This article overlooks the value of meeting people and experiencing different cultures and ways of life.

A Texan can read for days about public transit and bicycles, but cannot fathom how it works until they spend some time in Amsterdam (of course - with an open mind, because tourists of all cultures are notorious for wanting to be in a different place as long as it’s exactly like home “why are there no English signs”).

But tourism absolutely creates challenges. Climate change and overtourism primarily, but social media seems to have changed the way tourists behave, with an even greater emphasis than ever on getting the right snapshots instead of experiencing the place.