i was lucky enough to visit all my dream destinations in the 70's, 80's and 90's when i was infused with the spirit of adventure and before the horrors of terrorism, security, mass tourism, gap years and the rigid enforcement of regulations made travel and the crossing of land borders such a chore.
as recently as 20 years ago if you wanted to see somewhere, you either had to look at a postcard or actually go there. these days you just log on to the net and within 5 minutes you have booked the flight, the hotel and the taxi. there is no more "unknown", and for me at least the adventure has evaporated. you can travel the world and never have to speak to a local, never have to ask directions, and never get lost. all the answers are on the smartphone, and mass tourism seems to have turned desirable destinations into theme parks crowded with burger and pizza joints, selfie addicts and filled with the sort of people who really should never be allowed to have a credit card or travel beyond magaluf, aya napa or their local boozer.
my hope is that covid will reboot the mass tourism market into something a lot more sustainable and a lot more pleasant for those who travel independently.
as far as destinations i regret never having visited, i would love to visit patagonia.