Patrick Barkham on the rise of extreme tourism

Trekking to Kathmandu, going nomadic with the !Kung of the Kalahari or visiting the slums of Kolkata are no longer exotic enough. Today's trophy tourists want to tick off ever more extreme locations on their global adventures. Travel supplements bulge with the ultimate - and ultimately self-defeating - quest to find the completely unspoilt destination, whether it is the Lakshadweep islands, Oman's grand canyon or outer space. We are all aware of the contradictions of modern tourism; how it can cascade unimaginable riches on impoverished corners of the world and also destroy the very tranquillity we all seek. The media and modern transport have opened up the world and now its less visited pockets are being picked over by more and more western tourists seeking to pep up their jaded travel palates with something different.... [read full story]