During a recent meal with others, a child asked me, “Why are you and Clyde always going to so many different places?”
Before I could answer, an authoratative adult, meaning to be helpful, said, “Because Mark and Clyde are tourists.”
I said nothing out loud … but mentally, I recoiled. Tourists? The word brings to mind the classic ugly American: loud shorts, flowery shirts, raging sunburn, cameras rudely pointed at the locals. Tourists see the world as their own personal Epcot Center; foreign cultures entertain them … but merit no special respect. Tourists may tour the globe, but they eat almost exclusively at McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Shoney’s. Given the opportunity to go shopping in Beijing, the tourists flock to the Gap.
Our approach to foreign travel differs. When the country I visit speaks a language other than English, I often invest hours of study in picking up a smattering of the nation’s mother tongue (a fact that never fails to surprise and delight the locals). Long before we arrive, I make a point of learning everything I can about the country we plan to visit, so my experiences there will have context and deeper meaning. We make a point to avoid, as much as possible, eateries and malls frequented by tourists … we prefer to sample local cusine, eat where the locals eat, and escape the beaten path.
I want to understand, as much as an outsider can, the peculiar logic and culture of an alien society. I want to know its etiquette. I’m curious about its history. I don’t compare it to America … I want to see each culture we visit on its own terms.
I confess I do take advantage of some of the benefits the tourist culture has to offer. I do like traveling at the discounted rates secured by the bulk purchasing power of tour groups (we’re notorious for signing on with a group, then going our own way, much to the shock of the tour leaders). I do like a clean, safe place to sleep (yet prefer a place with local flavor to something like a Hyatt or a Marriott).
I submit, then, there is a difference between a tourist and a traveler, between someone who gawks at foreigners and someone who seeks to emulate them, between someone who lurches toward the Starbucks and someone who samples the wares of street vendors.
I love to travel … but I hope to avoid being a tourist at all costs.
Add comment