Are you a Tourist or a Traveler?

Traveler-World

Ask people what they love to do and more often than not, most will say they love to travel. Assuming this broad classification, does it mean that we all are travelers? Most of us would love to get the tag of a traveler but the truth is a different ball game altogether. There is a THICK line between being a traveler and a tourist, which I have tried to make evident for you in the course of this write up.

Let us look at some of the different aspects of being a traveler and a tourist.

  • Travelers posses a carefree streak whereas tourists are more measured in their travels. You will see travelers with a haversack on their back and a map in their hand strolling along the lanes and bylanes. A tourist on the other hand will be lounging at the poolside sipping on his Mai Tai or getting a foot massage.

Traveler trekking & Tourist relaxing

  • For travelers, it’s more a journey and a learning experience; for tourists it’s a holiday and relaxation.

Travelers Journey & Tourist holiday

  • Travelers soak in the culture and don’t just do the mundane sightseeing; which is exactly what the tourists focus on. You will see travelers connecting with the locals, maybe trying to learn the local language or enroll in a cooking class. A tourist will probably focus on famous shopping destinations or sites etc. Their interaction with the locals will be minimum throughout their travel.

Traveler learning & Tourist enjoying

  • Travelers have a flexible itinerary and it need not like a fixed plan. Whereas tourists have their entire trip planned meticulously. Usually travelers are not on a time constraint and take their travel as it comes. Tourists are bound by a schedule and are on a shorter trip.
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Traveler Itinerary

  • Travelers camp under moonlight and prefer homestays, at the most they check into some simple guesthouse/hotel. Tourists will have a room booked in a starred hotel, probably a room with a view. Travelers don’t focus on luxury or a lavish time, they are more focused on adventure and learning.

Travelers camp & Tourists Hotel

When you look at it broadly or minutely, you will understand that being a traveler and a tourist are completely different aspects of traveling. Most of us are more touristy as opposed to being true blue travelers. But then, it all depends on what you are seeking from your travels, which classifies you as a traveler or a tourist. So which one are you?

Comments

Rakhi Kapoor
I am a bit off both. A toutraveller or a tratourist... been with a trek to Nepal with Get up and Go where a ArjanKripal was leading the team it was an incredible experience. Looking forward to doing more treks with Get up and Go. Keep following your posts and read your blogs . The tips are informative and useful. Travelling and seeing the world is like opening ones mind and giving ones soul a pair of wings. So may the trave bug bite many and the spirit of adventure catch on. Good luck Arjan ..Get up and go ...The whole team . Wishing you an a prosperous and adventurous year ahead.

About Author

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Arjan Kripal
Arjan comes from a family of professional cricketers. His grandfather, father and uncle have all represented India. Arjan himself captained the Indian Under 19 Team, and has played first class cricket for Tamil Nadu. He is a qualified coach, a BCCI match referee and even holds a world record in cricket! Arjan’s cricket career saw him travel extensively across the world. He has since discovered that he has an insatiable wander lust and a flair for planning itineraries for family and friends – a love and skill that has naturally progressed into setting up Get Up and Go. Arjan is a certified scuba diver and has bungee jumped, sky dived and paraglided several times. He has been to every continent and corner of the world, reveling in exotic foods and myriad photo ops; from walking the Inca Trail in Peru, to swimming with Whale sharks in Mexico… Arjan has even come face to face with a Great White Shark in South Africa! “I want to share all my varied journeys with fellow travellers so they can experience, first hand, something that has been so rewarding for me.”