Comments on: Four Ways to Avoid Being a Tourist

By: Mercedes

Mercedes — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:40:21 +0000

The “The Wrong Way Backpack” and fanny pack(guys only) are actually really common in Brazil from what I saw/heard. Especially in higher crime and downtown in the cities, and at bus terminals I rarely saw people with the backpack on the back. But I’ve never seen anywhere else where you can pull that off!

By: Talia Clare

Talia Clare — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:09:22 +0000

I totally agree with this and want to add one little thing…about taking appropriate baggage. A couple years ago, I got my family to go to Europe with me. I specifically told my aunt to buy a backpack for traveling since we were going to be visiting several countries. She ignored my advice and bought a huge, hard shelled bag on wheels which she then proceeded to pack full with more than 50 pounds of clothing and jewelry. She thought it would be really easy to get from the airport to the hotel. Little did she comprehend that we were taking the subways to the hotels and that many of the smaller, older hotels we were staying at did not have elevators. My uncle complained every time they had to tote that bag anywhere, and by the time it got home, it weighed 80 pounds with all the additional souvenirs. Although she tells my uncle she will never take anywhere again, she secretly admits that she WILL bring them again if she can.

BTW, she also takes a fanny pack with her.

By: jdub

jdub — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:34:33 +0000

Another Nomadic Matt Classic… Super Funny! I just can’t decide which is worse )

By: C K

C K — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:34:40 +0000

Over here in London, especially at Westminster and Tower of London area, tourists usually throng the area with a Lonely Planet ‘London’. Don’t ask me why, but it’s always Lonely Planet…. never fails.

By: Talen

Talen — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:44:48 +0000

Excellent list. The fanny packs always make me laugh.

Another thing to consider is keeping all the flashy jewelry at home. I always see tourists wearing things like Rolex’s and huge diamond earrings in SEA …I don’t know if it makes them feel superior or they just want to show off but it surely makes them a target to locals.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:58:48 +0000

@ “I really think the whole ‘tourist’ vs ‘traveller’ thing is elitist and opinionated.”

I have to agree. I used to get uptight about this and say “I’m a traveller!” but it’s such a false and unhelpful terminology. It does promote travel snobbery. As much as I appreciate laughing at the American tourist stereotype and almost crying when I see it manifested (couple of times a week, every week) it’s also a poor strawman.

It’d be nice to move beyond these into examining travel philosophies more fully; there are certainly differences in travel styles…and some are worse for the world than others.

By: NewWrldYankee

NewWrldYankee — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:38:32 +0000

Good Lord, I so want the I love Fanny Packs t shirt! In the whole fanny pack v. bum bag discussion – I once asked a brit friend what he thought a fanny pack was, and he thought it was a maxi pad! I love it! =)

By: Tanya

Tanya — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:27:10 +0000

Important stuff, Matt! I think the best way to not stick out is to simply be a good observer. What do locals do? Are they loud? Quiet? Where do they eat? Play? Hang out? As a woman who sometimes travels alone (and I know there are a bunch of you out there!), blending in as much as is possible is a must for safety’s sake. Even if you don’t look the part and there’s nothing you can do about it (blond hair and blue eyes won’t blend in in China, for example), you can at least act the part. In today’s world, people move around and live overseas all the time. It’s not completely impossible that a nordic-looking person would be living in Shanghai! Just play it cool, and observe, observe, observe!

By: Tamara

Tamara — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:02:06 +0000

As a native New Yorker, I can assure you – even in our own city, we actually do wear the I Love New York shirt. Really. I’m kinda bummed that I didn’t bring mine along to Europe with me this time.

By: Ant

Ant — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:06:47 +0000

"Bum bag" (just as uncool!) You should consider the origins of the word tourist, when writing your post on segregation in tourism. According to Wikipedia; "The word tourism was used by 1811 and tourist by 1840. In 1936 the League of Nations defined foreign tourist as someone travelling abroad for at least twenty-four hours. It successor, the United Nations amended this definition in 1945 by including a maximum stay of six months." So apparently there is a post-tourist threshold. Look forward to reading the post, mate.