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indytrucks
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf
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 Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:51 am Post subject: Traveler or tourist? |
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Inspired from a post in another thread.
I've been to quite a few countries in my time, and in my years living in Korea I've been to almost everywhere in SE Asia, with the exception of Myanmar. And there's one constant in this part of the world: the backpackers who refuse to refer to themselves as 'tourists' and insist on calling themselves 'travelers'.
I personally find this to be hilarious. What is truly funny is when some backpacker, hell bent on being as cheap as possible, is mostly concerned with 'blazing a trail' on his own with a Lonely Planet guide under one arm following the rest of the lemming herd.
I also find it amusing when backpackers claim that places have been 'ruined' by 'tourists'. If anything, it's the skinflint 2 quid a day set that give the rest of us a bad name. Haggling over two dollars a night in a guesthouse is not going to win you any friends with the locals ... the demeanour in Thailand these days will attest to that. The last time there I found most of the Thai proprietors to be rude and jaded. I think this is due in some part to gap year backpack man kicking up a fuss over an extra few dollars here and there.
Let's face it ... we live in a very small world. The days of Marco Polo and Lewis and Clark are long gone. So my question is, what's the difference between a tourist and a traveler? Is there one? |
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Lizara
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:16 am Post subject: |
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Tourists go just to see from the outside, and travellers go to experience from as far inside as they can get?
those may just be my personal definitions though. |
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trevorcollins
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:00 am Post subject: Re: Traveler or tourist? |
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| indytrucks wrote: |
Inspired from a post in another thread.
I've been to quite a few countries in my time, and in my years living in Korea I've been to almost everywhere in SE Asia, with the exception of Myanmar. And there's one constant in this part of the world: the backpackers who refuse to refer to themselves as 'tourists' and insist on calling themselves 'travelers'.
I personally find this to be hilarious. What is truly funny is when some backpacker, hell bent on being as cheap as possible, is mostly concerned with 'blazing a trail' on his own with a Lonely Planet guide under one arm following the rest of the lemming herd.
I also find it amusing when backpackers claim that places have been 'ruined' by 'tourists'. If anything, it's the skinflint 2 quid a day set that give the rest of us a bad name. Haggling over two dollars a night in a guesthouse is not going to win you any friends with the locals ... the demeanour in Thailand these days will attest to that. The last time there I found most of the Thai proprietors to be rude and jaded. I think this is due in some part to gap year backpack man kicking up a fuss over an extra few dollars here and there.
Let's face it ... we live in a very small world. The days of Marco Polo and Lewis and Clark are long gone. So my question is, what's the difference between a tourist and a traveler? Is there one? |
Sing it sister!
I couldn't agree more.
It's just a phrase that pretentious modern day, snot nosed hippy wannabe backpackers use to justify why they're such cheapskates and staying in the type of hotel I wouldn't keep my dog in.
"Oh we're blazing a trail"
"We're going deep cover into the culture because we're travellers"
Strange to have a superiority complex about the fact you spend 5 times as much money a day on beer as your hotel room, and bitching about the fact Pad Thais are now 15 baht when they used to be 10.
I'm a reformed one of those so I feel the right to point the finger at others. In fact it's my goddamned obligation. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:04 am Post subject: |
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| Lizara wrote: |
Tourists go just to see from the outside, and travellers go to experience from as far inside as they can get?
those may just be my personal definitions though. |
But do travellers? The majority of backpackers (quote 'travellers' as they call themselves) see a lot of hostel rooms, insides of buses, and a whole lot of other people generally from their own country and a few similar countries and thats about it. (In addition to seeing all the tourist stuff that the 'tourists' see).
Whenever I've travelled.. I always can't wait to stop somewhere for awhile and 'get to know' a place - like studying, teaching, living day-to-day type stuff. But then I wouldn't be travelling anymore. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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tourists are all about the destination (hence pre-planning is important)
travellers are about the journey (hence pre-planning is optional) |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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There are no "tourist cheques" only "travellers' cheques".
Tourists take the window seats - travellers the aisle. |
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huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Wangja wrote: |
| Tourists take the window seats - travellers the aisle. |
And here I always thought people took the aisle so that they would have easier access to the loo. |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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and the bar ... 
(Actually, travellers drink little on planes). |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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travellers don't take the plane if they can avoid it
tourists want to get there as quickly and comfortable as possible |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Traveller's carry 462lb backpacks on their backs and stay in holes overnight.
Tourists wear clean clothes and stay in real hotels. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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travellers write more letters
tourists take more pictures |
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indytrucks
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Well, if it's about the 'destination' rather than the 'journey', colour me a tourist. I've ridden in the back of the pick up truck from Poi Pet to Seim Reap, and it was no picnic. Tell me some intrepid traveler who would have enjoyed that journey. I'm heading back to SE Asia for 3 weeks this summer, and I'll be flying everywhere so that I can enjoy my destinations during the short time I have, and take lots of photos as that's what I like to do - take lots and lots of photos (it's a bit of a hobby). I may write a postcard but that's it.
The romanticized version of the traveler and the 'journey' ended with Paul Theroux. Everyone who fancies him/herself a modern day travel racanteur is a pretentious wanker who ends up boring everyone to tears around the guesthouse common room. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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travellers often wanna hang out with the locals
tourists usually wanna hang out with other tourists |
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trevorcollins
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
travellers often wanna hang out with the locals
tourists usually wanna hang out with other tourists |
I disagree. In my experiences most of the so called "travellers" just sit around with each other in their disgusting dormitory common rooms and talk about various drugs they've taken and the consistency of their turds.
Steering clear of all the locals unless they are making their banana pancake or changing the Bob Marley tape.
The use of the phrase "no I'm not a tourist I'm a traveller" is one of the most pretentious, snobby phrases on the road. The nerve of someone who hasn't showered in days and only owns one pair of underwear thinking they are better than ANYONE is hilarious. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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| trevorcollins wrote: |
...most of the so called "travellers" just sit around with each other in their disgusting dormitory common rooms and talk about various drugs they've taken and the consistency of their turds.
Steering clear of all the locals unless they are making their banana pancake or changing the Bob Marley tape. |
Backpackers? they may call themselves travellers, but they are just a subset of the species, or more of a sidebranch, a sort of Homo Neanderthalensis. |
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