The Lonely Planet Effect

We spent our second night in Jodhpur strolling through the busy Sadar Bazaar, a market that is famous for its spices. The different stalls twinkled with metallic decorations, painted mirrors and strings of rainbow lights. Aggressive men attempted to lure us into their shops, yelling prices and motioning to their goods. We toured a spice shop recommended to us by our Lonely Planet guidebook, but it was so packed with foreigners that we decided to look elsewhere. Several stores down we came upon an empty, well-lit spice market nearly identical to the first (except, of course, it was missing customers). The single salesman seemed surprised when we entered on our own accord. He offered us two generous glasses of his best product- pure saffron with a single bud of green cardamom and three chunks of cinnamon bark. The taste was incredible!

When the young salesman said that his family’s spice shop had first opened its doors in the sixties, I immediately inquired about whether the publication of Lonely Planet’s India guidebook- with its endorsement of another local shop- had affected profits. At first he denied the idea claiming, “people are smart…they see the high prices and eventually wander over to our store.” But several more questions confirmed that foot traffic had decreased and that his shop had been forced to offer more deals and gifts (such as large free samples and free cloth gift bags) in order to stay in competition. They had even opened an identical shop around the corner.

His story was one of countless indications that Lonely Planet has dramatically changed tourism in India. Lonely Planet guidebooks (referred to by locals as the “foreigner’s bible”) dictate where much of the foot traffic goes, whether it is guesthouses, restaurants or shops. The power of their reporting is unfathomable. In short, their journalists have succeeded in creating a tiny, reliable world inside the unpredictable chaos of India’s cities. Although their work is a welcomed relief to many tourists, it makes it possible to travel without wandering off the beaten path. Furthermore, (according to my conversations with several Rahasthanis) it seems to greatly affect the local economy.

I bought some green cardamom buds and tea masala- a finely ground powder made from cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and white pepper. On my way back through the bazaar I noticed the popular spice shop we had seen before, now packed with a new group of tourists. They sat on short stools while fingering plastic bags and smelling open containers. Many held a printed list of prices. I asked a salesman for a list and compared it to the price I paid for my tea masala. The difference was astounding; every item was marked up by at least two US dollars.