I see a lot of people on social media posting about the “right” way to travel, and the difference between a “traveler” and a “tourist”. Others will say something like “If you don’t do X, Y, and Z, you’re not a traveler.”
A lot of them are meaning to make the point that it’s more rewarding and memorable to immerse yourself in the culture or the people than to just visit tourist sites. But it often comes off as elitist or at the very least exclusionary.
Saying that people aren’t properly visiting another country because they didn’t go visit some hidden away, locals-only bar or ride a dingy train cross-country just isn’t fair. For one, most people don’t have the time for those kinds of trips. Others don’t have the budget or just simply don’t want to. But that doesn’t mean they’re traveling “wrong.”
So, then, what’s really the right way to travel?
If you’ve been on my blog for any length of time, you probably know that my posts like this rarely give a straight answer. There’s a reason for that.
What is Travel?
Travel is, at its core, simply the act of visiting another place. That could mean visiting a nearby town or the opposite side of the world.
Now, obviously, when someone says they’re traveling, they could mean a multitude of different things:
- Visiting a resort and barely leaving it
- Going on a cruise
- Visiting significant and/or popular landmarks
- Immersing themself in the culture of another place
- Going on a short trip somewhere near where they live
All of these are valid, and simply the result of people looking for different experiences. I would even add visiting new places in your local area to this list.
Now, I won’t say I’m exempt from some of this exclusionary behavior. I often have a hard time seeing someone who barely leaves a resort as a traveler in the same way as someone who explores new surroundings. But that’s my own bias, and it shouldn’t matter (and it doesn’t)!
To take “travel” and limit it to only certain activities is just weird. Everyone has their own preferences and their own comfort zone.
How I Travel
I suppose it’s important to describe my own travel preferences in a post like this. They definitely vary depending on the place I visit.
I haven’t had the chance to spend more than a few days in most places I’ve visited. The exceptions are Belize and Romania, but I visited those places for special projects. In Belize, it was BVAR. In Romania, it was English Cool Camp.
Everywhere else, I lacked either the time or the money to stay for too long. But I visited the big sites: The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, or the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. In fact, the Sagrada Familia was my main motivator for even visiting Barcelona.
I would love to revisit nearly all of these places, even the ones I’ve spent more time in, but who knows when that will happen.
And that’s a big part of my concern: only the people who can afford to spend long times away from home will even have the ability to get immersed in every place they visit. Still, they’re also the ones spending all of their time sitting in a resort.
The Actual Right Way to Travel
I know this will sound like a vague answer, but the right way to travel is the one that works best for you.
The biggest reasons to travel are to get away from your responsibilities and to step outside of your comfort zone. So if you’re doing one or both of those things, then who cares what everyone else is doing? If visiting an all-inclusive resort in another part of the world still gives you a new experience and broadens your horizons, then more power to you.
Before I started traveling, I wanted to make it a point to learn at least some basics of every country’s language before I visited. Now that I’ve started traveling, I realize how difficult of a task that actually is. I’ve picked up some Romanian, I already knew Spanish, and I know zero Arabic. Some people have found ways of learning a language quickly (or make it seem like they have), and I’d love to eventually do the same, if possible.
That’s a big part of why I made this blog in the first place: to explore the world through both language and travel, and to make it easier for you to know what to prepare for when you visit the same places. Then, you can make your own judgement calls on how much you want to learn and explore before your trip.
Conclusion
I’ve said it already, but these travel influencers who talk about the “right” way to travel are pushing an idea that’s not sustainable for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with them traveling the way they want to, but it can make people feel like they shouldn’t travel if they can’t do all of that. I know it’s made me feel that way before.
Go travel, whether it’s within your city, your state, or the whole world. Experience new things and broaden your worldview in any way you can. You’ll be all the better for it.
Thanks for reading! I hope this post helped you in some way. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know in the comments below or contact me directly. I always appreciate your visit and your feedback, whether you’re new or a long time reader!
