Directed by Pegi Vail | USA | 2014 | Documentary | 79 mins
Special Jury Award, Visions of Nature Environmental Film Festival
Sponsor: SSG Advisors, Inc
Film Source: Filmmaker
Filmmaker attending screening for post-screening discussion with Megan Epler Wood
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, anthropologist Pegi Vail asks: How do travelers change the remote places they visit, and how do the places change the travelers? She reveals 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. 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.