7 Ways To Know if You Are a Tourist or a Traveler

There are two main types of people who travel: travelers and tourists. This post is not to check which is bad or good seeing as they possess very different characteristics that ultimately give them completely different experiences while flying across the ocean

Here are some of the factors that differentiate between the two

A TRAVELER BLENDS IN WHILE A TOURIST STICKS OUT

A tourist has a selfie stick or they are clogging up the sidewalk while staring at a map, Tourists tend to draw attention to themselves with certain types of social behaviors.

A traveler, on the other hand, does their best to blend in with the locals. They look like they know where they are going even if they don’t and they dress the part.

A TOURIST EATS COMFORT FOOD; A TRAVELER TRIES OUT THE LOCAL CUISINES

A tourist will only stick to foods that they are familiar with or that they can pronounce the name, which sometimes includes popular foods. They usually are not open to new tastes.

A traveler knows that food is the link to any culture and the experience it in full, they are willing to step out of their comfort zone to try out local dishes in order to taste the country’s culture.

A TOURIST ONLY SIGHT SEES; A TRAVELER CONVERSES WITH LOCALS

A traveler makes an effort with locals or tries to at least communicate with them, find out the best things the city has to offer. Travelers know that locals are the best way to exploring somewhere new.

A tourist stays within their comfort zone and only sticks with seeing the popular sights. They don’t really make an effort to meet people preferring to stay with who they are travelling with.

TOURISTS DRESS FOR COMFORT; TRAVELERS DRESS FOR STYLE AND COMFORT

Tourists normally only pack clothes that they will be “comfortable” when travelling but this can sometimes be the opposite of the fashion norms in the said country.

Travelers are smarter when packing. They pack clothes that are functional and fashionable at the same time.

TOURISTS STICK TO THEIR NATIVE TONGUE; TRAVELERS MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO LEARN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE

Tourists will only speak their native tongue and usually make very little effort to learn any of the local languages.

A Traveler makes an attempt to know at least a few keywords or phrases to use when travelling. Words like “please,” “thank you,” and “hello” make much more of a difference when travelling in a country that speaks a different language.

TOURISTS BUY THE FIRST SOUVENIRS THEY FIND; TRAVELERS FIND THE DEALS

Tourists will walk into the first local souvenir shops they see, which tends to be a rip-off. They usually settle for that and do not attempt to find or dig deeper.

Travelers take a little more time and effort in their search for local treasures and gems. They know that it takes a little bit of digging to find the best deals.

TOURISTS RELY ON MAPS; TRAVELERS TRUST THEIR INSTINCTS

Tourists rely heavily on their maps to tell them how to get from popular sight to popular sight

Travelers use their instincts instead. This does not mean that they don’t use Google Maps here and there, but they aren’t afraid of getting lost and having an adventure.

DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE WITH YOUR EMAIL BELOW AND GET MORE OF THIS EVERYDAY