A curmudgeonly piece in the Telegraph Travel section amusingly listed a number of “inventions that ruined travel” that will chime with some.

High on the list are Segway “mobility scooters” which, along with paddle boerds, road trains for city tours and the “narcissistic weapon of Satan” selfie stick make their users look like “stupid tourists”, with the only benefit being to “make normal people feel pleasantly superior”.

Travel for many people, says the Telegraph, is not about experiencing any more but about “documenting and bragging”. Depressingly the first question often put to a hotel these days by those desperate for connectivity is not about local culture, attractions or transport services but the code for the WiFi.

Hotels come in for some separate criticism over the tiny £10 bottle of gin in the mini-bars, “complicated” bathroom taps and light switches, key cards that stop working when you want to use them – “proper keys don’t” – badly-placed electrical sockets, “too many” cushions and bathtubs in the bedroom. Also disliked were being accompanied to the room on check-in (“a tip-generating ploy, nothing more”) and the “printed note from the manager telling us how much they are looking forward to making our stay pleasurable”.

Readers are, of course, welcome to email comments and additions to the list.