Broadened, Not Lost, Horizons

Elizabeth Becker's Aug. 31 Outlook commentary ["Don't Go There; The whole world has the travel bug. And it's ravaging the planet."] was exceptionally offensive. The writer lamented the loss of the pristine places that she was able to enjoy alone in the 1970s. She complained that now she has to share those places with others.

This is the height of elitism, claiming precious places only for an entitled few people who have . . . what, the right? The money? The level of appreciation? The education?

This year, my middle-class teenagers were able to travel to unusual places and meet people in remote lands. They came home with a much wider worldview and a deeper love of humanity. While Ms. Becker would have preferred that they stay home, their travels taught them the opposite of the exclusionary attitude that Ms. Becker displayed. And the world is a better place for it.

CAROLINE WAGNER

Alexandria

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Reading Elizabeth's Becker's commentary, I heard the same old eye-roll-inducing complaint from older travelers who visited distant lands in their youth and and are now grumpy that the "rest of the world" has discovered the Shangri-La they idealized so long ago.

I also wonder whether public opinion in heavily visited lands is as negative toward tourists as Ms. Becker is. I strongly doubt it. Rather, I imagine they would invite the world to visit their corners of the world more, not less; to spend more on local goods and services, and less at international retail chains; and surely, to practice responsible tourism (be aware of your pollution footprint and don't patronize the sex trade, of course) and not to let those caveats stop the large majority of travelers from visiting, enjoying and above all, spending to their heart's content.

BLAIR REEVES

Chapel Hill, N.C.