Why do tourists not want to act like /look like tourists?

[Anonymous]

For me, I like immersing myself in whatever culture I'm in. I feel like it gives me a real taste of the place. Appearance does play a role in this. I'm also a bit of an introvert, so I don't like being haggled/having a ton of attention on me. I prefer blending in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in SF and just this morning was on a streetcar going to work when a group of tourists got on. They were all crowding around the front, trying to figure out how to pay, how to get change, blocking other people from getting on behind them, totally holding up the works. Then one of them somehow didn't manage to get ON the streetcar before it left and she yelled at the driver.

They were so annoying. I don't want people to feel about me the way I felt about them. That's why I don't want to seem like a tourist.

Exactly. People from Ohio are the worst DC tourists. You would think they never left their house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash people: when you are at a touristy site, you are a tourist, and the pickpockets know it. Doesn't matter how you dress.

I wrote on this forum about how I wear shorts/tank top sometimes when I go to the UK in the summer, in non touristy areas because DH's family/friends live there. Some snooty person on here told me that was so gauche and no Londoner would dare wear shorts or tank top. Why the heck would I care what Londoners wear. I'm not a wannabe Londoner, though we may move there, and I'll still wear my shorts/tank top when it's frickin hot outside, and most places don't have a/c there (have you tried riding the underground in the summer?).

I also wear fugly, comfy sandals when I'm there because *gasp* we walk around touristy areas, and I hate being uncomfortable.

Fascinating. No locals work there, or might be present with visiting out-of-towners, or anything of that sort. Only tourists.

Amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash people: when you are at a touristy site, you are a tourist, and the pickpockets know it. Doesn't matter how you dress.

I wrote on this forum about how I wear shorts/tank top sometimes when I go to the UK in the summer, in non touristy areas because DH's family/friends live there. Some snooty person on here told me that was so gauche and no Londoner would dare wear shorts or tank top. Why the heck would I care what Londoners wear. I'm not a wannabe Londoner, though we may move there, and I'll still wear my shorts/tank top when it's frickin hot outside, and most places don't have a/c there (have you tried riding the underground in the summer?).

I also wear fugly, comfy sandals when I'm there because *gasp* we walk around touristy areas, and I hate being uncomfortable.

Fascinating. No locals work there, or might be present with visiting out-of-towners, or anything of that sort. Only tourists.

Amazing!

Even locals can be considered tourists. I live in DC area. When I go to see the statues and stuff in DC, I'm a tourist. I have a backback full of stuff and wear comfy shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, I like immersing myself in whatever culture I'm in. I feel like it gives me a real taste of the place. Appearance does play a role in this. I'm also a bit of an introvert, so I don't like being haggled/having a ton of attention on me. I prefer blending in.

The minute you open your mouth, they will know you are not a local. When you go to a restaurant, the waiter will know you are not a local. When you buy a souvenir, the salesperson/cashier will know you are not a local. When you go to a tourist site and ask someone where the bathroom is, they will know you are a tourist. When you get in a cab, and tell the driver where to go, he will know you are a tourist.

You can't really get away from it.

[Anonymous]

It isnt pragmatism. It’s a form of virtue signalling. It’s better to be a “traveler” than a “tourist.”

[Anonymous]

When I've travelled, the worst tourists aren't Americans, it's large Chinese tour groups!

I'm generally not concerned if I look like a tourist. I live in L.A area and I see tourists regularly in Hollywood. They're noticeable because they dress differently than Angelinos and they're looking around, appreciating the views, checking out the stars on the ground, etc.

One day I might be a tourist in their hometown and I hope they wouldn't begrudge me!

[Anonymous]

I pretend to be a Canadian tourist because I'm embarrassed to be a US citizen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I've travelled, the worst tourists aren't Americans, it's large Chinese tour groups!

I'm generally not concerned if I look like a tourist. I live in L.A area and I see tourists regularly in Hollywood. They're noticeable because they dress differently than Angelinos and they're looking around, appreciating the views, checking out the stars on the ground, etc.

One day I might be a tourist in their hometown and I hope they wouldn't begrudge me!

This is the difference IMO. Locals walk with a purpose. They don't generally stop and gawk or look around. Depending on the area, locals tend to also walk faster than tourists who tend to walk slowly so they can soak up the sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pretend to be a Canadian tourist because I'm embarrassed to be a US citizen.

ha.. right now that's probably a good idea. A friend just got back from the UK, and he was asked numerous times, "how can you (Americans) vote for someone like Trump"? To which he replied, "well, I didn't" (he's a R btw).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pretend to be a Canadian tourist because I'm embarrassed to be a US citizen.

ha.. right now that's probably a good idea. A friend just got back from the UK, and he was asked numerous times, "how can you (Americans) vote for someone like Trump"? To which he replied, "well, I didn't" (he's a R btw).

Yes. Same situation in Paris recently, having to explain that we didn't vote for Trump (although we're Democrats).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash people: when you are at a touristy site, you are a tourist, and the pickpockets know it. Doesn't matter how you dress.

I wrote on this forum about how I wear shorts/tank top sometimes when I go to the UK in the summer, in non touristy areas because DH's family/friends live there. Some snooty person on here told me that was so gauche and no Londoner would dare wear shorts or tank top. Why the heck would I care what Londoners wear. I'm not a wannabe Londoner, though we may move there, and I'll still wear my shorts/tank top when it's frickin hot outside, and most places don't have a/c there (have you tried riding the underground in the summer?).

I also wear fugly, comfy sandals when I'm there because *gasp* we walk around touristy areas, and I hate being uncomfortable.

"Gasp" poster.... I really hate you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, I like immersing myself in whatever culture I'm in. I feel like it gives me a real taste of the place. Appearance does play a role in this. I'm also a bit of an introvert, so I don't like being haggled/having a ton of attention on me. I prefer blending in.

The minute you open your mouth, they will know you are not a local. When you go to a restaurant, the waiter will know you are not a local. When you buy a souvenir, the salesperson/cashier will know you are not a local. When you go to a tourist site and ask someone where the bathroom is, they will know you are a tourist. When you get in a cab, and tell the driver where to go, he will know you are a tourist.

You can't really get away from it.

NP. I know people will be identify me as a tourist, but I still don't like standing out as a really obvious one.

I grew up in a tourist town, a cruise ship stop. Believe me, we treated people VERY differently depending on how they approached us. The people who treated us townfolk like animals in a zoo, taking pictures of us doing our normal daily things, gawking of our "quaint" little houses, completely overwhelming our restaurants and being really loud in their utter disbelief that our restaurants dared to serve different things than theirs at home - yeah, they were obnoxious. They completely changed the feel of our town with their presence. We did everything possible to avoid them. I tried to not even go into town on cruise ship days. On the other hand, if someone showed up and really showed an interest in getting to know our town, we'd show them the really cool stuff that the tourists never knew existed. We loved having them around. They became "honorary locals".

And you know what? After a few decades of this, 90% of the time you can guess which type of tourist it'll be based on how they dress and carry themselves. I want to be the approachable kind of tourist. Like it or not, how you dress projects something about you. What kind of image do you want? You may not care. But when I'm traveling, I would like for locals to not have an immediate eye-rolling reaction to my presence, and I'd like the opportunity to engage with them a bit. Dressing the part helps.

FWIW, though, I actually find this matters less in big cities. You find all types there anyway, so you don't really stand out no matter what. It makes a big difference when you get off the beaten path.

[Anonymous]

Generally speaking, people like to think they're sophisticated when traveling and tourists are anything but.

[Anonymous]

Agree with whomever says about getting fleeced. Tourists are pegged as easy targets for theft be it a mugging/purse snatching or taxi driver seeing $$$.

I don't try to blend when I travel, just be nice, not obnoxious, but always alert especially in large, foreign cities and sometimes vocal when it calls for it, like you realize you are being taken advantage of. In certain places where the population is fairly somewhat homogenous looking, it's impossible to blend in!