Unfortunately, there is a less flattering angle to the rise of travel. In the Philippines, the picturesque Boracay Beach was closed to visitors after overtourism threatened fragile marine ecosystems. Residents of Venice, Italy, often resent tourists trampling all over the city with packed lunches, only to leave after they get their selfie. The city recently imposed an entrance fee to curb crowds.
Whirlwind trips that attempt to cover as many sites as possible are not necessarily the best experience for the traveler, either. It can leave you feeling more tired than when you left for vacation. Plus, if you spend time only around the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu, you might miss the hidden corners that reveal the true characters of Paris or Peru.
It is increasingly apparent that we can see the world in a more responsible and enjoyable way.
One approach is to simply slow down. The practice even has a name: slow travel. The antidote to exhausting checklist tourism, it is being embraced by full-time digital nomads (who blog about it at length) and also 9-to-5 employees on holiday. You don’t need a lot of time to travel slowly.