Tourism – “I am your self -surplus”

Tourism is nothing more than consumption, claims Valentin Groebner, Swiss history professor. Four years ago, he published a much -noticed essay under the title “Holiday Tired”.

So nothing more than consumption? What does that mean? The author counts: »Consumption of infrastructure, resources and services; Consumption of the work and the lifetime of other, usually invisible service providers, flight attendants and car bushes, chefs and maids, fuel station, service staff, maintenance services.“In addition, there is the transport in the middle of masses, by plane, train, cruise ship … or with the motorhome, simply” drive away “, without a goal, but empty, wild and lonely, high mountains, view of the sea. And then? “Real travelers are the other travelers, you can only see the real when traveling.” Others who want to conquer the silence, vastness and emptiness, others who follow the lies and promises of the advertising industry, others like you.

Groebner confesses: »My Greece rose in the wild mountains over the shining sea and with all the motorhomes on the beach, like everyone’s Greece, it is not a really existing place anyway, but a pair of purity. The desire for this perfect place is not the problem. You just have to cope with the fact that his fulfillment remains incomplete every time. “Wherever a journey leads to pleasure, the author warns that in the end” a reliable companion “is not to shake:” I am, your self -surplus. “

Travel is there to spend money and spoil time. Not more.

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Greece is one of many stations in this narrow book. The author can also be drifted through the Atlantic coast through Burgundy, the canton of Uri or Sri Lanka, sometimes he is on the road with the racing bike. You can find all sorts of interesting things, writes Groebner, »but usually not what you wanted so much and which is why you broke open«. And he emphasizes again: »The lonely place where everything is right, the idyllic emptiness, the untouched landscape, the oasis? There is. But you only find it when you stop looking for it. “

Then why then all the tin bar between the hordes of others? Groebner summarizes travel to spend money and drain time. There is nothing more, neither disappears nor would you be rejuvenated, changed or wise back. But you don’t miss anything if you don’t travel and you can spend your free time very differently, namely and enjoyable.

The author enriches his travel notes with recourse to history and profound analyzes, but also with moody escalation and contradictory findings. He doesn’t sound self -righteous because he is on the way too. Unlowering are a number of gallant quotes from world literature and scary the data presented for environmental degradation through mass tourism and its fatal effects on the climate.

Valentin Groebner names a contradiction of mass tourism that the “vast majority” travelers would not look for “seclusion, beauty and silence”: “but other tourists. Successfully. You are probably right. Because the emptiness is great (and easy to reach), but tedious. (…) Empty is glare. And emptiness is abundance. But only for me – and not for the people who work in their lives and work. «He gives the perspective of wealthy travelers.

Valentin Groebner: Coated. Travel for pleasure. University Press Göttingen. 136 pages, born, 20 €.