Future of Travel

Travel is easier, more accessible,and more tempting than ever before in today's world. But what impact is ourglobetrotting having on local communities and the environment?From his own experiences spending time in countries from Spain to Argentinato Japan, travel writer Daniel Maurer has seen first-hand the impact ofgrowing cultural homogenization and anger at the tourists driving it. Speakingto locals and immigrants, activists and protestors, he hears of the problems ofrising living costs, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and the erosion oflocal traditions and ways of life caused by overtourism. Some cities alreadyhave plans in place to combat it, including tourist taxes, carbon emissiontargets and Airbnb bans, and in the coming years, more will take drasticmeasures to tackle not only a flood of tourists but of a growing worldwideworkforce 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 AItravel influencers and chatbots. But there’s a constant battle betweentechnology making things more easily accessible, and the need to reduce humanimpact on the world.What choices might we make when it comes to travelling in the future, and canwe become more impact-conscious, making more sustainable and thoughtfuldecisions?

Daniel Maurer is an award-winning food, culture andtravel journalist who has written for outlets such as The New York Times,New York magazine, Thrillist, The Art Newspaper, Eater,The Daily Beast, Atlas Obscura, and others. He won two JamesBeard Media Awards while chief editor of Grub Street, a pioneering restaurantblog that he co-founded at New York Magazine. He has spent the past fewyears as a digital nomad, living out of houseboat hotels in Berlin and Prague,cave homes in Andalucia, poo-emoji cabins on Lake Titicaca, campervans in theSwiss Alps, and at one point a former cult leader's compound in Utah. Hecurrently lives in Barcelona.