Experts and vacationers alike are wondering how improving air quality would affect travel in the long run as New Delhi makes headlines once more for its choking fog.
Last year, on a Christmas trip to Hanoi, I said, “It looks like the set of Bladerunner.” That was a bad start. I expected to see the capital of Vietnam sparkle in the sunset as I looked out the window of the flight. Instead, the city lights were smothered by a blanket of dirty, grey mist, reminiscent of the dismal sci-fi movie from 1982. I was a diligent traveler who had carefully packed, had insurance, and double-checked my hotel reservations. Smog, however, was something I hadn’t anticipated.
Fortunately, Hanoi’s air pollution, which at the time reached “very unhealthy” levels.
