Ahead of World Tourism Day celebrated on September 27, actor and writer Gulfam Khan Hussain opens up about her own restless love for travel, describing herself as someone who could easily belong to a different life altogether. 

“Everyone knows I’m a traveller. In some other universe I’m a vagabond who just travels, eats and sleeps under the stars, or maybe I’m a food travel blogger,” she said.

Asked what makes a place genuinely worth visiting, she believes the answer lies in how deeply you’re willing to look. “Every place is worth visiting, if you look hard enough you can spend so much time finding unseen gems. The landmarks, the forgotten buildings, the quaint lanes, people, cultures, cuisines. The list goes on,” she said.

On whether tourism can genuinely benefit local communities without damaging their culture or environment, Gulfam is confident it can, provided there’s proper regulation in place. “Of course it can. There has to be the law of the land to control everything. Very few times must have you heard tourists cross boundaries in countries that are strict on laws, and many a times you must have heard the ‘locals’ messing up, and these things can be controlled if strict laws are in place,” she said.

Asked what responsibility a traveller carries toward the places they visit, her answer is refreshingly concise. “I’ll sum it up in one word. Respect,” she said.

On whether social media has changed the travel experience for better or worse, she leans firmly toward the positive. “More better than worse. I myself put up videos that are unfiltered and unedited, it encourages tourism and there are budget options for all kinds of people,” she said.

When it comes to choosing between an iconic destination and an unexplored local gem, she sees no real contradiction between the two. “I personally go to iconic destinations and still end up exploring uncharted waters. I like to travel to both kinds, but even if I go to a much travelled place I will find a thing or two, and maybe more, which are not ‘touristy,'” she said. 

“One more thing I never do is dress like a tourist. If I believe the world is my oyster, then why change the shell. I am always underdressed and never ever do ‘holiday shopping’ before I leave,” she added.

Finally, asked what travel habit she believes needs to change for tourism to become more sustainable, Gulfam circles back to awareness and humility. “Don’t be a blind tourist, know the culture, the habits, the do’s and don’ts of the land. Have respect, be aware. You are not going alone, you are representing your country,” she ended.