Travel may sometimes increase prejudice rather than reduce it

The article reviews research and argues that travel does not reliably reduce prejudice and can sometimes reinforce or create new biases, especially when experiences are brief, curated, or based on travelers' own reports.

Mark Twain famously said travel was "fatal to prejudice," but recent research and everyday experience complicate that claim. The piece examines studies and common travel scenarios to ask whether travel reliably reduces biased beliefs. It notes that many travelers describe personal growth, yet that growth often reflects interpersonal skills or self-knowledge rather than demonstrable reductions in prejudice. The article raises concerns that travel can sometimes confirm or create new prejudices when experiences are brief, curated, or interpreted through existing beliefs. Key findings: - Surveys and studies often report travelers saying they gained interpersonal skills or self-confidence, not necessarily that they are less prejudiced. - Many studies rely on travelers' own reports, which may not reliably measure changes in prejudice or bias. - Travelers usually select destinations and activities, so trips rarely aim specifically to challenge a traveler's own prejudices. - Research on study-abroad programs and voluntourism sometimes finds that experiences confirm participants' prior beliefs rather than overturn them. - Short stays and highly curated tourist environments provide small, unrepresentative samples that can encourage sweeping conclusions about whole groups. Summary: The article argues that travel can broaden perspectives and foster human connections, but it does not reliably eliminate prejudice and in some cases may reinforce biased views. How travel's influence varies across individuals and contexts is undetermined at this time.