Reclaim Your Tourist Status

Stay off the beaten path. Avoid the touristy spots. Blend in with the locals. Don’t take that silly photo you’ve seen online. The list goes on and on. The never-ending litany of ways to “be a traveler, not a tourist.” A checklist so mind-numbing that it’s driven me off of social media on too many occasions to count.

It’s an impossible list to live up to. Trust me. I’ve tried.

I literally wrote ⅓ of a book titled Chicago Like a Local. I know this trend like the back of my hand. It pushes, often too hard, the idea that the desire we have to adventure outside of the expected is the correct one, as if traveling were some kind of competition we desperately want to win. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can’t win. Traveling isn’t a game, even though social media has gamified it. Instead, it is a skill — regardless of what kind of traveler you are. 

In my years of traveling professionally, I’ve desperately clung to the idea of being a “traveler” rather than a “tourist.” Everywhere I go, I do my best to defy the expectations of those around me by being overly conscientious of, well, everything. Honestly, it’s exhausting. Balancing the “supposed to” and the “only tourists” checklists is like juggling flaming swords. Eventually, you’re going to get burned. 

That’s why I’m here to tell you to just travel. Whatever that means for you. Doing whatever interests you the most is what is going to give you the best experience. You want to visit the Statue of Liberty in New York City, pose in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or get that picture-perfect moment at the Trevi Fountain in Rome? By all means, do it. No one is keeping score. Those spots are heavily-touristed for a reason. Don’t let even your favorite travel creator tell you otherwise. 

There is nothing wrong with seeing those kinds of sights. No matter how heavily photographed or frequently posted they are. 

I’ll be perfectly honest: I will never deter someone from visiting a touristy spot if it gets them to visit somewhere new in the first place. The Astronomical Clock in Prague always comes to mind for me. I could go back to that city (my favorite one in the world, aside from the one I live in) and visit the clock on every trip. Heck, I’d look at it every day. Its artistry, history, and beauty will never cease to amaze me. I’ve gotten into debates about this clock. Been teased about how much I love it because it is considered “touristy.” 

And I don’t care. So neither should you. 

In a time when so much of what I write, and what others in my industry write, is dictated by SEO and buzzwords, all of those “like a local” recommendations become less and less “secret.” We are funnelled into travel itineraries crafted by an algorithm. We write the actual itineraries, sure, but the algorithm dictates so much of what the recommended content actually consists of. You know what it feeds on? Popularity. A once quiet, locally-loved place gets wind in the algorithm and quickly becomes yet another “touristy” locale. 

Contrary to what the internet and social media say, it is okay to be a tourist or a traveler. You can be one, or both, or neither if you really want to. You could just be a person on a trip. That’s okay, too. What matters is you’re getting out there and experiencing something different from your day-to-day routine. Whether you’ve been to a place dozens of times or once, explore to your heart’s content. Don’t let the internet dictate where you go or what you see. Don’t let people gatekeep the places in the world that speak to you. 

Instead, find travelers, creators, writers, or anyone whose opinion you hold dear who inspires you to leave home. Find people who are brutally honest in their interpretation of the world and who make you feel understood not just as a traveler, but as a person. As a curious soul. Influencer culture is alive and well, feeding the beast of travel content day in and day out. Just remember that it is a business that thrives on gatekeeping disguised as itinerizing. Only you can decide what kind of traveler you are and what kind of travel offers the best experience for you.