The German actress Nilam Farooq uses her publicity again and again to draw attention to important issues. Farooq, who is best known for her characterful roles in films such as “Contra” or “Manta Manta”, recently published a study together with the travel search engine KAYAK on the influence of other people on individual travel decisions.
The results make you sit up and take notice: 67 percent of adults allow themselves to be influenced by their environment when making travel decisions, and 15 percent of those surveyed have let themselves be dissuaded from a planned trip. KAYAK’s answer to this is the new “Experience it for yourself” platform, which aims to encourage individual decisions. “Some people find Rio de Janeiro far too wild, some feel at home there. Travel is highly individual and that’s how vacation plans should look like,” says Sarah Kolind, Global Champaign Manager at KAYAK in an interview with stern.
The well-travelled actress Nilam Farooq supports the whole thing and advocates more independence when traveling: “I try to trust my gut feeling as often as possible instead of always looking through the eyes of others.” But why is the topic so important for the actress – and what has she learned on her travels? We asked once.
Together with KAYAK, you are committed to more independence when traveling, Ms. Farooq. Why is this topic so important to you?
Nilam Farooq: Independence should actually be an important issue for everyone. We live in times in which groups form very quickly. It is therefore extremely important to have the ability to form your own opinion. It starts with the big questions in life, but also extends to topics such as travel.
Forming your own opinion is not that easy for many people. How do I know that I’m on the right path?
Very often you only find out what the right way is when you have walked it. But that’s what traveling is all about – daring to break new ground. When we then realize that it was the right thing, it strengthens our basic trust. And if not, then we’ll learn for next time. There are many experiences that I have had while traveling that have had a lasting impact on me as a person.
For example?
I traveled through Central America for a while. At some point I got it in my head that I wanted to take the bus from Guatemala to Mexico. I don’t remember how I came up with this idea, but I was convinced of it. Many people have advised me against it because it is not entirely safe. That was also important, because otherwise I would have approached the matter very naively. But I didn’t give up, I dealt with the topic more intensively and made my own decision. In the end, the positive possibilities outweighed the negative for me. And to this day I thrive on the experience.
What did you learn from this experience?
Don’t let others talk you out of a trip, but it’s still important to ask other people’s opinions. Especially as a woman traveling alone, you should also listen to your gut feeling and not carelessly enter into dangerous situations.
And yet adventure is always part of your travels. You like to describe yourself as an adrenaline junkie.
Adrenaline is a bit like being in love. I get that on short adventures like cave diving or skydiving. But also on long trips, when I discover new cultures and places.
Aside from the adrenaline rush, what fascinates you so much about travel?
What moves me again and again is the friendliness of the people who have so much less compared to everything I have. People will stop on the street and ask if you need help and will give you their last shirt. I always try to bring that goodness into my world.
You’ve traveled the world a lot in recent years. Which places touched you the most?
I once went to Liberia with a charity that built wells there. When I got home again, I questioned my water consumption very much and consumed it more consciously. You only really realize how scarce water is in some places on earth when you experience it. This is of course an extreme example.
And which places would you recommend to other women traveling alone?
Costa Rica is one of the travel destinations that I particularly remember. There you can experience a unique landscape. But Bosnia, for example, is also a great travel destination. I went there a few years ago because a good friend of mine is coming over. Until then, I thought that you had to go far away to have a good trip. But Bosnia is such a beautiful country with excellent food and incredibly friendly people. Experiencing this country for myself has completely changed my image.
Speaking of self-experience: Thanks to the Internet, we can theoretically explore any place in the world from the sofa – on the screen.
Through social media, we always have expectations when it comes to travel. We see a place on Instagram and think it looks the same in real life. But we are often disappointed because the beach isn’t that pink, the water isn’t that clear and the place isn’t that lonely. We have to adjust our expectations a bit.
Unfortunately, realistic expectations are becoming increasingly rare in the age of social media – not only, but also when travelling. So how can young people in particular develop a realistic view of the world?
In the best case, the generations after us should already learn in school what a sometimes unrealistic place social media is. I’m pretty good at it now because I’ve lived it myself for a while and I know how it all works behind the scenes. Social media is always just an inspiration and not a reflection of reality. They are tuned snapshots.
So the key to more independence lies in education?
For me it all starts with education. It is close to my heart to convey to young people, especially young women, how important education is. Even in rich countries, there are still large differences between men and women. It is therefore all the more important that women learn early on to form their own opinions. They should know what they can do, what they want and how to get where they want to be. And that stands or falls with education. Education in Germany is good, but not really relevant to everyday life. For example, I didn’t know how to do my taxes. That and a lot more could be improved.
Can’t travel itself also contribute to education?
Traveling does almost nothing but educate. At least when I leave the hotel pool. As soon as I meet people and experience the place, it always has something to do with education. There is nothing enriching for me than growing beyond myself when traveling and absorbing new perspectives.
