I'm British and been in and around Asia about 18 months now. I agree with the article's sentiment. I might even take it a step further to say that such tourism is a metaphor for the West's relationship with Asia. I'm currently in China where the majority of my, and I suspect your, material possessions where manafactured. It is such an alien culture to me yet it is fundamental to how I live my daily life no matter where I reside. This disparity reminds me of the article's distaste for Westerners mindlessly enjoying SE Asia. Perhaps in a way it's as if the entirety of the West is having a "holiday" in China?