h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tourists have always struck me as a strange race of people. Never before have I met a group of people that desire for something they themselves destroy. Let me clarify this...

Tourists desire the raw experience. They want, if possible, to experience nothing any other tourist has ever seen, be it the most primitive tribe on the Amazon or the most exotic ruins of Egypt.

However the simple fact of their presence, their influence on the places they visit, infects these sights. Primitive tribes become aware of the value of the tourist dollar and stop practicing thier traditional ways of life, instead focusing their efforts on trinkets for the next gullible traveller. Exotic ruins become attractions, seeing many hundreds or thousands of visitors a year, which in turn springs forth an array of tourist stores and services, creating an oasis where before there was but a ruin. All these, including of course the tourist's own footsteps and curious hands, serve to slowly destroy what has been there untouched for a millenia.

The most serious tourist, who is sincerely concerned for the welfare and preservation of native tribes or exotic ruins, should do the one thing that will completely guarantee their untouched existence. The one thing that will guarantee that their children and grandchildren can enjoy them as they are today. What you may ask? To stay at home.

...and watch Nova. Or you could just go for a hike, on actual hiking trails actually made for people to walk on, as opposed to "It looks like there's a path through here, right through this patch of pretty green three-leaved plants, see?", and(as long as you don't leave wrappers lying around, or play loud 'music' or anything like that) not be destroying anything. Besides, it gets you away from people, who will surely give up looking for you rather than try to figure out which of the 38 possible paths you are on(or whether you're hiding out at the ubiquitous general/souvineer shop they usually have near the beginning. Of course they could stake out your car(as all good hiking trails are too far to walk/bike to), but that means you still get some peace and quiet for a while.(It must be very precious; you can't seem to get any decent amount of it for love nor money.)