On Thursday, host and travel guide Rick Steves returned to Boston Public Radio, where he talked about his expectations for the travel economy post-pandemic.
Steves, who wrote his first travel guide over 40 years ago, said he’s watched the industry bounce back before but added that he does have concerns about the post-pandemic economy restricting would-be travelers of lesser means.
“As a society, I certainly hope and pray that we have a strong enough economy where travel is not an elite activity,” he said. "But is something people who are fully employed can arrange their priorities and afford to do.”
He said he’s not just hopeful for the sake of his own businesses but also because he believes that it’s critical for Americans to maintain connections with their neighbors around the globe and continue to learn the sort of life lessons that come from being an American exploring a continent like Europe — what he called “the most beautiful souvenir ... a celebration of the diversity on this planet."
“The question for me is, how are we going to travel in a way that connects us with the family of nations, that reminds us of the fragility of our democracy and the fragility of our environment?” he asked. “How are we going to travel in a way where we get a healthy kind of culture shock which, to me, are the growing pains of a broader perspective?"
Rick Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves' Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves’ Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH.
