Tourists are occasionally frowned upon. They can often be seen as contributing to climate change, the drivers of local prices skyrocketing, or not respecting local cultures. This has been exemplified during several different cases, notably in Barcelona, during the anti-tourist campaigns, “Tourists Go Home” became widespread, urging tourists to leave and expressing that they are not welcome in Barcelona (Pitrelli, 2024). 

With that said, there are several things tourists can do to challenge certain views about tourists, this paper delves into the topic of ‘Blending In’, covering things you should avoid doing whilst on holiday and suggestive behaviors and choices you should make. 

The issues with traditional ‘tourist behavior’

Some preconceived notions about tourists relate to visiting Instagram-worthy spots, disregarding authentic and traditional experiences that a location may have to offer (Volpe, 2023:Szabo, 2024). With that said, it is not uncommon for tourists to turn to global chains including hotels restaurants, and other tourist services instead of supporting local businesses (ibid). Additionally, certain tourist activities may contribute to unethical practices like elephant rides and have detrimental environmental impacts due to certain sites being overcrowded and devastating local environments (Harrison, 2024). Therefore, if done wrong, being a tourist can have negative impacts on local environments, have negative ethical implications, and contribute to the exploitation of local resources and environments by supporting global chains rather than local businesses. 

Embrace Local Cultures & Communities:

Whilst there are many different reasons why and how people decide to travel, there are a few practices that you can incorporate to combat views or traditional tourist behavior. It is important to respect local traditions, customs, and languages, even if they may seem unfamiliar to you. Instead of remaining unacquainted with these local traditions, try to learn a few basic phrases of the local language to help you connect with local communities (Szabo, 2024). You can also participate in various cultural practices or activities to connect and learn more about traditions amongst a certain community or region. With that said, it is also crucial to avoid judgemental attitudes, and rather see these different ways of life as a chance to learn more about new things (Volpe, 2023). 

Support Local Economies, not large global chains:

As mentioned earlier, when traveling it is important to support local businesses rather than large global chains. You can do this in a number of ways. First, eat at local restaurants, shop at farmers markets, and book accommodations through local, or family-run accommodations. This supports local economies, and produce and will provide you with more authentic experiences (Harrison, 2024). Furthermore, instead of using large tourist company services, utilize local guides tours who likely know more about the area whilst at the same time supporting local populations (Szabo, 2024). On a final note, avoid souvenir shops that sell mass-produced wear, look for handcrafted artisanal items produced by locals. 

The benefits of being a ‘better tourist’:
As this article has covered, there are several minor adjustments you can make to improve your experience as a traveler (rather than a tourist) and at the same time, ensure that your traveling has a beneficial rather than detrimental impact on local communities and environments. By supporting local businesses, you can contribute to local economies, gain authentic experience and knowledge, and preserve local environments. Furthermore, when traveling it is also important to learn about local culture and traditions, aim to learn more about these things and a few words in the local language and you can become an even better traveler

Bibliography: 

Pitrelli, M. (2024). Protesters in Spain told tourists to ‘go home.’ Instead more arrived. [online] CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/14/after-anti-tourism-protests-spain-receives-record-number-of-travelers.html.

Volpe, A. (2023). Tips for being a responsible, respectful traveller. [online] Vox. Available at: https://www.vox.com/even-better/23683282/responsible-respectful-tourist-tourism-vacation-sustainable

Roberts, T. (n.d.). Five Ways to Support Local Economies While Traveling. [online] www.storylines.com. Available at: https://www.storylines.com/blog/5-ways-to-support-local-economies-while-traveling.

Szabo, V. (2024). 7 Ways of Supporting Local Community While Travelling. [online] Ecobnb. Available at: https://ecobnb.com/blog/2024/01/ways-supporting-local-community-travelling/.