Tourist or Traveler?
Ever been on a trip where you wanted to relax but came home exhausted? Or you expected to be immersed, but ended up in an Americanized resort with a weekly “cultural night”? A successful trip requires incorporating your tourist or traveler preference from the start. To help determine your style, let’s consider each.
A tourist …
likes the predictable,
is reassured by a set itinerary,
is sometimes nervous when traveling,
enjoys comfort and amenities,
wants to relax and enjoy.
Tourists are more inclined to pick a tour or cruise so they don’t have the hassle of moving around. Tourists see a few must-see sites but don’t want to deal with renting cars and finding their way. Tourists tend to come in the planner variety – those who know exactly what they will be doing each day – and the follower variety – those who just show up and leave the planning to someone else. Tourists sometimes like a little culture as part of their trip, but can also be content relaxing on a beach or enjoying a luxurious spa.
A traveler…
is open to new things,
embraces adventure and uncertainty,
can be impatient with tourist activities,
is interested in experiencing a culture and its people,
wants to get off the beaten path.
Sometimes travelers have a hard time spending days sitting still; some cringe at the thought of a swim up bar or chain hotel. A traveler anticipates hiccups and rolls with things when they don’t go as planned. A traveler is willing to change plans to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves along the way. Travelers sacrifice comfort to have unique, new or authentic experiences.
Recognize yourself in both lists? Whether you’re a traveler or tourist is NOT black and white. It’s a continuum, and your preference may change with different phases of life, ages of children, locations and circumstances. When we travel without our kids, or now that our kids are older, adopting a traveler mindset is much easier. When we travel for shorter periods, we tend to be more touristic – seeing the getaway as a capsule of time to recharge.
Last year we spent spring break in Costa Rica, after a stressful and busy few months. We had been before and had done lots of cultural and eco exploring then. This trip, we were predominantly tourists. Admittedly, there were a few moments when I felt a twinge of guilt that we were “wasting” our days by the pool. Then I recalled that our primary plan for this particular trip was relaxation. Us adults wanted sun and poolside reading; one kid wanted to surf and the other to zip line. We did almost nothing cultural this trip, but we did meet everyone’s wishes, and when we returned home after a bit of vitamin D, we were ready to hit the ground running.
Conversely, on other trips, we’ve trekked through the jungle, slept in a local villages and mud huts, cooked on open flame, been up close to or on top of several large mammals, engaged with locals, and explored ancient ruins and art. In those cases, our trips were designed for our traveler selves; we had the time and energy for the experience. Like the touristy spring break in Costa Rica, these trips were just right, because they were planned with our wants and styles in mind.
Traveling with kids also changes things. Young kids need routine and predictability. Things like available food, accessible medical care and distance are real considerations. Not to mention, parents are exhausted during the early, hands-on parenting years. How long you can keep your toddler contained on a flight? Will your kid eat the food or be able to take medicine if they have digestive issues overseas? How will your kiddo do for 10 days without the usual nap schedule? Traveling off the beaten path with young kids can be stressful, so it’s important be realistic about your energy level. Just because your friend’s Insta feed shows an amazing trip to Asia with an infant, it’s not necessarily right for you.
As kids get older, especially if you’ve discussed traveler mindset, kids are more capable of exploring further afield. When they’re school age and you’ve talked about being being a traveler or tourist, you can circumvent whining by preparing your kids: “hey, this morning we’re travelers exploring the ruins, but this afternoon we’re tourists at the hotel pool.” My favorite trips have both traveler days and tourist days: one day we learn, observe and experience, another we enjoy a cocktail by the sea.
