The label “tourist” seems to be getting a bad rap these days. It’s become a condescending, snobby term for “been there, done that” or “I live there, I don’t need to do that”. I know I’ve been guilty of both of these scenarios, especially the second as I’m fortunate enough to live in an area with a HUGE tourist draw – Northern California.
A “tourist” cares nothing about their experience or learning about their destination, but just notching another city or site on their belt (with mandatory selfie posted to social media, of course). But, a “traveler” is more aware, savvy, or discriminating.
Really? Have we all become such global citizens? That would be nice, but I don’t think so.
Unless you are an expat, you are always going to be a tourist when visiting another country or region. And what is wrong with that?
When I visited Egypt a few years ago, one of my top “wish list” items was to ride a camel. Is that something a local would do? Not unless they are a Bedouin. But, there wasn’t a chance in heck I was going to pass up the opportunity. So what if it’s a kitschy “touristy” thing to do? It was still an awesome experience.
Are you going visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower at least once? And while there, are you not going to get a picture with the tower in the background? It’s one of the greatest engineering feats of our time. Does that make it an educational experience rather than a tourist destination?
Is hiking the Incan Trail for tourists or travelers? Unless you are a porter or tour guide, it’s doubtful that this would be part of your ordinary life as a Peruvian. Yet, every day hundreds of “tourists” trek the trail and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.
My point is we are tourists and travelers and explorers and adventurers. The joy of travel is to discover new places, understand other cultures and learn about a world outside our back yard.
It’s YOUR experience. Don’t worry about being a tourist. Ride the camel!
