Achi news desk-
Air travel can make many people excited and just as many people frustrated. Author Steve Burgess takes a humorous look at both points of view with his new book, Booking: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel.
“Being in an airport you go from pedestrians to Pegasus but in the process you experience a little taste of everyday life in a medium security prison,” Burgess told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Batti in an interview Friday. “I find myself feeling ashamed of my own behavior in airports more than I do anywhere else because I end up losing it.”
Burgess takes a long-term view of travel in the book, exploring how air travel transformed from a luxury but expensive affair for a select few to something more accessible.
“Travel has changed and people say it’s changed for the worse, but the other thing is that there are so many more people on planes because it’s more affordable,” he said. “The era of mass travel.”
Burgess said travel can often change people’s view of the world, but in the modern age it also brings new risks and even responsibilities.
“It’s a noble idea, you’re going to broaden your perspectives and I believe in it, it’s just that now it’s a lot more complicated because there are issues that people didn’t have then,” he said. “There’s a huge amount of emissions and the potential to contaminate these sites that we’re supposed to value.”
Burgess said people who yearn to explore while also keeping an eye on their carbon footprint should consider looking in their backyards.
“If you really want to be a conscious tourist, the best thing to do is to keep your emissions low and stay local,” he said.
