An American journalist and regular contributor to The New York Times explores how tourism has shaped the world, for better and for worse, highlighting painful truths but also delivering a message of hope: the right kind of tourism – and the right kind of tourist – can be a powerful force for good.
A levelheaded defense of tourism that proposes a genuinely helpful framework for thinking about our own voyages ... The New Tourist is dedicated to fleshing out this bird’s-eye view of tourism as a formidable phenomenon, one that we participate in every time we leave our home country—and one that we ignore at our peril.
By deftly weaving together her impressions of these places and stories of the people she interviewed, McClanahan creates an engaging and thoughtful assessment of international tourism. She offers few recommendations beyond more community involvement and stronger governmental regulation, however.
Insightful ... While travelers might wish for more hands-on guidance, they’ll appreciate McClanahan’s smart balance of informed critique and hopeful discussions of the travel industry’s potential for positive change.
