One woman’s thoughts on an influx of travelers making certain destinations popular has sparked a heated debate all across social media.
“Turks and Caicos lost its exclusivity to the point where I’m not pressed to go anymore. Please take me to St. Barts,” tweeted X user @mlssbbm on Tuesday, April 23.
She then went on to say that due to being well-traveled at a young age, she has a different view on the type of vacation spots she chooses to frequent.
The post has garnered more than 1 million views and hundreds of reposts over the course of several hours. While there were some who agreed with her sentiments, an overwhelming majority of social media users chimed in, saying her comments on a destination losing exclusivity was code for there being “too many Black people.”
“Why when black people start going places, y’all start saying it’s losing value,” asked one X user. “I don’t like that. Now y’all don’t want to go to Turks and Caicos cause people going?”
“Yall are no different than racist whites who think the poor don’t deserve to have fun … youre literally only saying this because Black people can afford to go its so weird to me yall be wanting to be the only negros to experience happiness like its an EXCLUSIVE feeling,” another X user remarked.
“It’s always funny to watch *some* Black people assume that a place loses its luster because other Black people go there,” said another commenter. “The same conversations were had about Tulum, Miami, and a host of others not too long ago.”
Mlssbbm’s comments on exclusivity sparked an even larger conversation about elitism and how some people prioritize travel experiences based on an “illusion” of what other people cannot afford.
“I’m not sure if it’s American culture or just human nature, but so many people are drawn to things that other ppl can’t access. It’s an odd reason to want something or travel somewhere,” a social media user pointed out.
“Black people got this weird relationship with exclusivity & luxury and trying to gatekeep it,” echoed another.
For other people, her comments shed light on people who travel “irresponsibly” and not to learn about the culture in the destination.
“Life is better when you visit places bc you’re genuinely interested in experiencing that destination rather than impressing folks,” an X user commented.
“This is hilarious because y’all really just go to drink and swim in different countries. No real consumption or appreciation of the people, history, culture, or geography of these places,” another person stated.
About Turks and Caicos Islands
Located in the Atlantic Ocean, Turks and Caicos Islands is a British Overseas Territory consisting of more than 40 small islands in the Caribbean. More than 30 million people visit the Caribbean each year, and Turks and Caicos ranks in the top 10 for most visited islands, attracting more than 1 million tourists annually.
The islands are home to over 31,000 full time residents and the majority of its population identify as descendants of Africa, according to tourism data.
