Paige McClanahan is an American journalist and author based in France, best known for her thoughtful reporting on global tourism and its social, environmental, and cultural impacts. A regular contributor to The New York Times, she has also written for The Guardian, BBC, TIME, and The Washington Post, reporting from more than a dozen countries.

She is the author of The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel, a critically acclaimed book that explores how tourism shapes the world — for better and for worse. Her work often challenges readers to rethink the ethics of travel and consider how their wanderlust affects local communities and ecosystems.

Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Paige holds degrees from Williams College and Duke University. Since leaving the U.S. in 2008, she has lived in five countries and built a career that blends deep research with accessible storytelling. Her travel journalism has been recognized by the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association.