Travel these days has become increasingly easy and fast. You can hop on a plane to virtually any destination in the world. With a wide variety of airplanes, daily flights, and bargain deals, travelers can often find travel deals to destinations once considered remote and only accessible to the very hardy adventurous traveler or the privileged elite. In fact, with the bargain deals offered by different airlines, many of which overbook their flights, travelers scouring for cheap deals, will often discover that it is cheaper to fly to another country than visit their own. With such bargain deals, it is no wonder that the tourist industry is booming in every sector.
What does this increased travel worldwide signify for cultural exchange, assimilation, and national identities? This question remains to be answered. For many, travel opens up unexpected vistas, broadens the mind, tests ones endurance, and expands compassion and awareness of other people and their lifestyles.
Countries that are well known for being popular travel destinations, thrive on this expanded tourist industry, boasting new hotels, resorts, outdoor pursuits, theater, nightlife, and arts and...