Gringo Trails raises urgent questions about one of the most powerful global industries of our time: tourism. With stunning footage from Bolivia, Thailand, Mali, and Bhutan, the film follows the well-worn 'gringo trail' travel route in Latin America and beyond, revealing a complex web of relationships between cultures that collide yet need one another: host countries looking for financial security and the tourists who provide it in their quest for authentic experiences. Travelers, transformed by new landscapes and beliefs, also have unforeseeable--sometimes catastrophic effects on the places they visit. Through the life-changing stories of travelers and locals, Gringo Trails explores the dramatic impact of tourism around the world over the past three decades and gives examples of sustainable alternatives.
A film more than a decade in the making by American anthropologist Pegi Vail, looks at the effect of the unplanned or mismanaged growth of the tourism industry in developing countries. --CNN Travel