Seconds before we sent the sunset photo, the traveler would sit at a small table in a hotel or café, take out a piece of paper and write: “I arrived fine...the city is more beautiful than I imagined.” Weeks may have passed between the writing of the letter and its arrival, but it carried something that the screen could not convey: handwriting, a trace of the road, and perhaps a grain of sand that remained between the folds of the paper.

On September 1 of every year, World Letter Writing Day is celebrated, reminding the world that words written by hand have not lost their value. It is a cultural event not approved by the United Nations. It was launched in 2014 by Australian writer, artist, and photographer Richard Simpkin, to encourage people to temporarily move away from screens and restore communication through paper and ink. Appropriate reference

Travelers were our first correspondents

Before the advent of the tourist press, travelers' letters served as both guide, photo, and map. Travelers described cities, markets, means of transportation, food and customs in their correspondence, and some of these papers were later turned into historical documents revealing how destinations were viewed before modern hotels, airplanes and booking platforms.

The British Library, for example, holds six volumes of correspondence between the traveler and archaeologist Austen Henry Layard between 1838 and 1852, which are letters related to his travels and archaeological work in the region. British Library

The postcard...the Instagram of that time

With the spread of picture cards, the traveler no longer needs to describe the entire building or beach; The picture took care of the scene, and the back of the card left space for a short phrase. Smithsonian archives indicate that postcards were a quick way to exchange news, fulfilling much the role that text messages and social media platforms play today.

Between 1898 and 1930, Smithsonian cards focused on the exteriors of museums, and later shifted to displaying collections and promoting exhibitions and visiting times. Thus, the card became a personal souvenir and a tourism marketing tool at the same time. Smithsonian Archives

A message that changes the way we remember a place

The digital photo may be lost among thousands of photos, but the card bearing the stamp of a city and the handwriting of a person we love often remains in a drawer for many years. Australia Post explains that written letters strengthen connections with family and friends, and help children express themselves and develop reading and writing skills. Australia Post

An idea for the Arab tourist

On your next trip, don't settle for a quickie. Buy a card from a museum shop or an old market, and write down what you felt, not just what you saw. Send it to someone you love, or even to your own address. You may return from traveling before the card, but when it arrives, it will return the trip to you in your own voice, not in the voice of algorithms.