The Future of Travel

A leading food and travel journalist depicts and predicts the good, the bad, and the ugly about the future of travel — and how we can transcend the complications of climate change, AI, and touristification . . .

Travel is easier, more accessible, and more tempting than ever before in today's world. But what impact is our globetrotting having on local communities and the environment?

From his own experiences spending time in countries from Spain to Argentina to Japan, travel writer Daniel Maurer has seen first-hand the impact of growing cultural homogenization and anger at the tourists driving it. Speaking to locals and immigrants, activists and protestors, he hears of the problems of rising living costs, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and the erosion of local traditions and ways of life caused by overtourism.

Some cities already have plans in place to combat it, including tourist taxes, carbon emission targets and airbnb bans, and in the coming years, more will take drastic measures to tackle not only a flood of tourists but of a growing worldwide workforce of “location-independent professionals."

Technological advances are also changing the way we interact with the world, and the future promises amazing things from flying cars to VR headsets to AI travel influencers and chatbots. But there’s a constant battle between technology making things more easily accessible, and the need to reduce human impact on the world.

What choices might we make when it comes to travelling in the future, and can we become more impact-conscious, making more sustainable and thoughtful decisions?