Arthur Frommer had a very interesting post on the New York Times’ 53 Places to go in 2008 article. Initially I’d written the article off as ‘not my kind of destinations’, however reading Frommer’s post made me think a lot more about it…
But instead of citing culture, history, natural wonders, political interest, or interaction with people, as the primary reason for its 53 geographical choices, it clearly implied that the arrival of upscale deluxe hotels was the main reason for visiting most of its nominees.
Now it’s fair enough that different people have different travel drivers, but I’m with Frommer on this one. Is a hotel really a reason to spend the time and money visiting a destination? The only real reason I can think of is if you’re trying to complete a “quest” of staying in all properties of a particular name — at one time I was trying to visit the Hard Rock Cafe in each city I was in. But I don’t know if that’s it. Other than visiting friends and family, I can’t imagine choosing to go somewhere for a reason other than it interested me.
I don’t agree with Frommer when he said:
If you, like many, are not interested in ultra-costly hotels, is there anything for you to read in the travel section of The New York Times? Precious little.
I have fun scanning the online Travel section for the places they cover and the stories they run – such as the recent discussion of flying coach. I just ignore their where to stay recommendations in favor of my own preferences.
Christopher Elliott, whose blog I read quite regularly, had an interesting post on Frommer’s article. I think he it on the head when he talked about travel media possibly losing its audience, but I think that’s the difference between the commentaries found in travel blogs (including those who also write for mainstream media), travel writing books (the Brysons, Travelers’ Tales Guides and many others) and the media. They’re read for different reasons. I don’t go to them all for the same kind of information because each is better in different areas. It’s the reason why you should think about what you’re looking for before going for an answer.
