A friend recommended I read The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Powers and Perils of Travel, stating it delivered interesting insight into travel. After reading it, I contacted author Paige McClanahan to discuss her book and travel.

Now living in France, travel journalist McClanahan lived in five countries since leaving the United States in 2008. Her travels brought her to many countries and have been featured in many publications. She is also the host of The Better Travel podcast.

In The New Tourist, McClanahan delves into how tourism impacts the world and the role travelers play. McClanahan looks at travel as a bridge for communication. She also weighs the pros and cons of tourism.

At its core, The New Tourist is a reflection on travel. The goal is readers will have a better awareness of the world and their place in it. Hopefully, readers gain a new appreciation and respect for travel.

In our Talking Travel interview, McClanahan discussed how her career and travels led her to writing The New Tourist. She cited interesting, unexpected, positive experiences while traveling. With all of her travels and after writing her book, McClanahan is more positive than ever about travel. She is also more aware and introspective about her travels and hopes readers will feel the same.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer