Only if you insist on the most cynical and uncharitable reading of their comment possible. But that does seem to be the case, unfortunately! I don't think it's

Only if you insist on the most cynical and uncharitable reading of their comment possible. But that does seem to be the case, unfortunately! I don't think it's controversial for someone to say: "When I travel, I'd rather have the company of people who live in the place I'm visiting, instead of other travelers". I struggle to see how the original comment conveyed much more than that.