The internet was supposed to mean we never had to leave our homes again. But other forces — a globally expanding middle class, increased transportation options, and even social media — have conspired to make this an era of when an unprecedented number of humans are exerting their travel agency. The trend has left some increasingly popular places stuck in a tourist trap. The Atlantic: Too Many People Want to Travel. “If tourism is a capitalist phenomenon, overtourism is its demented late-capitalist cousin: selfie-stick deaths, all-you-can-eat ships docking at historic ports, stag nights that end in property crimes, the live-streaming of the ruination of fragile natural habitats, et cetera. There are just too many people thronging popular destinations.”

+ In 1923, George Leigh Mallory said he attempted to climb Everest, “because it’s there.” More importantly, everyone else wasn’t. These days, things have changed. “With crowds, trash, and selfies at its summit, the once untamable mountain has lost its cultural power.” Everest Is Over. (I also hear that, towards the top, the WiFi sucks.)

+ You know we’re reaching peak travel when a company that makes suitcases is valued at $1.4 billion.