Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel
March 25, 2024
Travel journalist McClanahan debuts with an insightful exploration of tourism as a leisure activity, a global economic driver, and a locally transformative force. Beginning with the travelogues of the 19th century, the author charts how the rise of such travel guides as Fodor’s was driven by and helped to drive a “democratization of travel” in the latter half of the 20th century, a development abetted in the early 2000s by the growth of the global middle class and online bookings. The aughts also saw the advent of social media, which brought the voices of diverse travel influencers to the fore, while reinforcing harmful notions that the wealthy “have the right to ‘consume’ a destination” via the “making and sharing of... images.” McClanahan calls for readers to become “new tourists” who actively learn from other cultures, though she also places responsibility for sustainable tourism on governments’ efforts to protect residents and sites. She examines successes (Liverpool’s transformation from failing industrial center to tourist destination) as well as failures (Amsterdam’s 2010 campaign urging visitors to indulge in the “ultimate sloppy night out”). Elsewhere, she details the clashing interests of politicians, local populations, and corporations in Hawaii. While travelers might wish for more hands-on guidance, they’ll appreciate McClanahan’s smart balance of informed critique and hopeful discussions of the travel industry’s potential for positive change. It’s a trip worth taking.
