The World Needs Reminding That Tourism Doesn't Happen in a Political Vacuum

In London’s Westminster, tourists crowd the bridge and surrounding streets, trying to snap a picture of the famed Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and of course, Big Ben. In what might one day be seen as a darkly comedic stroke of history, Big Ben — one of London’s most iconic tourist attractions — has been flanked by scaffolding since 2017, while it undergoes repairs. Unintentionally, it serves as a symbol of a moment when Britain itself seems in need of repair, mired in an existential political crisis that the world is watching with a mix of bemusement and pity. That would be Brexit, of course. But what of those tourists? Some, one can presume, might have dreamed their whole lives of snapping a photo of these storied sights and are disappointed to find the clock's face obscured. But others still might not be here at all, preferring instead to go somewhere where the landmarks they’ve long dreamed of visiting aren’t also the scene of a political battle that perhaps makes them feel unwelcome. Indeed on World Tourism Day, being celebrated Friday, it seems worth reminding the world’s tourism superpowers and newcomers alike that tourists don’t book and embark on trips i