For many travelers, Antarctica is a bucket-list destination, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch all seven continents. In 2023, a record-breaking 100,000 tourists made the trip. But the journey begs a fundamental question: What do we risk by traveling to a place that is supposed to be uninhabited by humans? And as the climate warms, should we really be going to Antarctica in the first place?

SHOW NOTES:

• Kara Weller: The Impossible Dilemma of a Polar Guide
• Marilyn Raphael: A twenty-first century structural change in Antarctica’s sea ice system
• Karl Watson: First Time in Antarctica
• Jeb Brooks: 7 Days in Antarctica (Journey to the South Pole)
• Metallica - Freeze 'Em All: Live in Antarctica

For centuries, members of the B’doul Bedouin tribe lived in the caves around the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Then, in the 1980s, the government forced the tribe to move in the name of preserving the geological site for tourists. But if the residents are forced to leave, and if their heritage has been permanently changed, then what exactly is being preserved?

SHOW NOTES:

• Meet The Man Living in The Lost City Carved in Stone
• Jordan: Petra's tourism authority cracks down on Bedouin cave dwellers
• The tribes paying the brutal price of conservation
• “There is no future for Umm Sayhoun”
• Jordan’s Young Bedouins Are Documenting Their Traditions on TikTok
• Check out Sami's company Jordan Inspiration Tours

Have you ever opened Instagram to see a bunch of people posting from the same place — Lisbon? The Amalfi Coast? Charleston? Japan? It’s no coincidence that every year, it feels like everyone is going on the exact same trips. In this episode, we’re going to pull back the curtain on the travel media industry and show you how a place becomes a viral destination.

SHOW NOTES:

• Check out Where to Next Y’all on Instagram
• Read Natasha Nyanin’s stories and look through her photos on her blog
• The Differences Between Paid and Organic Content on Social Media
• Under the Influence: Social Influencers and the Travel Industry
• How COVID Changed Travel Writing

Salem, Massachusetts is best known for the Witch Trials of 1692. That history turned the small town into a Halloween destination, with more than 1 million people flocking there in the month of October alone. It’s so crowded that residents can’t get down the street, walk into a shop, or sit down at a restaurant. How does a small town like Salem deal with a flood of visitors in just one month of the year? And is it really worth it for the people who live there?

SHOW NOTES:

• The Salem Witch Trials: A Story of Patriarchy, Persecution and Misogyny
• Witch Hunt: A Traveler’s Guide to the Power and Persecution of the Witch
• How Salem, Massachusetts Became America’s Halloween Capital
• Visit these 12 Halloween towns that aren’t Salem
• Salem residents share perspectives on tourist crowds

Many places allow tourists to visit with little restrictions. But Bhutan is different. Nestled in the Himalayas, this tiny, land-locked country has implemented a “high-value, low-impact” tourism model, including a fee that tourists have to pay each day that they visit. As more destinations grapple with the effects of overtourism, what can Bhutan teach us about how to manage it?

SHOW NOTES:

• Bhutan celebrates 50 years of tourism
• It just got much cheaper to visit Bhutan (2023)
• Carbon Negativity in Bhutan: An Inverse Free Rider Problem
• What can we learn from Bhutan’s approach to sustainable tourism?
• Bhutan Cultural Etiquette: Dos and Don'ts When Visiting Bhutan

Cruises are coming to dominate the tourism industry, offering accessible and affordable vacations. And many local economies rely heavily on them to stay afloat. But activists, scientists, and residents worry about their impact on the community and the environment. Alaska has seen a boom in the cruise industry, and many of the communities affected are Indigenous. We visit two Alaskan towns to see who’s really on board.

SHOW NOTES:

• The dangers of the Alaskan cruise by Andrew Engelson
• Read the latest on Ship Free Saturdays
• Cruise Line Report Card
• The economics of cruises
• Can cruising be green?

Many westerners associate Rwanda with the brutal genocide that overtook the country 30 years ago. But since then, Rwanda has made a huge investment in tourism — building new infrastructure, museums, music venues, and more. Now, it’s one of the most popular destinations in Africa. In this episode: Rwanda’s rebirth, how tourism has changed the country, and why this compelling narrative is more complicated than it appears.

SHOW NOTES:

1. How to rebrand a country
2. Mighty Popo’s KigaliUp Festival
3. Support Rwanda’s School of Create Arts and Music
4. Kigali Genocide Memorial
5. Tourist attractions in Kigali

If you’re an American who likes to travel, you’ve undoubtedly been influenced by Rick Steves. He’s known for his guidebooks about visiting Europe on a budget. We sit down with the beloved travel writer and TV personality to hear about his new book — and reflect on his decades-long career, how he thinks travel media has changed, and his own impact on destinations around the world.

SHOW NOTES:

1. Rick Steves’ newest book, “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer”
2. Listen to Peak Travel host Tariro Mzezewa as a guest on Rick Steves’ podcast
3. Travel host Rick Steves says he’s home safe after surgery
4. Rick Steves’ website
5. Rick Steves’ Europe YouTube channel