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) ...

The travel industry is going through a total metamorphosis, and our AI overlords are taking the wheel. AI is leading the pack in this uproarious transformation, revolutionizing how we are gallivanting around the globe. Let's take a lighthearted look at how AI and GPT are reshaping the travel industry and delivering experiences that'll make you say, "Are you kidding me?" 1. Personalized Travel Recommendations: They Know Me Better Than I Know Myself! Oh, great - now even machines are becoming nosy! ...

1. Tourism development values, with impressions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro - by Balkan Green (4 minutes) Balkan Green is aiming to uncover the true meaning of being a sustainable tourism destination and business in the Balkans. Balkan Green is an initiative bringing together organizations from the Balkan region to form a discussion towards more sustainable tourism development. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kHrIjJXBo0