Thread: Tourist vs Traveler - what's the difference

Originally Posted by katie23

And what of me, or people like me? I am a tourist, but I don't stay in flash hotels. But yes,I prefer the company of other tourists or travelers, like in the hostels/guesthouses/hotels that I've stayed in. Sometimes I travel with.company, but I can also travel alone. My situation is not unique, as there are other young professionals, sometimes Asian, sometimes not, who travel when their time & budget allow it. The ones with day jobs, who visit temples, museums & churches, rivers & mountains too.There are museums too in the east - they're not lumited to the west. I travel with a backpack, not a suitcase, but I'm not a long-term, dreadlocked backpacker. I prefer to call myself a budget traveler.

Its not all hard and fast, and all arbitrary.

I would classify you as a tourist based on the description. But then again, I see a lot of the long term, dreadlocked backpackers as some of the biggest tourists I've ever met. They are there to socialize with their own kind. That to me is really what defines a tourist. Cursory immersion into the place they are, with no real desire to intermingle with the locals to any extent other than a purely transactional basis.

I see Katie as a traveller...

Fair enough, its all based on arbitrary criteria. Any reason(s) in particular?

Katie's educated and smart...She knows the ropes and language(s), to boot...

Can be on the road in a flash, does her research, is open and friendly with those she meets...

Part of your definition about not mingling with the people doesn't seem like Katie, to me...

But you're right...To each his/her own...

I like the sound of "traveller" much better than "tourist"...

A tourist seems like a ghost that never materializes...

The word traveller is often accompanied by the word seasoned...

Don't often hear of "seasoned tourists"...

^ Hear, Hear!!! There, There!!!

^heh...

Here, there and everywhere (cue in the Beatles)

As I've said, my situation is not unique, as I've read many blogs about the travels of ppl who have day jobs & travel during their spare time. I've also several colleagues who travel during their breaks - young professionals. The abubdance of promos, budget airlines, info on the net, word-of-mouth, social media - make it easier to travel for leisure nowadays, than 10-20 years ago.

Yes, I interact w/ locals & try to learn a few words of the language, wherever I am. I think that's basic politeness 101 & travel skills 102.

Sigh... it was a very busy week, but the work-week is not yet over for me. I'm looking forward to my touristic travel in a few months! And a hike in a few weeks!

Btw, not all tourists have lots of money - there are budget tourists & budget travelers. SE Asia is full of them. Not all dreadlocked backpackers. I've met Singaporean, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc, short term backpackers/travellers who also have day jobs. Cheers!

Btw, in my research (aka blog-reading), I've read abt sexpackers. Backpackers who hook up with others of their kind in hostels. Some of them "earn" plus points or extra notches if they shag a local in that continent, e.g. a Thai in Asia, a Colombian in S. America, a French in Europe, etc. And some of them do it in odd places around the hostel. Lol

Not that I've witnessed any of it first-hand. Just read about it. Heh.

I think it was the blog of nomadicmatt. He's a digital nomad, and his blog is very informative. Google it, if interested.

Travellers have a nomadic lifestyle,and have no fixed address.

Originally Posted by Chico

Travellers have a nomadic lifestyle,and have no fixed address.

Best response to date.

That probably makes us all tourists. What with our internet connections

Originally Posted by katie23

the blog of nomadicmatt. He's a digital nomad

Originally Posted by Chico

Travellers have a nomadic lifestyle,and have no fixed address.

Travellers are usually on their gap year, being subsidised by their parents, and their fixed address (according to their passport details) is usually their parents home.

Nomad:



Digital Nomachiato:

"Will start law school in six months"

@cyrillev- lol on that

In defense of digital nomads (particularly nomadicmatt), their travel blogs are very useful. From matt's blog, I've read some tips abt solo female travelling - articles were written by a guest female blogger. I've also followed a travelling couple (young Merkins) who also had a popular blog - I've used info frm their blogs for my travels. From his bio, Matt had a day job, saved up, took a gap period to travel. Then became a TEFL for a while. Then became a full time travel blogger. Almost same story with the young Merkin couple - they saved up to fund their backpacking trip around the world. Then blogged about it and earned money from blogging & other online stuff. They're not dreadlocked backpackers either. If theu can earn money from blogging & travelling, then good on them! Not all backpackers (lomg term or short term) come from rich, priviledged backgrounds. Not all are soap dodgers either - some of them look & smell neat/clean.

In my Laos hostel, I had a very nice convo with an Argentinian lady. She was a young journalist who took a break from work to travel in Asia. I think some of you guys are too desensitized to the Khao San hippie type of backpacker - there are other types of backpackers or travellers around. Cheers.

Sorry for typos, am on fone

Fair enough katie.

Just look at that first picture though.

Don't you think the term 'digital nomad' is ridiculous?

I get that these days it's possible to subsidise or even fully fund your travels with blogging.

And yes, some of them do look very neat and clean.

The word "backpacker" never made sense to me...We all pack a bag of some sort...

Some even carry "baggage" they can't run from...Heh...

A small bag of "clothes" on wheels where the wheels rotate...You can kick it along "the trail" in front of you while shouldering your "communication bag" and drinking a hot coffee...

a traveller is a tourist with their head up their arse.

Originally Posted by Phuketrichard

Originally Posted by Sumbitch

It's a question of semantics I think. A tourist will stay in good hotels and visit temples (in the east) or museums (in the west) and prefers the company of other tourists whereas a traveler attempts to immerse herself in the local culture and pursues activities that brings him in contact with the native people. Then the difference between travelers and tourists is the amount of money spent during their journeys and the kind of activities they pursue, innit?

I look at it this way,
a tourist travels to see things, experience new places, eat new foods, does not matter how he does it ( by land, air, train) or if he stays in 1 star or 4 star place

A traveler travels to travel, not just going somewhere on a list to do or see a specific thing or place.



“Sal, we gotta go and never stop going 'till we get there.'
'Where we going, man?'
'I don't know but we gotta go.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road


Has NOTHING to do with money

Hey fucktard, I diss agreen to you.

They are the same, yes, absolutely.

The tourist has just come to terms rather better with his or her place in the scheme of things.

^ Wow...That's heavy, man...

Originally Posted by John Lennon

Originally Posted by Chico

Travellers have a nomadic lifestyle,and have no fixed address.

Best response to date.

A traveller?


A traveller?


A traveller?