Machu Pichu’s terraces are collapsing from the foot traffic, Venice is full of trash and it’s streets are often impassible due to cruise ship crowds, Mount Everest is covered in poop, Maya Bay had to be closed for years to let the ecosystem recover, the Maldives coral reefs have suffered extensive damage from boat anchors being dropped on them, the list is exhausting.

I have been a tourist basically once : because my wife wanted to see italy/vatican city. I have been to about 7-9 countries (depends if you count countries I lived in for over a year, or for crossings) . Not only are they robbing themselves of authentic, surprising, unknown experiences, they are, as you point out, ruining existing places or going to places in a state of decay, to which they are contributing.

I travelled for pleasure, but it usually had a purpouse : visit friends I’ve met, see musicians I couldn’t elsewhere, get paperwork done, scope out possible migration targets. Some of those places were more touristic, but I wasn’t there to do that in particular.

I totally visited my own touristic location(s), or was taken there by my friends though; I took a photo outside of Menegroth thousand caves before it moved from new york (my friend made me go to times square), went to the old center of town in Lyon (I refuse to shut up about seeing secret chiefs 3 live at the best gig I have been to), I saw the little mermaid statue in Copenhagen (and gave 0 fucks, but I STILL bang on about the kartoffelkage)

My favourite thing to do in london is to get lost. I fucking love the underground.