‘Political’ tourism for Americans

Mixing politics with pleasure: American tourists could visit Estonia’s charming capital, Tallinn, to understand Nato’s self-defence clause better, says the writer. – Flickr/Creative Commons

AS the United States sends stockpiles of weapons to Ukraine, another transatlantic mobilisation is underway. Freed from two years of Covid-19 restrictions, Americans are once again traveling in large numbers. Market observers have predicted a sixfold increase in American tourism to Europe.

If you’re wondering what shipments of weapons and planeloads of tourists have in common, the answer is: Quite a bit. Tourism has long had a way of getting mixed up in international politics.