Tourist- A person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure.
Think of the word tourist. What image comes to mind? Is it the man wearing socks with sandals, huge camera around his neck? Is it the people always looking up, not where they are going? Is it the person constantly complaining about the things that are different than home? The person with selfie stick more interested in taking photos of themselves than what they came to see? I was recently looking at the comments on one of my Facebook groups and someone made a comment about not wanting to look like a tourist. When did tourist become a pejorative? When did it become OK to judge how other people enjoy their vacation?
I think being a tourist is wonderful! If you are a tourist you are a traveler, an explorer leaving home in search of new experiences. Some travel for museums, some love the beach , some to eat and drink. It’s all good. Granted, how far people want to get out of their comfort zone varies greatly but there is no shame in that. Not everyone needs to be backpacking through Asia on $20 per day to be a traveler. You want to go on a big package tour , have your luggage handled for you and make lots of new friends? Great! It perfectly fine to like staying in nice hotels eating the occasional hamburger or going to Times Square . Want to travel solo, go camping or sit on a beach ? Wonderful! After all, it’s your vacation. Personally I like traveling on my own and all the flexibility that goes along with that but I do take group tours because in some locations they can get me more bang for my buck. I like taking photos so that someday when I am old and gray ( older and grayer) and my memory has started to fail me I can look back and remember. Being a tourist is great , it’s being a bad/ ugly tourist that’s the problem.
What makes a bad / ugly tourist? Someone who thinks their experience or photo is more important than the experiences of others especially those living their everyday lives . Ignoring or not respecting cultural norms and differences. Thinking your way is superior and acting accordingly is just obnoxious . I am not picking on Americans , a quick google search will deliver a plethora of examples of ugly tourists from all over the world.
Not everyone is a comfortable traveler. Some people are just natural worriers, some are not good with anything outside their comfort zone. It’s only when that interferes which others experiences or rude behavior because of the differences it crosses into the ugly tourist territory. It may not be my idea of travel or yours but certain touristy things are not bad in and of themselves. Personally I hate the selfie stick. It drives me crazy to see people so enamored with themselves it would make the Evil Queen seem self- effacing . But in and of itself taking a selfie isn’t bad. Standing at a prime viewing spot blocking others view while you try to capture the perfect photo for Instagram or being that guy acting like the professional photographer taking sexy photos of his girlfriend with his IPhone while others wait just to see the view is definitely rude and falls into the bad tourist category. Remember what you learned in kindergarten. It all comes down to respect.
Tourist areas are popular for a reason. Look at the top tourist destinations, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre , The Statue of Liberty, Machu Picchu , and the Taj Mahal just to name a few. They are popular for a reason. They are amazing! Of course they are crowded! Can it be annoying? Yes . Of course there are lots of people taking photos. They are beautiful. And yes the locals want to make money so there are lots of touristy shops selling overpriced souvenirs. Buy some if you want. I buy Christmas ornaments. I also have more scarves than I will ever wear but both bring back great memories when I see them.
So go! Embrace your tourist status and enjoy your travels . Just please don’t become an ugly one.