The first time my mother took me to Beijing, it was a mess. There were few streetlights, few shops that sold western amenities, yet I loved it. It was different. There was no Starbucks, yet every little alleyway there were stalls that sold dumplings to deep fried dough to stinky tofu.

Now, all the alleyways have been closed down. Starbucks, KFC, Macdonald's and other generic shops dot the landscape. Every major city now serves Starbucks styled over-roasted coffee along with obligatory Gucci, Toyota, and Apple shops.

It takes a lot of effort to really experience something different. Perhaps the author is right that it's about brownie points these days, but I'm an old school romantic and I still love that feeling of visiting a city or town that I've only heard before in books.

If I'm lucky, a place turns out to be better in real life than my dreams. No doubt there are real costs for mass travel and the impact is often negative. But that's the by product of a Nash equilibrium whereby I do want to see the world and all its wonders.