TRAVERSE 206
WINNERS & GRINNERS
COMPETITIONS.
LETTERS.
0 Just read your article on the welcome mat( TRAVERSE Issue 49). It reminded me of a group of Brits we met in Istanbul. No interest, in fact only loathing for the country they had moved to. The worst type of travellers possible. Good article.
David Perkins, UK( WhatsApp)
0 Very interesting! It ' s been a deserved shift in sentiment... Well past time to stop taking privelege for granted... and start behaving the humble guest.
Dylan Reid( Own Bike Odyssey), Aus( Facebook)
0 If you travel a lot, you ' ll know why the welcome mat is rolling up.
George Karl, USA( Facebook)
While Henrik Vislander took time out of riding in Morocco, sporting one of our Tees, the guys at Mosko Moto discovered one of our stickers on the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, by accident, we feel. It ' s still there overlooking the Afghan border.
If you find one of our stickers, snap a pic of yourself with it, post it to your socials and tag us and we ' ll get a Traverse T-shirt sent your way.
And just for being a subscriber, this issue we ' ll send a Tee to Jameson Chriswell. Jameson, get in touch with us and we ' ll get a shirt, and more, sent off to you.
The responses to the welcome-mat piece say a lot. David’ s story of the Brits in Istanbul shows exactly why some places are losing patience with travellers who show up with contempt instead of curiosity. Dylan’ s reminder about privilege goes further: being a humble guest isn’ t a virtue, it’ s the baseline.
And as George puts it, anyone who travels widely knows why the mat is rolling up— overtourism, bad behaviour, and cultural fatigue are real.
Taken together, the message is clear: travel isn’ t an entitlement. The welcome mat is still there, but it now asks for something simple in return— respect and humility. Ed.
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TRAVERSE 206