Traveller Or Tourist?

Is there a difference between a traveller and a tourist?

There might be. Let’s make the definitions pretty simple:

• A tourist is someone who goes abroad for a holiday. They want to relax and enjoy themselves and, sure, see a different way of life, but it’s not the priority. For them, the priority is to get away from their life back home and enjoy some R&R time.
• A traveller is someone for whom the traditional reasons for a holiday are not important. They focus primarily on the experience, seeing new things, tasting interesting cuisines. For them, that’s the point of a holiday – sitting around doing nothing, indulging in the latest beach reads, is not something that excites them.

Let’s be clear: neither one of these is the ‘right’ way to experience the world. We’re all different, so we require different things from our time spent abroad. However, understanding which category you fit into can really help you when it comes to choosing your next jaunt abroad.

Travellers Will Love…

It’s not just about the destination for travellers. Given their intrigue for seeing the world and experiencing the entirety of a new place, it’s worth making the journey as much a part of the holiday as getting to an end destination.

For that reason, touring holidays are a great idea – especially ones a traveller controls so they can stop and investigate something interesting if it catches their eye. This could mean a driving holiday, camping wherever possible, as you chart your own course and document your experiences along the way.

Or if camping isn’t for you, then you could consider a caravan. Caravans tend to get a bad rap in popular culture, dismissed as annoyances that hold up traffic, and as inconveniences for travellers. Caravanning, some sections of society will say, means that you’ll spend more time on caravan repairs than you will actually seeing anything.

This isn’t true; caravan holidays are what you make of them. It’s also convenient to have somewhere warm and dry to sleep! So be open-minded if you’re a traveller; you can pretty much pick any destination, so long as you’re able to explore it.

Tourists Will Love…

For a tourist, it’s all about convenience. That means the idea of the classic package holiday should appeal, as you can have everything taken care of for you. You don’t need to worry about learning the language or finding your own sites; you can let others do the hard work and you enjoy the product of their research. There’s a real charm to following a pre-mapped course, which you know is going to return you safely to your hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Destinations that work well for tourists are usually away from the bustle of a city, but near enough a major city for a day trip if you fancy upping the pace for a short while. For the full tourist experience, look for a hotel that is going to provide some of your meals and a cleaning service – it’s surprisingly inexpensive if you manage to hunt down a good deal.

Importantly, try and keep your journey swift and efficient – for a tourist, it’s all about getting there so the good times can roll.