What is travel for?

Why is tourism so out of date? The world's second biggest industry (after oil and gas) is hung up on the past - a distant past at that. The travel industry believes that there are only two kinds of tourist: those interested in doing everything, and those keen to do nothing. The former, it is believed, want a checklist of all possible cultural checkboxes: the must-see buildings, the unmissable churches, the essential ruins and the compulsory great art works. The latter group of indolent voyagers want nothing more than to lie on a beach and bake their white skins to a crisp. Consult any guide book from Fodor to Rough Guides, or any organised tour and you will see that nothing much has changed in 100 years: monuments or mummification. That is the only choice. The concept that travel as relaxation is an extension of the 'fresh air and fun' notions of escape developed by Thomas Cook in the late 19th century. Travel to 'broaden the mind' "(or as I prefer, deaden the senses) derives from the Grand Tours of the 18th century when young gentlemen toured the ancient monuments of Europe to sharpen their cultural knowledge and show off when they got back home. The travel industry has never really moved on from this narrow view of exploration: cultural knowledge dumping or the sun/sex/sangria paradigm. Is it not time for a 21st century re-configuring of tourism; especially given the contraints of cash and carbon. Let us bring back the true pleasure of travel: discovery. To discover doesn't mean to cram with useless facts, nor is it confined to finding the cheapest booze on the hottest beach. It is, I believe, about people- discovering something about our common humanity, making new friends and getting to know how other people live, what excites them and what they do around here for fun.