What Really Happens When a Place Goes Viral

Travel didn’t die. It went viral. This is the data-driven autopsy of how visibility collapses destinations and why discovery now starts the countdown to decline.

This is Part 1 of a 9-part Strange Loop series on the lifecycle of the “It Place” — and how travel became a visibility trap. From €100 burratas to template hotels to stealth wealth escapes, we’re mapping the collapse. Full series available only to subscribers.

First, a Scene

You’re on a rooftop in Mexico. A pool. A sprig of mint. A backdrop built for a ca…