Rick Steves

And you learn about yourself by leaving your home and looking at it from a distance. You learn about yourself, I think, by trying to get close to God in your travels. I mean, for me, the greatest church is walking on a ridge high in the Alps. The last thing a Lutheran is going to do is raise their arms to the heavens, but I feel like doing that one.

And you learn about yourself by leaving your home and looking at it from a distance. You learn about yourself, I think, by trying to get close to God in your travels. I mean, for me, the greatest church is walking on a ridge high in the Alps. The last thing a Lutheran is going to do is raise their arms to the heavens, but I feel like doing that one.

when i'm top of an elf you just feel so good and you just feel like this world is such a beautiful place and it's filled with beautiful people and nature is so fragile and it's just such a delight and a blessing uh it changes you and uh it becomes pretty clear when you travel that we're all in this together

when i'm top of an elf you just feel so good and you just feel like this world is such a beautiful place and it's filled with beautiful people and nature is so fragile and it's just such a delight and a blessing uh it changes you and uh it becomes pretty clear when you travel that we're all in this together

More people are traveling than ever before, but there's not more transformational travel than ever before. There's this superficial Instagram thing. TripAdvisor kind of travel where you find, it's very interesting, in Europe I find different places where suddenly, inexplicably, there's a mob of people And what's going on?

More people are traveling than ever before, but there's not more transformational travel than ever before. There's this superficial Instagram thing. TripAdvisor kind of travel where you find, it's very interesting, in Europe I find different places where suddenly, inexplicably, there's a mob of people And what's going on?

Oh, that's where everybody stands to get their selfie with the Matterhorn behind them. I was just in Zermatt. And there's a construction project going on. And I asked the locals there in this little Swiss town below the Matterhorn, what are they building here? Well, the Instagram people were clogging the bridge so people couldn't cross the bridge when they're going to work.

Oh, that's where everybody stands to get their selfie with the Matterhorn behind them. I was just in Zermatt. And there's a construction project going on. And I asked the locals there in this little Swiss town below the Matterhorn, what are they building here? Well, the Instagram people were clogging the bridge so people couldn't cross the bridge when they're going to work.

So they could get a photograph of them at the right hour with the Matterhorn. So we're making a platform so they can actually stand there and not obstruct traffic. It's beyond me. I don't get it. But that's sort of something that is hijacking the possible value of travel. But maybe it's good because it just gets people out there.

So they could get a photograph of them at the right hour with the Matterhorn. So we're making a platform so they can actually stand there and not obstruct traffic. It's beyond me. I don't get it. But that's sort of something that is hijacking the possible value of travel. But maybe it's good because it just gets people out there.

Well, a good guidebook, I think, would tell you about why you want to go there other than to take a picture to show off to your friends on social media.

Well, a good guidebook, I think, would tell you about why you want to go there other than to take a picture to show off to your friends on social media.

Yeah. I don't think it's ruining travel, but I do think there's, you know, when I started traveling, there was a shortage of information. Now there's too much information. Anybody can be a travel writer with social media. And people are, there's this sort of spirit that, oh yeah, crowdsourcing. I just want to know what everybody's doing on TripAdvisor and then that's what I'm going to do.

Yeah. I don't think it's ruining travel, but I do think there's, you know, when I started traveling, there was a shortage of information. Now there's too much information. Anybody can be a travel writer with social media. And people are, there's this sort of spirit that, oh yeah, crowdsourcing. I just want to know what everybody's doing on TripAdvisor and then that's what I'm going to do.

And younger travelers, I think, are more enamored with that crowdsourcing experience. I'm more tuned into having a trusted expert that's been doing this for years that goes there and you know his or her style and they become your scout. And now we got AI, which is going to be a challenge for people in the future to know, is this possible?

And younger travelers, I think, are more enamored with that crowdsourcing experience. I'm more tuned into having a trusted expert that's been doing this for years that goes there and you know his or her style and they become your scout. And now we got AI, which is going to be a challenge for people in the future to know, is this possible?

real information or is this computer-generated information that's going to shape my trip? So now there's the challenge of people sorting through these options and that will kind of distinguish travelers going forward in a lot of ways, I think. You've got this problem now, Lulu, that Everybody's going to the same places at the same time.

real information or is this computer-generated information that's going to shape my trip? So now there's the challenge of people sorting through these options and that will kind of distinguish travelers going forward in a lot of ways, I think. You've got this problem now, Lulu, that Everybody's going to the same places at the same time.

This is becoming its own little, making it more and more extreme of a storm of public understanding.

This is becoming its own little, making it more and more extreme of a storm of public understanding.