Maybe I’m completely wrong, but I feel there is an underlying fear of being labeled a “tourist” instead of a “traveler”, as if being a tourist were something shameful we should avoid.
And in my recent trip to the Center of the Universe (at least by a New Yorker’s standards) I was very aware of my role as the outsider, as someone who definitely doesn’t look from these parts.
But what would I call myself?
I guess it all comes down to this differentiation that people do between “tourist” and “traveler”.
Being a tourist or being a traveler?
From my experience the word tourist is linked to the jaw-dropping, gawking-looking, white-sneaker-wearing, furiously-picture-snapping person who certainly doesn’t look local and who’s visiting a touristy area.
It is believed that such as person doesn’t go deeper, doesn’t make an effort to understand and honor the culture and just obeys what the tour guide says to do.
The traveler, on the other hand, is the person who stays longer, takes the time to make friends and join conversations with local people and reads about the history of the place.
They leave their own inhibitions behind and take the plunge into trying the exotic-weird-looking food and even start to wear clothes in the local fashion.
A question of time
I guess the distinction has to do also with how long your trip is. See, if you have one week to go to Tuscany, man, most likely it won’t be enough to see all there is to see.
You are forced to eat out, on the run, go quickly from place to place and to make the most of your time, considering the must-dos of your trip.
But if you stay for a month or more, it becomes much more cost-effective to go to the market and buy food to prepare at home.
You can go to certain attractions and take your time in really digesting and understanding them, even speak to the locals who can tell you its history and how it affects their reality.
So should we attach labels to people just because of the time available for their holiday?
A question of sensibility
Would it perhaps be more appropriate to separate people into those who care and those who don’t?
The ones who do take the time to honor the culture they’re visiting and those who just want to check the list of places they “have to” see?
If you’ve visited 40 countries, are you a tourist or a traveler? If you shot 3000 pictures per trip, are you a tourist or a traveler?
If you like to go to the place having researched nothing about it and just learn in situ, are you a tourist or a traveler?
Why assign labels altogether?
I think the point I’m getting at is that in my humble opinion, it just doesn’t matter.
Labels are the mind’s way of creating a sense of separateness between us and the rest. It’s its way of putting up barriers and allowing us to become self-righteous.
And travel to me, is about the opposite, it’s about bringing us together as a species, about opening our eyes to how similar and different we all are, all at the same time.
Travel is a way to relate to the life experience of others, their life struggles, their happiness and their way of seeing the world.
I’ve had many comments to my Saint Peter’s Basilica and Tomb articles (and their videos) of people from different extremes.
It all comes down to labels again. And they completely miss the point. To me, there is no need for separation and labels.
Am I ashamed of being a tourist?
Well, let me tell you something. I don’t know if I’m a tourist or a traveler and I don’t really care.
I love doing a lot of touristy stuff, I shamefully ride the double decker buses, I shamefully take out and unfold the map and I shamefully take thousands of pictures during my trips.
But I also take the time to research the place beforehand and understand its history and how it works, which helps me bring the things I’m looking at (new and old) to life.
My business is called Cultural Travel Guide because I advocate the kind of travel that is at one’s own pace, taking the time to absorb the things that move us and honoring the culture we’re visiting.
This is the core principle that directs my consultations with my clients. Yes, sometimes the trips are rushed, there’s not a whole lot of time.
Yes, I recommend the double decker buses and the maps. And so what?
In my recent trip to New York I was having some problems with the metro card and the lady at the booth was starting to lose patience with me.
“I’m a tourist! I’m dumb and I have no idea what I’m doing” I said.
She smiled and said: “Oh, I know, honey, I know”. Her attitude changed completely.
I may be a tourist, I may be a traveler, maybe I’m a different breed… but heck, I’m not ashamed of it, and I have a wonderful time looking like an outsider in each one of my trips.
Being a “traveler” is not something to strive for, from my perspective, just be yourself. As long as you are respectful and show genuine interest for the place, its people and their culture, I think you’re ok.
If you’re reading this, I’d say you’re in the right path.
The one thing I won’t do, ever, is wear white sneakers, that just ain’t happening. ;-)
What about you? Are you a tourist or a traveler?
Do you get embarrassed about being an outsider when you travel?
Let me know in the comments field below or join us in Facebook!
Interesting topic. This is something that doesn’t dominate the way I travel, but it’s something I sometimes think about. I do wonder at people that stick out when they dress like they are on a safari in the middle of a city (khaki shorts AND white sneakers? Dude.) I try to be myself, wear what I always wear, be polite to people, and be patient. However, I’ve seen people that rush around JUST to get their photo and don’t take a minute to see the world outside of their viewfinder. In the end, it doesn’t really affect me, so I don’t sweat it and just enjoy where I am.
Thank you for your comment, very insightful!
Love this. I just don’t have time to care what people think about the way I travel. I’m respectful, I try new things, I often don’t have more than 10 days. In Paris, I fell on the metro because I had a giant suitcase. And I didn’t wear all black and although I speak French, the accent is bad. But this pressure to be a “local” which is pretty-much impossible (especially in a short stay) is just stupid.
Good for you.
Yay! We belong to the same team, then! I think travel is much too valuable to waste time feeling ashamed. Thank you so much for the comment!