Reservations - by Steve Burgess (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this smart and sharply funny exploration of tourism, Steve Burgess poses the questions that all travelers should pause to consider: why do we travel and should we? In his quest for answers, he reviews studies and interviews experts from many facets of the tourism industry, all the while sharing observations from some of his most personally significant travels, from Rome to Kathmandu."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Steve Burgess takes readers around the world as he ponders our right to roam.

In this smart and sharply funny exploration of tourism, Steve Burgess poses the questions that all travelers should pause to consider: why do we travel and should we? In his quest for answers, he reviews studies and interviews experts from many facets of the tourism industry, all the while sharing observations from some of his most personally significant travels, from Rome to Kathmandu.

So, is satisfying our own wanderlust worth the trouble it causes? Is the tourist guilty of the charges--from voyeurism to desecration--levelled against them by everyone from environmentalists to exhausted locals to superior-feeling fellow tourists who have traded in the tour bus for "authentic experiences"? While posing these ethical questions, Burgess recounts his own travel blunders and epiphanies. Readers will examine ecotourism in Antarctica, cultural voyeurism in Tana Toraja, the tourist versus the traveler in Palermo. Interspersed between chapters like "Guilt Trip" and "Err Bnb" is the story of a month Burgess spent in Japan--his first trip outside North America--and the whirlwind cross-cultural romance that brought him there; taking him on a journey around the country in search of wonder and maybe even love.

Whether navigating love in Kanazawa or seeking belonging in Siena, Burgess's passion for travel shines through in these stories. Anyone with itchy feet will enjoy this humorous and contemplative book about one of the greatest joys in life--travel.

Review Quotes

"[Steve Burgess] is a skilled storyteller, writing in a
conversational tone with a sharp sense of humor. Each chapter is an engaging
sampler of history, expert opinion, and anecdotes from his travels sprinkled
with quirky examples...tackling this urgent topic in such an affable read may
prompt some soul-searching among his fellow globetrotters." --Anne Foley, Booklist

"A thoughtful, witty, and well-researched exploration of modern travel, Reservations delights and informs in equal measure--and there's a real-life love story thrown in to boot. Steve Burgess's book is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the deeper meaning of their wanderlust." --Paige McClanahan, author of The New Tourist

"Tag along with journalist Steve Burgess, the perfectly funny and perceptive travel partner, to visit all the emotions modern travel evokes, from humbled wonder to globalizer's guilt. His knack for weaving great yarns with sharp research makes the miles fly by. After this irresistible read helps you unpack the ethical quandaries of today's tourism, you may be surprised where you land!" --David Beers, founding editor of The Tyee

"A defence of tourism, in spite of it all, from a passionate but conflicted traveler. Steve Burgess mixes brooding insights with biting humor--Paul Theroux meets David Sedaris--as he roams the world in search of adventure, meaning and love. A sparkling, provocative inquiry into the soul of the self-loathing tourist." --Andrew Coyne, columnist, The Globe and Mail

"...a thoughtful and well-researched inquiry into why and how we travel...A mixture of memoir and journalism, it is also a call to the gate of self-discovery." --Vancouver Sun