Traveler or Tourist?
I recently heard someone talk about the difference between a tourist and a traveler. ‘A tourist is a consumer and a traveler is a person who experiences more from the environment.’
Personally, I think that this is a rather simplistic way of describing the difference. From what I can tell plenty of people travel, but very few are travelers.
So what really is the difference? After all a tourist and traveler are really doing the same thing – they are travelling, enjoying new experiences, buying and consuming products and activities along the way.
To me a tourist is someone who is really only interested in saying that they have been somewhere – the whirlwind trip visiting umpteen destinations in 2 or 3 weeks – taking the happy snaps – and making sure that they are in the pictures to prove that you have been there!
So what is a traveler?
I think the hallmark of a traveler is the understanding there is more than just seeing the sights and taking photos – although of course that is still part of the experience.
- Travelers go deeper.
To sit and look, hear and smell, to wander around the streets, to eat in a local cafe and most importantly to try if possible to actually talk to someone (sometimes difficult if you don’t speak the language but somehow I have found that some level of communication is possible and often the locals speak enough English to have a chat!)
- Travelers learn to embrace the randomness.
Part of my trip is about embracing life away from the highway. It’s about finding the big stories in the little avenues and alleyways of our large world.
I had the most amazing experience in Athens when I tried to take a photo of this really interesting (bizarre!) looking man….As I pointed the camera and tried to zoom in on him, he noticed me and gave me the finger… caught in the act!
- Travelers look for the opportunity
I couldn’t help myself – I burst into laughter and then moved in closer and asked in English if I could have permission to take his photo – he spoke English and said “yes you can” I focused the camera and then asked him to give me the finger again because that was so Australian! He obliged and then asked me to join him for a drink!
The next 3 hours passed with us chatting about his life and my journey – he turned out to be the most interesting person I have ever met – a renowned sculptor and artist and world traveler – Shock Dim (his actual name)!
- Travelers stop to drink it in.
What a privilege to have met him and spent some time learning from him. Instead of hurrying about taking photos of things we’ve all seen before I chose to travel differently.
I may never meet him again but I will also never forget those few hours in a strange city chatting to this most amazing man and really experiencing Athens at its local best!
So yes, there are times when we have to be tourists but the true experience is to be brave and be a traveler…
Happy Bumbering
