Interesting Travel Destinations: Tuvalu

Tuvalu, a great example of a country that is suffering the consequenses of a consumerism lifestyle. Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located roughly between Hawaii and Australia. It used to be a poor country reliant on its fish export and an Australian money fund. Then in the year 2000 something happened to the country that literally turned it from rags into riches. They leased their internet domain name for 50 million US dollar in royalties.

Having the internet domain name ".tv"  proved to be quite lucrative for the Tuvaluans. Because television programmes were heavily interested in the domain name, they paid the Tuvaluans 50 million in royalties over the next twelve years. Theis deal made the 12.373 people inhabiting the island nation richer than they ever imagined. 

But the irony of this situation is that the Tuvaluan government did not really devise a smart and economical plan what to do with this money. Instead of investing the money and giving its inhabitants a wealthier life for an extended period of time, they hardly invested anything.  The grand plan was to share the money with the population making every family rich. And in their turn, the people of Tuvalu did not invest the money for the future, they started buying everything they could not have before. One of these things was food. Tuvalu started eating away their money and being used to a low carbohydrate and low sugar diet, they soon started to gain weight.

Now, 10 years later, Tuvalu has a big health problem: obese people. Tuvaluan people ate their way to becoming fat and they also have a shocking diabetes rate. Health care not being one of Tuvalu's strong points, these people have truly consumed themselve sick. And what will happen to these people when their moneysupply will run out in a few years? That's why I think Tuvalu would be a nice holiday destination for people who think that money can buy happiness. One of the most Ironic countries in this world can prove them wrong!