Why travel if the world is increasingly homogenous?

The world appears to converge increasingly toward homogeneity—becoming increasingly similar. You can live in an Asian town and have access to very similar products and services that you would in a Western town. So why would one travel if the world is very similar no matter where you are? I am not sure and have been pondering this question in the background for a while.

One possible argument for traveling is that it allows us to change our environment, and we know that we are shaped by the people and places we surround ourselves with. So, traveling can be a good way to change your situation by changing your environment. The homogeneity may make travel easier to adapt to because you know that roughly you will be able to find the same things you are used to and won't have to completely change your predispositions. In addition, you may also consider it an advantage to roughly know what to expect in the place you visit, because information on the internet is abundant and you may have used it to be prepared in advance.

All of those things can also be downsides of the increasing homogeneity, from another perspective. You roughly know what to expect, so you have preconceived notions and expectations of how things are, and those may limit your openness to experience and ability to change. You can find almost everything you are used to back home, so you continue your usual routines just in a different place. You think that changing environment would change you, but you find out that wherever you go, there you are—you don’t change unless you do.

Some places are more beautiful than others, in terms of environmental beauty (buildings, nature, access to resources, etc.) and human beauty (the beauty and energy of the people who live in that place, which is a self-reinforcing matter because often beauty attracts beauty). Some places also have cheaper or more expensive costs of living. A nice place to discover may be one where the cost of living is inexpensive, beauty is pervasive, and there is low risk that you are unwelcome or likely to be harmed.

The attractiveness of a location also depends on your travel purposes. If you travel long-term and also work, stability and feeling at ease with the place can be important. If you travel short-term mainly for adventure, these concepts don't matter as much because adventure is better when the balance scale tips in favor of chaos rather than order.

So, there can still be plenty of space for travel, and it can be worth it especially because of the environment and identity changes it can stir up. You can also be in control of the kind of experience you wish to have—one of pre-emptive research and preparation or a less predictable, more adventurous one.