Should Hidden Gems Stay Hidden?

jessicagreaux
Feb 8
5 min read

Updated: Feb 17

Hidden gems, should you reveal them or leave them hidden?

After writing my last post on sustainability (How to Travel Sustainably) I started thinking about "hidden gems". Those places in any country that aren't well known or popularly visited. The places that only locals know about or maybe haven't even discovered as yet. Hidden gems are those untouched, pure pieces of earth that are so beautiful as is.

I am specifically talking about locations, not restaurants or bars, but pieces of nature that are so far off of the beaten path that nobody knows it's there yet. By all means, share about the undiscovered restaurants and bars to help the small business owners thrive.

Wiktionary describes hidden gems as: "Something possessing a value or beauty that is not immediately apparent, which therefore has received far less recognition than it deserves."

So the question stands, if we discover or learn about these hidden places, should we post about them on social media and let everyone in on the secret or keep it a secret for ourselves?

Tell Everyone About Them

On one hand, if we keep them to ourselves we're being selfish, otherwise known as "gate keeping". We could let other people go and enjoy these beautiful places as well. We could make it a business and profit off of showing them places they had no idea about. It would potentially increase your social media engagement, make your post go viral and could lead to a plethora of opportunities.

However, is this in and of itself selfish as well? Besides honestly wanting other people to experience the pure joy of seeing something so beautiful and magnificent, everything else would merely be about money. Eventually someone would try to profit off of this unique space and while it might be good for tourism, the community or the locals it's not necessarily good for the place and the environment.

Keep it To Yourself

On the other hand, telling everyone about it will eventually lead to overcrowding, pollution, environmental destruction and these places will lose their purity and mystery. Keeping these places hidden from the masses helps to preserve its original state, which is better for the environment and ecosystem.

By stepping foot somewhere that man has never ventured before we are ruining the balance of nature, no matter how hard we try to be mindful. "Coral reefs in places like Thailand’s Maya Bay and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, for example, have been damaged by uncontrolled tourism, with boat anchors and sunscreen pollution contributing to coral bleaching. Hiking trails in places like Machu Picchu or Mount Everest suffer from erosion, litter, and human waste due to overcrowding." (ITN)

If we start revealing all of the places that are not popularly known there will be no safe space for nature anymore. Unknowingly we are disrupting habitats for various species and the chemicals or products we use are damaging nature's fragile infrastructure. Thailand's Maya Bay temporarily shut down for 2 years due to the amount of destruction caused by tourism to it's coral reefs. (The Guardian)

Therefore, with all of this in mind it might be best to keep these secrets to ourself and enjoy them in small doses. Not telling people could restore or preserve that space and allow for nature to keep living in harmony. Yes, we want to enjoy these amazing places that the world has to offer while we still can, but at what cost? And is the price that we pay worth the short visit that we take to these scenic areas?

My Opinion on Hidden Gems

In humble opinion, I think that exploring and discovering beautiful places isn't a terrible thing once done mindfully. I think being aware and as responsible as you can when discovering these places is the best solution, apart from not traveling altogether.

Coming from a small Caribbean island, where we can literally see the impacts of discovering hidden gems and what the effects of development can do to the environment, I am a huge environmental advocate. Keeping these places minimally visited and as untouched as possible is the only real solution to maintaining a healthy environment.

I love showing off my island of Antigua, I am proud to have grown up there and want everyone to experience its beauty, but at the same time I want her to stay beautiful. In my life experience over the years I can already see how much has changed and it does break my heart to see how much is being developed. While I know we need to evolve I think there is a balance and a better way to do so that doesn't ruin or change the original state of the country (no matter where you live).

So I think, not blasting these places in the media is a great thing. I think word of mouth and keeping who you tell at a minimum is the way to do it. I personally don't overly reveal everywhere I discover, especially if it isn't popular or well-known, and that is not because I want to "gatekeep" it's because some things are better left as is.

We have made gatekeeping a bad word and in some cases it is, but in this case I think its okay to be a little secretive. I think less is more and eventually if you were meant to, you will discover these places as well. Not everything needs to be put on social media and not everyone needs to know everything.

My Solution

If you want to post about these places don't tag the location. Don't make it easy for people to know where to find the hidden spot. You can leave subtle hints and let them discover it for themselves, but don't blatantly tell them exactly where to go.

Keep who you tell to a minimum. Not every comment needs a direct answer. Keep them guessing, reply with an emoji or just give the comment a like. Yes, they may think it's mean, but who cares. Not revealing the answer to everyone is better for the location and the environment.

Go in small groups and be mindful when you visit. Keep the environment and your carbon footprint in mind. Don't litter wherever you visit, leave the place as you found it, don't damage the trees or be destructive with the area. Treat the place like you would want to be treated or better. Be mindful where you drive, how many cars you take and the pollution you make with grills etc.

The earth is here for us to enjoy and borrow, not ours to own. Enjoy it with that in mind.