Place as a determinant of travel and focus for travel writing - Herb Hiller
From the Planeta archives, a provocative essay by Herb Hiller. My favorite bit:
As travel has evolved and as most newspaper travel sections and travel magazines represent it, travel tends to mean tourism with its control by airlines, chain hotels, rental car agencies and their consolidated power to influence. Although travel writing, influenced by conservation and preservation, has diversified, travel advertising creates a dominant context of brand names and centralized influence, of what's standard, predictable and safe.
Yet most travel writing as well remains focused on attractions, theme parks, new hotels, changes in transportation services - on places as sources of things to see and do. Significant dates and personalities drive history.
In the same way that history is the record of winners, places tend to be represented by dominant forces, tourism chief among them.
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