I’ve been seeing a trend lately. Being a travel blog myself, I follow many travel blogs and I’ve seen mentions of “traveler, not tourist” and “how to be a “traveler” instead of a “tourist””; if you read travel blogs, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
But what I want to know is, why? Why shouldn’t I be a tourist, at least in some ways? What is wrong with being one?
If you couldn’t tell by the title, I think that it’s totally okay to be a tourist sometimes. In fact, the whole “traveler” title seems a bit pretentious to me. No one travels “better” than anyone else. So here are the most common “traveler” things to do, and why I think you should do the opposite.
1. Don’t read guides
According to so called travelers, you shouldn’t carry maps or read tourist books. Instead you should just wander around the city, exploring with the intent on immersing yourself in the culture like a true local. There’s just one problem to this: you’re going to get lost. And then you’re going to look stupid asking everyone for directions back to your hotel unless you’ve got an insanely good sense of direction, which I know I haven’t got. Honestly ask yourself, is that better than carrying around a map?
2. Don’t go to the main tourist attractions
According to travelers, there’s no point in going to the Eiffel Tower, or Big Ben. What you should be doing, is going to that tiny panini place tucked behind the dry cleaners, because that is the real local place to go. But these people fail to realize that the huge tourist attractions are the huge tourist attractions they are for a reason. They’re perhaps the most historically prominent feature or most beautiful feature around, and if you don’t go see it, you’re actual depriving yourself of a great experience.
3. Learn the local language
Okay, it’s not a bad idea to try to learn the local language of the place you’re staying in, but for most people, this isn’t possible. There’s no way you’re gonna learn the language of the locals in the one week you have to experience the place you’re going to. Don’t stress yourself out trying to find your hotel in the local language when you haven’t a clue how to speak it, most people learn some sort of English anyway, or you can always rely on the point and mime strategy.
4. Don’t take so many pictures
I’ll be upfront: I love taking pictures. I probably look like a foreigner in my own home because I take so many damn pictures. So I say, take as many pictures as you want; who cares? It’s your life to live and if you want pictures, take them.
5. Don’t take guided tours
Taking guided tours can actually be very beneficial, because you get to hit all of the hot tourist spots (see point #2) at once and you get a lot more information about these sites as well from the tour guide. If you went by yourself it would most likely take longer, and you wouldn’t get as much information. So where are the downsides?
6. Don’t buy souvenirs
Why on earth not? I personally don’t like tacky souvenirs, but if you want something more than photos to remember your trip by or want a gift for a friend, what is the reason not to buy one? Please ignore the “travelers” judging you and do what you wish to do.
Along with these points, many sites say that tourists constantly complain, compare the place they’re seeing to their home, aren’t curious, and are constantly ignorant of and oblivious to their surroundings. Which is most certainly a stereotype. Most tourists I know/have seen are respectful of the place they are visiting and do mind their surroundings, and tourists wouldn’t tour if they weren’t curious about this new place that they’re visiting.
The real difference between so called travelers and tourists is that travelers tend to have more time to experience the place they’re in, which means that they have time to find that panini shop tucked behind the dry cleaners. The “tourists” they look down upon have less time, and can only see a few select things, which means that they only can see the main tourist attractions. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Ultimately, we all travel differently, and no one way is better than the other. Everyone is in a way a traveler and a tourist. Travelers may think they blend in; however, if you’re a foreigner, there is really no way to truly blend in with the locals, which is fine. There’s no wrong or right way to travel; the only thing that matters is that we travel at all.
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