Dateline: September 14 2026
Before the Covid-19 travel restrictions, several popular tourist destinations were fighting overcrowding, cultural faux pas by uninformed buffoons, habitat destruction, irreversible vandalism, and wear and tear of historical monuments. Many contemplated limiting visitor numbers and restricting access to certain areas, but these measures only solved part of the problem.
During the 2020 lockdowns, tourism plummeted, sending many tourist destinations into financial distress, and they were very eager to welcome back the tourist hordes. And back they came, with a vengeance. The hashtag #RevengeTravel trended, and tourists flocked back to warm weather, sandy beaches, cultural heritage sites and party towns.
But with the tourist dollars also came the careless crowds, the disregard for cultural heritage, defiling of monuments, entitlement, and other bad habits from the tourism industry’s underbelly.
In an era of growing protectionism and global tension, it was with some trepidation that Thailand introduced a “tourist licence”, expecting a global backlash and plummeting tourist numbers to its popular beaches. The concept was simple: everyone had to pass an online test about the country’s history, culture, basic greeting phrases, tourism dos and don’ts, and so on before being allowed to enter the country. They also launched a virtual travel app, allowing visitors to remotely experience the most sensitive areas that are still out of bounds.
Contrary to most peoples’ expectations, the programme has been a roaring success. All visitors now have a much better knowledge of the country, can more fully appreciate its cultural nuances, and fellow tourists “are much nicer to be around”, as one man from France said, asking for anonymity.
The licence is only valid for one entry, allowing the authorities to block any offending tourists from returning as well as giving them a tool to manage visitor numbers. Many countries in Europe, South America and the rest of Asia are working on similar ideas, while keenly watching how Thailand’s tourist license pans out.
- First published on Mindbullets August 2023
Chinese millennials overrun the world
Tourism is the new addiction for affluent young Chinese
Dateline: June 5 2025
In just over two decades China has grown from small fry in travel terms to the world’s biggest outbound market, leapfrogging and outpacing the United States.
“May you live in interesting times!” is an ancient Chinese curse, a bit like a reverse compliment. Now it should be “May you be visited by many Chillennials!” It’s a double-edged sword, both a blessing and a curse.
Chinese millennials, as a segment or cohort, have more spending power than their American or European counter-parts; partly due to their sheer numbers, but also because the Chinese economic miracle has thrust all of them into the middle class.
And one of the favourite pursuits of the Chinese millennial is to travel the world. Perhaps it’s a rebound from generations of isolation and lack of personal freedom; now youth from the “Middle Kingdom” are spreading their wings, and seeing the world, because they can. And they can afford it.
It’s not small potatoes. The market for outbound tourism from China is expected to top $500bn this year. And it’s not just California or the fleshpots of Australasia that the ‘Chillennials’ are flocking to; historic European cities, Inca and Aztec temples, Egyptian antiquities, and the jungles of South America and Africa are all on their itineraries.
Which is a great source of revenue for the host countries, but it’s not all positive. Hordes of selfie-obsessed tweeple, instagramming the heck out of every statue, monument or landmark can grate on your nerves, to say nothing of congestion, foot-traffic damage and culture erosion.
Some tourist hotspots, particularly in “old” Europe, want to ban these young adults, or at least impose stricter visa requirements, even quotas. Others say “Bring it on. We accept Yuan!”
Perhaps the Chillennial boom will save us all!
- First published on Mindbullets May 10 2018
• Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures and challenge and stimulate strategic thinking.
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