Peak Travel

For many travelers, Antarctica is a bucket-list destination, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch all seven continents. In 2023, a record-breaking 100,000 tourists made the trip. But the journey begs a fundamental question: What do we risk by traveling to a place that is supposed to be uninhabited by humans? And as the climate warms, should we really be going to Antarctica in the first place? 

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For centuries, members of the B’doul Bedouin tribe lived in the caves around the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Then, in the 1980s, the government forced the tribe to move in the name of preserving the geological site for tourists. But if the residents are forced to leave, and if their heritage has been permanently changed, then what exactly is being preserved?

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Have you ever opened Instagram to see a bunch of people posting from the same place — Lisbon? The Amalfi Coast? Charleston? Japan? It’s no coincidence that every year, it feels like everyone is going on the exact same trips. In this episode, we’re going to pull back the curtain on the travel media industry and show you how a place becomes a viral destination.  

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Salem, Massachusetts is best known for the Witch Trials of 1692. That history turned the small town into a Halloween destination, with more than 1 million people flocking there in the month of October alone. It’s so crowded that residents can’t get down the street, walk into a shop, or sit down at a restaurant. How does a small town like Salem deal with a flood of visitors in just one month of the year? And is it really worth it for the people who live there?    

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Many places allow tourists to visit with little restrictions. But Bhutan is different. Nestled in the Himalayas, this tiny, land-locked country has implemented a “high-value, low-impact” tourism model, including a fee that tourists have to pay each day that they visit. As more destinations grapple with the effects of overtourism, what can Bhutan teach us about how to manage it?   

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Cruises are coming to dominate the tourism industry, offering accessible and affordable vacations. And many local economies rely heavily on them to stay afloat. But activists, scientists, and residents worry about their impact on the community and the environment. Alaska has seen a boom in the cruise industry, and many of the communities affected are Indigenous. We visit two Alaskan towns to see who’s really on board.  

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Many westerners associate Rwanda with the brutal genocide that overtook the country 30 years ago. But since then, Rwanda has made a huge investment in tourism — building new infrastructure, museums, music venues, and more. Now, it’s one of the most popular destinations in Africa. In this episode: Rwanda’s rebirth, how tourism has changed the country, and why this compelling narrative is more complicated than it appears.

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If you’re an American who likes to travel, you’ve undoubtedly been influenced by Rick Steves. He’s known for his guidebooks about visiting Europe on a budget. We sit down with the beloved travel writer and TV personality to hear about his new book — and reflect on his decades-long career, how he thinks travel media has changed, and his own impact on destinations around the world.   

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When two budget airlines collapsed in Colombia, tourism to the small island of San Andrés suddenly dropped. The travel industry makes up 90 percent of the island’s economy, and many worried this would spell a crisis for its residents. What actually happens to a popular destination when many of the tourists stop coming? 

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With an estimated 100,000 tourists heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, we’re exploring a classic American pastime: the tailgate. Most people think of tailgating as a time for sharing beers and team spirit. But in this episode, we find out why tailgating motivates so many people to travel — and get to the heart of its culture. 

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