Noël van Bemmel

Travel journalist Noël van Bemmel is in the spotlight this time. The economist and Chef of Travel of the Volkskrant searches the world for special travel experiences and researches developments in the area of tourism. In his articles you can read the not obvious tips, enlightening insights and personal travel experiences.

Interview met Purpose Lab

Purpose Lab interviewed this inspiring journalist about economic impact, journalism and smarter traveling.

What drives you in your work as a travel journalist?

My job is to inspire the readers of the Volkskrant to travel smarter. Not to the popular tourist attractions, but to special places that result in a better experience for the traveler and the locals.

What is your most precious travel memory and why?

While I was looking for the American philanthropists Doug & Kris Tompkins I traveled a 1000 kilometers on the Carreta Austral in Chili, the most beautiful route on earth. The Tompkins created enormous nature parks there with private money and give this to the government.

How do you see the ecological, economical and/or sociological impact of traveling?

Traveling is appearing to be a basic need of human beings. Will we not be traveling less, but we can travel smarter. Travel by train within Europe and decrease the average environmental burden of a long flight by staying away longer. Tourism is a powerful resource and sometimes the only one, to give the economy more strength. The trick is to avoid overtourism, the moment in which the destination loses her identity.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

In 2018, I looked for snow leopards in the mountains of Kirgizia. It is one of the trips that the German ngo Biosphere Expeditions offers to help nature: tourists make the fieldwork of biologists possible and get a rough adventure in return.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

I am going to pay more attention to detourism: the spreading of tourists. That makes for a better travel experience for our readers and less nuisance for locals.

And last, but not least, what personal advice on a conscious life would you like to share?

Do more thorough research before you go on your trip. Highlights and bucket lists are dominating the internet, so you will have to go a step further. Volkskrant Magazine published a special on detourism in 2019, where I recommend dozens of websites, tour operators, blogs and magazines that I use before I leave.

The credits for the header photo in this interview are for Hilde Harshagen.

More info?

Do you want to follow Noël in his mission to focus on detourism? Read his weekly articles in Volkskrant magazine or read the special about detourism on de website of De Volkskrant.