Sharing a short essay that arrived in my inbox today, courtesy of Dense Discovery — a newsletter about design, tech, sustainability and urbanism curated by Kai Brach, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Do we travel for transformation or validation?
It's always interesting to hear what thought leaders "outside" the travel industry have to say about the state of tourism, so I'm sharing Kai's article with his permission.
There's a few good points in this piece, including how touristic travel (e.g. mass tourism) can import more culture to a destination than it exports. I also agree that seeking validation on social media is drowning out good quality travel content.
There's some truth to Kai's point about escapism. Consider this: the biggest competitor to a travel agent is the electronics shop, where consumers can instead buy a new 50" flatscreen TV. In this scenario, which "escapism" is worse? Buying a new TV or booking a trip on a cruise ship? 😅
However, I don't believe that all trave...
Comments
Hi, I'm Rene! I've been traveling around the US and recently to Detroit for this Van Gogh Exhibit. I've followed his work around the world, including France and Holland and this is one of the best exhibits you'll find anywhere. Worth a trip if you like Van Gogh at all.
Hi Rene, thanks for sharing your article. Hopefully one day the exhibition makes its way down to Australia!
Loved your piece on Van Gogh in America and am particularly happy that it's at the Detroit Institute of Arts! Great city, with an excellent food scene, fun bars, and cool music venues. Now I definitely want to see one of my favorite artists in a place that I love!