pollution.
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Hunza is going through a crisis. The region, adored and owned by locals, is viewed as another disposable exotic vacation spot for city dwellers. This point was highlighted when a music festival was recently held in the region.
Canadian travel vlogger Rosie Gabrielle has been on a mission to motorbike around the world and is currently in Hunza. Some locals reached out to her with their concerns, hoping she would use her platform to help them. She shared their words in an Instagram post titled Keep the North Pure.
The post has pictures of the pollution caused by festival goers, a collage of images from the event and screenshots of her conversation with aggrieved locals.

The common sentiment is that while they appreciate people coming to enjoy the beauty of their land, they don't appreciate them bringing the rubbish and pollution of the city with them.
They complained about how recent tourists have been spreading "vulgarity" and "drug culture". The locals feel that these problematic things are veiled behind the screen of arts and entertainment, and argued that there are better ways of doing so. They believe their values are being threatened.
Gabrielle also shared her own thoughts on the situation with a thoughtful caption. She said lack of international travelling opportunities have forced people up north but they're bringing with them "bad behaviours, drugs, vulgarity, rave parties and leaving a lot of trash".
She shared her own experience about travelling to Northern Pakistan as well, saying she was disturbed by local tourists and had to seek out more solitary spots.
The vlogger said she understood the need for people to travel and relax after a tough year, but rightfully pointed out their entitlement in destroying the places they visit.
A sentiment shared by the locals was echoed by Gabrielle, who maintained that locals love welcoming tourists, it's just their practices they disapprove of. They welcome musical events and workshops to exchange skills, but what's going on right now is viewed as a threat to their culture.
And they're right. People go from polluted cities and often leave a trail of pollution and trash behind when they visit the northern areas. Tourists should respect the feelings of the residents of the areas they're visiting and respect their culture. How would you like it if someone came to your home, littered, partied and then left you with the responsibility of cleaning up?

unfortunately being muslims cleanliness is half our faith, but its heartening to see mostly foreigners and non muslims reminds us how cleanliness is important.

seems like for muslims Islam is only about offer prayers and curse zionists, Israel & other muslims.
 
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This is what happens when the state is pathetically weak and co-opted at all levels. Alcohol (let alone drugs) is a criminal offense in Pakistan, not civil offence but criminal. Yet we have elites here...celebrities...public figures etc drinking openly and posting it on their public social media. In what serious state something like this would happen? Nobody can even think of doing that in US (breaking criminal laws and then posting in on their social media over and over and getting away with it).

Where are DCO and other authorities in Hunza and elsewhere? Post sh*t like "oh my cat got hurt" and you'll have police officers on twitter jumping up and down to "help the awaam" just to shine their personal brand. But when it comes to doing their actual job, they are nowhere to be found. Classic lack of rule of law on a mass scale that defines every third world sh*thole and Pakistan is nothing better.

People of Hunza should declare a code of behavior for all the "tourists" and clamp down on immoral/illegal activities in their beautiful land. When the state sucks, localism takes over and its time for Hunzawals to do just that.
 
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People of hunza are now robbing local tourists by jacking up their prices for food to transportation at ridiculous rates.

Anyways , I hate pollution so on topic they have a right to be upset.
 
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Hefty fines on the spot and even jail term. "Chitar parade" is the only solution we southerners understand. Pathetic!
 
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