Be A Traveller, Not A Tourist
Travelling abroad can offer much more than just the chance to see some famous landmarks — it’s serves as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of both the world and your place in it. Chances are you’ve heard this oftern-used expression “Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist”. It was one that the late, great travel journalist and chef Anthony Bourdain was fond of. It’s true that most anyone who enjoys travel wants to go to the most popular destinations. And, once there, they rightfully wish to see the famous sites that everyone else also wants to see. Fair enough. But what sets the traveler apart from the tourist?
A traveller sees a destination as an opportunity. A chance to see the world around him/her from a different perspective. A chance to get out of one’s comfort zone and experience something new. Maybe that means trying new cuisine, or maybe doing something he/she doesn’t ordinarily do. But most of all, a traveller recognises this opportunity to learn and absorb new experiences. That doesn’t mean that travellers don’t also engage in touristic activities. You certainly wouldn’t go to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre; to Rome and not see the Colisseum, or to Istanbul and not see the Blue Mosque. That doesn’t mean you can’t shoot videos or take photographs. You can and I would argue you most definitely should. You’ll want to look back at these photos and reflect on the time spent.
For tourists,however, that is where it usually begins and ends: They have their list of “must-sees” and places where they have to “get that instagram shot”. For a tourist, travel almost seems like a checklist. “Yup, saw that, that and that.” Bought the t-shirt and the hat or some other tourist junk. Got that instagram moment, now on to the next place. A sort of mindless exercise, made even more overbearing to travelers when done in a tour group arrangement. Hermetically sealed in their own little travel bubble, surrounded by people who for the most part share the same customs, their experience lacks much authenticity.
Not everyone will want to be a traveller, and that’s fine. I also think the majority of people evolve from being a tourist to becoming a traveller. It’s the journey within the journey. Being a traveller is a privilege. You are a guest in someone else’s reality; you see people going about their daily activities, you experience their city, culture, nation, etc. Remember to treat people with respect and good will. You’ll often be surprised how much it is appreciated in return. There are millions of tourists out there, but travellers stand out. Be a traveller.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
