Soles of a Nomad

From Dubrovnik’s city walls to Thailand’s shifting travel economy and Uzbekistan’s growing list of entry fees, more destinations are putting price tags on access. Sometimes it works—reducing crowds and funding preservation. Sometimes it risks pricing out the very travelers who helped make a place special in the first place. This is a look at when charging more makes sense, when it backfires, and why tourism doesn’t disappear—it just moves.

Some travelers scorn Sri Lanka’s stilt fishermen for posing for tourists. I disagree. Here’s why I happily paid—and why authenticity might be the most overrated travel value.