I do agree with this statement. Learning a foreign language is a very important skill that I feel many people do not appreciate enough. First of all, there's the obvious benefits of being able to use said language. Then there's the less obvious skills like critical thinking, making connections, learning more about your own language, and earning the respect of native speakers that can understand you. Plus any job recruiter will be happy to see that you know another language. They will have the obvious benefit of using your language skills, but also know that you can think in a variety of ways that only come from studying languages. Plus in our globalized world the demand for bilingualism is only going to rise, so it is better to learn sooner than later. It can never hurt to have another language in your mental tool box.
Along with those benefits learning another language gives you a window into another culture. Learning about other peoples ways of life makes you appreciate the good parts of your own, and maybe adopt some of the good parts from the other culture. I personally love to take siestas since I went to Spain. Plus as a traveler if you do not know the language of your destination you lose a large part of being there. You will see and learn so much more if you can communicate and make friends with the locals. Those connections may turn out to be extremely important in the long run professionally or personally.
It's interesting you bring up traveling. On one hand, it doesn't seem worth it to take a year of language on the off chance you are going to travel abroad in a country that speaks the language; but on the other, I think students who take just a year of foreign language might be more likely to benefit from it in a travel situation than they are to benefit from knowing the language in a professional setting, for instance. And being even a little familiar with the language for sure enhances your travel experience.
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