“Tourists don’t know where they have been. Travelers don’t know where they are going.” – P. Theroux.

Meaning, I suppose, that a true “traveler” has no set itinerary and is open to unexpected experiences and the possibility of personal growth, while a “tourist” goes home with photos and little real understanding of the culture they visited.

Amongst the “wanderlust tribe” and travel writers there has been a long-running debate about the meanings and values attached to these two labels. When contemplating tourists, long-term travelers have an unattractive tendency toward snobbery. Me, too.

There is, however, a grain of truth in the stereotypes.

The stereotype of the traveler:

• journey-focused: the journey is the reward
• travels light
• emphasizes unusual experiences over personal comfort and convenience
• uses local transport
• knows world geography
• is open-minded
• travels cheap
• is open to weird food and unexpected cultural activities
• loves their home country but considers themselves a “citizen of the world”
• is open to the idea that other cultures do some things better than their own
• stays in local homes whenever possible, will camp or use hostels when not
• carries clothes from several countries
• carries a towel and a headband flashlight
• believes in “the brotherhood of man,” and is skeptical of nationalism
• has no itinerary or ticket home
• has Facebook friends from other countries
• tries to blend into their environment, learn some language and local habits
• has traveled solo
• has slept in an airport or bus station more than once
• uses a backpack
• prefers farmers markets and cafes to cathedrals and museums
• reads voraciously about her environment and destinations
• has met strangers – then spontaneously changed plans and spent several days traveling with them
• knows how to say “Hello” and “Where is the toilet?” in several languages
• knows who Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin and Sir Richard Burton (not the actor) are
• wants to protect special places from the “Lonely Planet” people

The stereotypical tourist:

• travels heavy – uses luggage
• travels expensively
• travels in jets, taxis and buses
• travels in couples and in tour groups
• stays in hotels
• has an itinerary, limited time, and a ticket home
• is destination and “attraction”-focused
• is closed-minded
• prefers familiar food and toilets
• prefers comfort and convenience
• doesn’t research their destination
• doesn’t know geography
• sticks out and makes embarrassing social faux pas
• makes no real effort to learn from other cultures

…and so on.

As I say, there is some truth to the stereotypes, but I think the debate misses the larger point; all travel is broadening – a growth experience, just as all reading is broadening. Even a trashy novel may have kernels of wisdom and insight. It’s a question of degree.

A few ignorant and obnoxious tourists can give the whole group a bad name. God knows I’ve been deeply embarrassed by ugly Americans a few times, but how many is that, really?

Some travelers are closed-minded jerks. Lots of tourists are open-minded and curious. Perhaps this traveler vs. tourist stuff is just a way travelers try to make themselves feel better about being such lazy, unproductive members of society? The fig leaf of a “quest for transformation” can cover a lot of self-justification.

A two-week vacation to London and Paris to see the tourist sights is far more broadening than two weeks at the family cabin, but it’s also exhausting. People work hard – most of them need their vacation time to be relaxing and rejuvenating. Travel and tourism generally aren’t. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Now I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.”

I have been a traveler at times. I have been a tourist at least as often. Both are good. Personally, I think one is a few degrees more virtuous than the other, because it creates a greater possibility for surprise and growth, but there’s no way I’d miss the tourist highlights.

A lot of the tourist attractions are attractions because they’re just so damned good. Timeless symbols of mankind’s greatest achievements and insights. Just because they’re thronged with tourists doesn’t mean one should skip them as “too touristic.” On the other hand, a few nights in a local’s house and a long ride on a local bus with chickens and goats will probably teach you more.