We are spoiled rotten and don’t even realize it. I certainly didn’t until speaking with my Great Grandmother. Do you realize the idea of going to Europe to backpack for the summer a hundred years ago would probably have resulted in you sitting in the loony bin all summer?
The cost associated with international travel back then was staggering. The idea of tourism was primarily something devoted to the very wealthy or commercial traders. There were no youth hostels or Eurail passes and the like.
The question confronting us these days is whether travel will be readily available to us in the foreseeable future. We will, of course, be able to travel domestically and for the weekends, but what about around the world. In 2020, will we be able to hop on a plane for a thousand dollars or two and fly from Los Angeles to London? The answer might surprise you.
As we all know, the price of fuel is rising. The problem is we humans are using more and more. The supply is not finite and it will tighten up. Some believe we have hit the peak production point in the last few years while others think it may be ten or twenty years in the future. The actual date is not so much important as the perception is.
What do you think would happen to fuel prices if the general public suddenly realized we will never produce more oil than we did in say…2007. The price will skyrocket regardless of whether it is true or not. We are already seeing this phenomenon as futures traders bid oil up over $100 a barrel.
The issue of when we will hit our peak in oil production is a hotly debated issue. I have my own views, but don’t intend this article to be a debate on the subject. Instead, the question is simply this. If market forces push oil to $200 a barrel or more, how many of us will be able to afford to jump on a plane to Europe…Asia…South America…Australia? The answer is not many.
We live in a golden age of travel, but there is no guarantee the relatively cheap prices we pay to see the world will remain. If you are considering a trip abroad, it might be better to take it now than put it off in the future. If fuel prices go haywire, you might regret having waited.
Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel writing journals that make unique gifts for dads and moms.
