Post by Joanna on Oct 20, 2018 19:15:38 GMT -5
Loch Ness
Plates of paella, sunset shots of the Eiffel Tower and selfies snapped from deck chairs – these are all familiar images on Instagram, so clichéd they blur into one swift scroll. But what about a fuzzy photo of a sea serpent emerging from a loch, or a shadowy monster heaving itself across the Himalayan plateaus? You can bet – almost 100% – no-one has a photo of that.
According to online travel booking platform HolidayPirates, an appetite for cryptid-tourism is on the rise, fueled mainly by a desire to get one up on other Instagrammers by posting a picture guaranteed to boost followers in a flash. What’s more, encouraging travelers to venture off-track and explore new, unusual destinations helps solve the problem of over-tourism to tropical locales.
So what is cryptid-tourism and should we all be giving it a go? “Essentially, cryptids are creatures whose existence is yet to be scientifically proven,” says Niamh Walsh, chief UK editor of HolidayPirates. “They live, for humans, through reported sightings and the folklore which builds around them, with a huge industry of experts, tour guides and museums helping visitors flock to their habitats in the name of cryptid-tourism.”
It’s an official science – honestly! Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Society (linked to the museum in Portland, Maine), estimates that Bigfoot’s touristic draw is worth $140 million to the US. According to Visit Scotland, the value of the Loch Ness Monster to the country’s economy is estimated to be £60 ($78) million annually.
Can you really capture a cryptid on camera? In partnership with the International Cryptozoology Museum, HolidayPirates is providing travel deals to locations around the world, which are reportedly home to mysterious and elusive creatures. Anyone who takes a trip and successfully photographs a cryptid could win a full refund of the cost of their holiday. But even if you are unsuccessful, the real joy lies in the looking. “The cryptid-tourism trend is about the thrill of the chance of spotting an ape-like silhouette through the snow, or the movement of a scaled neck just above the water,” Walsh explains. “And even without that, there’s always the spirit of discovery along the way.”
Source: The Irish Examiner, October 4, 2018.
Legendary Loch Ness Cruises: www.jacobite.co.uk/