Journalist Paige McClanahan's insightful first book, The New Tourist, explores the cultural and environmental impacts of tourism on a personal and systemic level. McClanahan delves into the history of tourism, examines the ways it has influenced the culture of popular destinations, and asks whether and how it is possible to travel thoughtfully and responsibly. Tourism, McClanahan asserts, "is at once a powerful social movement, an industry, and a frivolous pursuit," and her narrative dissects all three facets of this cultural force.
McClanahan--an American expat based in France--begins with an account of the founding of Lonely Planet travel guides, using it as a lens to view the history of (mostly Western) tourism over the last two centuries. She visits hot spots such as Barcelona, Waikiki, and Angkor Wat; interviews tour guides and residents who hold strong, sometimes conflicted opinions about tourism; and dives into research and anecdotes about tourism's massive effects--benign and pernicious--on local economies. McClanahan also shares the history of the term "tourist trap" and muses on the appeal and potential value of places and experiences that offer primarily "escape and entertainment," as opposed to education, physical challenges, natural beauty, or authentic windows into other cultures.
While McClanahan offers no easy answers, she does provide a fascinating glimpse of a booming industry that affects communities and landscapes worldwide. Her book is also a thoughtful meditation on why we travel, and a call to let ourselves be shaped by the new places, cultures, and people we encounter. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams