Tourism in the 21st century stands at a crossroads between two modes of existence. On one side lies the Erlebnisraum, or “experience space,” which has become the dominant paradigm of travel. In this mode, the traveler seeks immediate thrills, picturesque vistas, and consumable moments – often amplified by social media and digital platforms into a frenzy of must-see attractions. On the other side lies the neglected Bedeutungsraum, or “semantic space,” grounded in shared narratives, cultural memory, and humanistic values that give travel its deeper meaning. The provocative question “Travelling Ourselves to Death?” speaks to the peril of a tourism industry and culture fixated on experiences devoid of context or reflection. If travel is pursued as an end in itself – an addictive chase for ever more exotic or Instagram-worthy experiences – it risks becoming a hollow and unsustainable cycle. We may, in effect, be traveling ourselves to death: eroding the very cultures and environments we seek, and impoverishing our own capacity for meaningful experience. This essay argues that the Erlebnisraum of tourism must be nested within the Bedeutungsraum for travel to remain meaningful, resilient, and ethically defensible. In what follows, we critically analyze the dominance of the experience economy in contemporary tourism (especially under the influence of social media and AI-driven content), and then advocate for a shift to a meaning economy of tourism. We integrate the AAARE model of intellectual maturity and the principles of Sobriété Intellectuelle (Intellectual Sobriety) to describe the ethical and cognitive posture required of tourists and institutions alike. Finally, we present a policy-level reflexion for strengthening public support to national and regional tourism organizations as guardians of the semantic space and cultural continuity. The path forward for tourism, we contend, is to rediscover meaning within experience – to travel not to death, but towards a renewed sense of life.
Sunrise Breakfast on top of Teysachaux, Veveyse, Fribourg, Switzerland. Source: Les Paccots La Veveyse Tourism - Photo : Damien Rijken.
1. The Age of the Erlebnisraum: Tourism as an Experience Economy
Contemporary tourism is often described as part of the “experience economy,” a term capturing how businesses create value by staging memorable experiences for consumers. In Switzerland and elsewhere, travel is marketed and consumed as a series of Erlebnisse (experiences) – thrilling adventures, stunning views, delectable tastes – that can be collected and displayed. The rise of digital platforms and social media in the past decade has exponentially amplified this trend. Destinations are reduced to backdrops for photographic trophies, and the traveler’s gaze is guided by algorithmic feeds highlighting the most Instagrammable spots. Social media is having a huge effect on how people choose their travel destinations, with more and more tourists “seeking out destinations that are photogenic”. Overcrowding is driven in part by the quest for iconic sights (such as the Matterhorn mountain, Geneva’s Jet d’Eau fountain, or Lucerne’s medieval Kapellbrücke) that play well on social media feeds. In the Erlebnisraum paradigm, success is often measured in volume and visibility: record tourist arrivals and onvernights, trending hashtags, and ever-expanding bucket lists.
The experience-centric approach has brought economic benefit and unforgettable moments, but it also carries profound risks. Culturally and environmentally, a tourism of pure experience can be extractive. Popular Swiss destinations have already felt the strain of mass tourism driven by the experience economy. Residents grow frustrated with tour buses in their backyard, an expression of the overtourism phenomenon that arises when an experience-driven visitation boom undermines the quality of life and the very atmosphere that attracted tourists in the first place. What the visitors seek as a charming Swiss experience – a quick photo of a scene, a souvenir watch… – risks becoming a self-defeating exercise: the charm evaporates under the weight of crowds, and the meaning of the site is reduced to a brief photo opportunity. This dynamic exemplifies the danger of travelling ourselves to death through unbridled pursuit of experiences. It is a trajectory where quantity trumps quality, and where tourism destinations may be loved to death.
A further peril of the Erlebnisraum dominance is the hollowing out of cultural context. Social media encourages travelers to skip the story and jump straight to the spectacle. Digital platform algorithms – whether Instagram’s visual feed or AI-driven travel recommendation engines – tend to serve up the most immediately eye-catching or novel experiences, abstracted from their history or meaning. Travelers following these digital cues may end up engaging in what we might call checklist tourism: an approach that prioritizes the having of an experience over the understanding of it. One arrives, consumes the view or thrill, and moves on to the next attraction. Such patterns raise the question: what remains after the thrill? Does the traveler carry home any deeper insight or connection, or only a camera roll of images untethered to context? Is the local community enriched by these visits, or merely bearing the costs of crowds and commodification? When tourism tilts too far into experiences for their own sake, it risks becoming not a cultural bridge but a fleeting carnival, leaving both the visitor and the host community ultimately unsatisfied. This is the syndrome at the heart of our critique – a form of tourism that is exciting but potentially soul-killing, both for the traveler’s growth and the destination’s integrity.
2. Digital Platforms and the Appropriation of Experience
The hegemony of the experience economy in tourism has been supercharged by digital technology. Social media, sharing platforms, and now artificial intelligence tools have appropriated the Erlebnisraum and turned it into a highly curated, commodified domain. On Instagram or TikTok, travelers encounter endless images of alpine panoramas, adrenaline-pumping ski runs, and indulgent Swiss chocolate desserts. These images carry implicit imperatives: You too must go here; you too must have this experience. The FOMO (fear of missing out) generated by online networks accelerates the cycle of experience-chasing. The result is a homogenization of travel itineraries. Global travelers, regardless of origin, converge on the same “must-see” points. In the process, the experience space is increasingly designed for the camera and for the algorithm, or for the filter. At certain overcrowded vistas in the Alps, one can observe tourists queueing for nearly identical photographs – a performative ritual of experience that has been stripped of personal meaning. As one travel observer noted of a popular mountain viewpoint, some visitors spend more time lining up for the photo than actually absorbing the place; “watching them felt a bit sad,” the observer commented, because the experience had become a choreographed procedure rather than a spontaneous enjoyment.
Beyond social media, digital technology in the form of AI-generated content and algorithmic recommendation is beginning to shape tourist behavior in subtler ways. Online travel agents and review platforms use predictive analytics to suggest destinations “you might also like,” herding users towards the well-trodden and well-reviewed. Increasingly, travelers rely on GPS-based apps for self-guided tours, or even AI chatbots as virtual guides. These tools can enhance convenience and provide information, but they also risk interposing a layer of artificial mediation between the traveler and the place. One might wander through an ancient Swiss town like Bern or Stein am Rhein following an app’s prompts, looking at one’s screen more than at the actual streets and monuments. The Erlebnis is still being had – one checks off the sights – but the presence of the traveler’s own senses and thoughts may be diminished. In the extreme scenario, AI can generate an experience entirely: consider the nascent technologies of virtual reality tourism or AI-generated travel photos. It is conceivable that tomorrow’s tourist can don VR goggles and “experience” a simulated hike in the Swiss Alps, complete with AI-crafted vistas more sublime than reality. Such innovations raise ethical and existential questions: If the goal of tourism is simply experience, why not consume it virtually and avoid the inconveniences of real travel? The absurd end-point of Erlebnisraum without Bedeutungsraum might indeed be travelers who no longer travel at all in the physical sense – they simply binge on endless manufactured experiences from the comfort of home. That scenario, while speculative, underscores how crucial it is to re-anchor tourism in meaning. Without the counterbalance of the Bedeutungsraum, the experience economy can devour itself, collapsing into either over-exploited physical destinations or into dissociated virtuality. In both cases, what’s lost is the genuine encounter with otherness – the very thing that gives travel its educative and humane value.
3. Bedeutungsraum: Restoring the Semantic Space of Travel
Against the backdrop of an overheated experience economy, we must recover the notion of tourism as a Bedeutungsraum – a space of meaning. Travel has always had a profound humanistic significance. At its best, it is a pilgrimage of discovery, not only of new landscapes but of shared humanity. The semantic space of tourism is composed of the narratives, symbols, and cultural threads that connect a traveler to a place and its people. This includes the history and legends embedded in the stones of a medieval Swiss town, the values and ways of life reflected in rural Alpine customs, and the personal transformation that a journey can catalyze. In the context of tourism, Bedeutungsraum denotes an environment where experiences are not isolated sensations but part of a larger story – where each experience means something beyond itself.
Reintroducing the Bedeutungsraum begins with recognizing that tourism is not merely an industry of consumption, but also a vehicle of cultural exchange and education. This is a deeply rooted idea in Switzerland’s own tourism tradition. Since the dawn of Alpine tourism in the 19th century, visitors did not come only for scenery; they came seeking fresh air for health, inspiration from the Alps’ sublime beauty, and even spiritual renewal in the mountains. The Swiss concept of travel has long included a search for Heimat (homeland feeling) or reconnection with nature and simplicity. For example, the humble alphorn, now a symbol of Swiss identity, nearly died out as a pastoral instrument until it was revived in the 19th century partly through tourism’s romantic fascination with folklore. The fact that an old herdsmen’s instrument became a national emblem thanks to travelers’ interest is a testament to tourism as a conduit of meaning: visitors sought an authentic connection to Swiss culture, and in doing so they helped preserve it. Similarly, consider how Alpine farming traditions – seasonal cattle drives, cheese-making on high pastures, village festivals – have gained new appreciation from urban visitors. What might have been seen as an antiquated way of life is now recognized as a living tradition to be safeguarded. In recent times, city-dwellers from Switzerland and abroad have even been drawn to participate in the “hard physical work and simplicity of life” on the Alp, volunteering on farms or attending folklore events. This trend reflects a thirst for authenticity: an implicit understanding that there is something to be gained from travel that goes beyond leisure – something restorative for the soul and intellect. Such meaningful engagement stands in stark contrast to the rushed, homogenized experiences of mass tourism. It suggests that many travelers intuitively crave Bedeutung (meaning) even if the market often sells them Erlebnis (experience).
To cultivate the semantic space, tourism stakeholders must reinvest in shared narratives and symbols. This means telling the stories behind places, not just showcasing their surfaces. A mountain like the Teysachaux on the cover picture is not just a photo-op but the site of local legends or historic feats. A city is not just a collection of attractions but a living community shaped by centuries of events (as Bern’s UNESCO-listed old town attests, with its arcades and cellars whispering history). The Bedeutungsraum approach encourages interpretive guides, museums, cultural trails, and personal encounters that transmit these stories. Switzerland is rich in such initiatives: the network of local museums, the themed routes like the Via Alpina or the Swiss Path around Lake Uri celebrating the founding of the Confederation, or events like the Fête des Vignerons in Vevey that takes place once a generation to celebrate winegrowers’ culture. When tourists attends the Fête (a months-long cultural festival recognized by UNESCO for its intangible heritage value), they are no mere consumers of entertainment; they become participants in the continuation of a shared heritage, joining locals in affirming the meaning of their craft and community. This is tourism as Bedeutungsraum par excellence: the journey becomes a two-way exchange, where visitor and host co-create meaning through a shared story.
It is important to note that restoring semantic space is not about sanctifying the past or rejecting pleasure. People will and should still enjoy themselves when they travel – joy, wonder, even indulgence are part of the allure of tourism. The argument is that these experiences become far more meaningful and sustainable when they are contextualized. A hike through a Swiss national park, for instance, gains semantic depth when the hiker understands the ecological and cultural significance of what they see – perhaps learning about the alpine flora, or the legends of the valley, or the modern conservation efforts that keep the ecosystem intact. Switzerland’s emphasis on sustainability in tourism explicitly recognizes this connection between awareness and enjoyment. Sustainable travel means greater awareness and depth and more enjoyment. This links depth with enjoyment: the deeper the awareness, the richer the pleasure. It is a direct repudiation of the notion that sustainability (or by extension, a focus on meaning) requires “going without” fun or comfort. On the contrary, travel that engages the mind and conscience can be deeply satisfying – perhaps more so than reckless consumption. Switzerland Tourism’s Swisstainable strategy for example accordingly encourages travelers to do things like stay for longer and delve deeper, experience the local culture in an authentic way, and consume regional products. These guidelines are practical expressions of a meaning-driven approach. By staying longer, a visitor moves beyond superficial sampling and forms a relationship with the place. By seeking authentic local culture and food, they support and partake in the living fabric of the region, rather than skimming the surface. In short, the Bedeutungsraum reorients tourism towards quality over quantity, continuity over novelty, and understanding over mere seeing. It turns travel into a form of co-created narrative – one in which the traveler’s own experience becomes woven into the larger tapestry of place and culture.
4. Nesting Erlebnis within Bedeutung: Towards Sustainable Tourism
Having drawn the contrast between Erlebnis- and Bedeutungsraum, we arrive at a crucial synthesis: the experience space must be nested within the semantic space for tourism to thrive in a mature and sustainable way. This means that Erlebnis (the immediate sensory, emotional experience) should always be contextualized by Bedeutung (the wider meaning and significance). The relationship is hierarchical and holistic. Just as a bright thread finds its purpose only as part of a larger tapestry, an individual travel experience gains resonance only when it is part of a story or value system. How do we accomplish this nesting in practice? We can consider a few dimensions – environmental, cultural, and personal – where meaning can envelop experience.
Environmental integration: A pure Erlebnisraum approach treats nature as a playground or scenery to be consumed. By contrast, nesting those experiences in Bedeutung means framing them in terms of respect and sustainability. For example, a ski holiday in the Swiss Alps can be an exhilarating experience, but if pursued heedlessly (e.g. overdeveloping ski resorts, ignoring climate impact), it undermines the very environment that makes it possible. The semantic approach would embed the ski experience in awareness of alpine ecology and climate change, perhaps by encouraging skiers to also learn about glacier retreat or support local environmental projects. Many Swiss mountain destinations have begun doing exactly this: interpretive signage on trails explains local flora and fauna; visitor centers showcase the geology and the fragility of alpine ecosystems; and tourists are invited to use the efficient public transport network (like the 100% renewable-energy powered Swiss trains) instead of individual cars to reduce impact. These measures convey that the joy of the mountains comes with a responsibility to keep them for future generations. A Bedeutungsraum perspective inherently supports this: by valuing a place’s meaning (be it natural sacredness or cultural heritage), we foster an ethic of care. In turn, a cared-for environment continues to provide authentic experiences, creating a virtuous circle. A truly sustainable tourism respects nature and the complexity of the ecosystem and accepts that this is the responsibility of the tourists themselves. When travelers and hosts alike adopt such an ethic, the experience of nature becomes richer and more resilient. A sunrise on top of the Teysachaux over Lake Geneva is more beautiful, not less, when one appreciates the lake’s ecology and perhaps has even contributed in a small way to its preservation (for instance, by sticking to marked paths, supporting local environmental NGOs, etc.). The Erlebnis (sunset viewing) is wrapped in Bedeutung (knowledge and virtue), yielding an experience that is both pleasurable and ethically sound.
Cultural integration: Nesting experience in meaning has perhaps its most immediate payoff in the cultural realm. Consider the difference between a tourist who attends a Swiss local festival just to take some colorful pictures, and a tourist who attends after having learned the meaning of the festival and perhaps befriended a local who explains it. The former goes away with images; the latter goes away with insight and perhaps friendship. When Erlebnis is nested in Bedeutung, the traveler is not an outsider peering in, but in a small way becomes part of the host community’s story. This fosters mutual respect and empathy. It also protects communities from the alienation that mass tourism can bring. Instead of feeling like an exploited backdrop for tourists, the local population sees visitors who are interested in their way of life and values. In Switzerland, concrete tourism initiatives consciously aim for this integration. The national tourism strategy emphasizes that Switzerland thematises, cultivates and promotes regional culture and fosters dialogue between guests and the local population. For example, programs in which tourists can meet farmers, artisans, or attend workshops (cheese-making, alphorn playing, paper-cutting art, etc.) turn travel into a meaningful exchange. Even at the level of simple etiquette, tourists are encouraged to learn a few words of the local language (no small ask in multilingual Switzerland), to greet shopkeepers, to understand the customs of the region – all steps that nest their visit in a context of respect. A considerate tourist acknowledges that the places they visit are not theme parks but living homes of people. This acknowledgement is itself a moral and semantic stance, one that enriches the experience. From the traveler’s perspective, the reward of cultural integration is a more profound connection. Visitors to Switzerland come away struck not just by the scenery but by the sense of place – that intangible feeling that comes from understanding a bit of the local ethos, whether it be the independence and pride of an Alpine village, the cosmopolitan blend of cultures in Geneva, or the innovative spirit of a metropole. These feelings arise only when one has moved beyond consuming attractions to engaging with meaning. Moreover, culturally nested tourism tends to be more resilient to global disruptions. Tourists who develop a real relationship with a destination (perhaps returning regularly to the same Swiss valley they love, maintaining friendships there) are not merely chasing the next trendy spot; they become repeat visitors who sustain that place through thick and thin. In a volatile global tourism market, such relationship-driven travel is a stabilizing force.
Personal integration: Finally, the nesting of experience in meaning has a deeply personal dimension – it speaks to the maturation of the traveler themselves. There is a psychological and even spiritual journey that can occur through travel, but only if one pauses to reflect and synthesize experiences. Without meaning, one returns from a trip with a saturated camera and an empty heart, soon to start planning the next trip in an addictive loop. With meaning, travel can be transformational: one returns with new perspectives, lessons, and perhaps a renewed purpose. My concept of sobriété intellectuelle (intellectual sobriety), which we will explore in the next section, is relevant here. It entails a posture of moderation, reflection, and self-awareness in the face of powerful stimuli – originally conceived for how one interacts with technology, but equally applicable to travel. A soberminded traveler is not joyless; rather, they are thoughtfully engaged. They know that seeing ten countries in ten days will give less meaning than spending ten days in one place absorbing it. They choose depth over breadth, quality over quantity – an approach which aligns perfectly with Switzerland’s call to stay longer and delve deeper. Such a traveler might keep a journal, or read about the history of a town before visiting, or simply take time each evening to contemplate what the day’s journey meant to them. These acts of reflection effectively weave a semantic layer over the day’s experiences, lodging them in memory and insight. Over time, a collection of meaningful travel experiences contributes to the traveler’s own identity and wisdom. One’s travels become chapters in one’s personal growth, not just stamps in a passport. The ultimate benefit of nesting Erlebnis in Bedeutung is that tourism is no longer an escape from real life or a consumer hobby; it becomes part of a life well-lived, part of one’s continual education and enrichment. In this way, we guard against the nihilistic end of “travelling ourselves to death.” Instead, we travel ourselves to life – to a greater aliveness to the world and to ourselves. Tourism, when so conceived, fulfills its highest calling: it is a practice in humanism, sustainability, and mutual understanding.
5. From Experience Economy to Meaning Economy
6. Sobriété Intellectuelle in Tourism: Intellectual Maturity in the Digital Age
In tourism, sobriété intellectuelle can be understood as a form of cognitive maturity that allows one to use digital tools and seek experiences in a balanced, ethical manner – always with human values and critical thinking in command.