Ariane Brosseau does not travel. Every time she mentions it, sorry, admits it, she is bombarded with questions. Oh really? Why ? Are you afraid of flying? You don’t have the means? In other words: what the hell is wrong with you?
Over the years, the young woman has learned to no longer justify herself. “I’m not interested,” she replies simply. Generally, his response has the effect of further arousing the perplexity of his interlocutors. Don’t like traveling? It’s almost suspicious…
In Western culture, going abroad while on vacation has become a norm, even a social obligation for those who can afford it. The Press spoke with sedentary people who have gotten into the habit of spending their summers at home.
They are not all forced to do so. Some also choose to do so. Out of ecological awareness, tourist disillusionment or simple disinterest. Sometimes a little of all that.
Ariane Brosseau has never renewed her passport since it expired seven years ago. Her last out-of-province excursion was in 2021. It was a three-day package trip to Toronto to celebrate her couple’s fifth anniversary. And then ? ” It was too long ! “, exclaims the 28-year-old young woman.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Ariane Brosseau prefers to spend her vacations discovering her city, Montreal.
In her case, there are a whole bunch of reasons that dissuade her from traveling. First, it’s expensive and polluting. Above all, it’s stressful. “You come back more tired than when you left,” she laments.
Social media doesn’t help either. The marketing manager sometimes feels like she has already seen everything, explored everything: the beaches of the island of Crete, the busy streets of London, the temples of Cambodia…
“With influencers, we are bombarded with content from all over the world. I don’t feel like I’m missing out,” she reflects.
A choice that is a luxury
Before the pandemic, only 40% of Quebecers said they had traveled during their vacation, according to a survey by the Tourism Monitoring Network carried out in 2018.
Several reasons can explain why an individual does not travel – being in poor physical condition, caring for a sick loved one, etc.
The main reason, however, is financial, underlines Saskia Cousin, professor of sociology at Paris-Nanterre University. “This is the first motive in all investigations. It’s not a choice,” she emphasizes.
“If I had the chance, I would leave tomorrow morning,” says Carole Allain, 53 years old. His ultimate dream? Visit Japan with your children.
The last time she took a plane was three years ago, for a trip to Cuba with her then-partner. “I was enjoying every second. I was so happy to be somewhere else,” she says.
Since she lives alone, going abroad is no longer in her budget. Every summer, she feels a little pang at the thought of staying at home.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Not everyone has the means or the inclination to go to Paris.
With social networks and advertising, we have the impression of living on the fringes of normality. It’s as if visiting Paris was normal.
Carole Allain
Precisely, this is what the mass tourism industry wants us to believe. For around twenty years, she has cultivated “this imagination of the distance” and its unmissable destinations: the tour of major European cities, the all-inclusive safari in Kenya, the obligatory backpacking trip through Latin America at the end. studies…
But the discourse is slowly changing. Particularly since the pandemic. There is the increasingly present argument that international tourism is “problematic”, that we must “say stop to the definition of travel as it is imposed on us by the airline industry”, observes Mme Cousin.
“It’s recycled in a discourse of adventure down the street, of otherness at the end of the street,” she adds.
Deprive yourself of the beauty of the world to protect it
Louise Beaudry dreams of visiting Iceland, Mongolia or Greece. Except that it will probably never go, for ecological reasons.
It was during the pandemic that the septuagenarian had something of a breakthrough. To protect the beauty of the world, we must know how to deprive ourselves of it. For his children. And their own children.
No more planes. If she wants to travel, she will have to take the electric car or the train. “I know I’m a drop in the ocean of people who want to travel. But at the same time, this concern has to start somewhere, and that’s how I start it,” she confides.
PHOTO TONY GENTILE, REUTERS
Take a few photos, and then leave. Here, a tourist takes a photo of herself in Florence, Italy.
Resist the pressure
Those who choose not to travel even if they have the economic and social capital still represent “a very small part of the population”, notes Saskia Cousin.
And they must be prepared to elicit questioning looks. “It requires going beyond a norm, from the perspective of society,” she continues.
“I think there are people who really like to travel. But I think there is also a lot of pressure on appearance,” says Ariane Brosseau.
Yes, traveling is the discovery of another culture, wonder, adventure. But the young woman finds all this here too.
Montreal is an exciting city, full of hidden treasures to discover, she argues. During her holidays, she reads, goes to the cinema, sees her friends, goes for bike rides, plays with her cat. Does she need more? ” Well no ! »