Say what you want but the only region in the world I went that felt like looking forward is Asia, even borderline decaying countries like Japan are clearly looking forward, you can see it from what and how they build, and not just in major centers.
When I first visited Asia 13 years ago, this is the feeling I got too. It's wonderful and intoxicating and new.
It spoke to me so strongly, that I immigrated and started my first business. Not to China, but nearby (Viet Nam). It was a very tough road, I never ended up particularly wealthy, but I have no regrets.
China is superlative in every way possible and many people don't really seem to get it.
It has several of the tallest mountains in the world—dozens over 7 km, and many of the eight-thousanders, given it borders the Himalayas and contains part of the Hindu Kush and most of the Tibetan Plateau. Given such immense mountains it also makes sense that there's a huge rain shadow behind them, and therefore China also contains both the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts.
It also has historic old cities that form the core of their modern glass and steel cities, with plenty of Chinese architecture to go around.
It also has 50 000 km of newly-built high speed rail with rolling stock that rips through all of those mountains and deserts at 350 km/h.
Patriotism is funny to see. A lot of people are so proud of their country, yet they are just pawns in a game played by the state and their leaders.
If one can think rationally, it's best to be born in smaller countries like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Qatar, Singapore .. Nothing to be proud of besides having the highest chance to live a very comfortable life.
In Argentina it is said, half-jokingly, that 1 week of news cycle in Argentina is 10 years of news cycle in Switzerland.
On a similar note, leave Argentina for 2 years and everything is different. Leave for 20, and everything is the same.
In summary: There are far crazier places to be born than Argentina, but oh my god I would pay to see what a billionaire would do if they had to live there with the median wage and the current cost of living...
I wasn't really focusing much on the tourism part.
I was more pointing to the fact that asiatic countries seem much more focused on the present and future in a way we are culturally not. How and what they build is just an aspect of it.
Say what you want but the only region in the world I went that felt like looking forward is Asia, even borderline decaying countries like Japan are clearly looking forward, you can see it from what and how they build, and not just in major centers.