Of Tourists and Travellers

So here we are in Madaba, looking at an ancient mosaic depicting the Holy Land. It is only after the third flash of my camera that I realise I haven’t actually looked yet at the object I’m photographing. A quick glance at the rest of the group reveals that I’m not the only one with this issue.

It was this minor incident that made me realise how much our group looks, and to a certain extent behaves, like tourists. I should tread carefully here however; some of my group members might take offense at being called a tourist. And with good reason, for the term ‘tourist’ usually carries a negative connotation. They are generally portrayed as lazy, foolish and mindless consumers of artificial areas such as resort, without any regard for the local culture.

These days, most people would prefer to be seen as travellers. They are the ones who, supposedly, truly interact with the local- culture and environment and thereby create a more meaningful experience.

So it’s no wonder that people, myself and the group included, try to move away from the image of a tourist, and try to embrace the travelling image. For example, when we were in Petra a large part of the group decided to leave our tour guide in order to climb a nearby mountain.

But is this wish to be seen as a traveller truly justified? Obviously, there is a difference between staying in a resort for a week and travelling the countryside. But is one experience truly better? I personally don’t believe so, but I’d be interested to read your comments stating whether you like to perceive yourself as a tourist or as a traveller.

Reference:  McCabe, Scott. "‘Who is a tourist?’A critical review." Tourist studies 5.1 (2005): 85-106.