Leisure Tourists - Why the Hate?

[AliasTheory]

Here's my first real topic ever on these forums.

 

If you haven't checked my profile, I live in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am constantly surrounded by tourists who visit for leisure; whether I am at Waikiki Beach with a bunch of surfers or at Ala Moana (the biggest shopping mall here,) there are always these people walking around. People from all over the world come to visit where I live. They stick out like a sore thumb, and automatically, us locals begin to express dislike to them...no matter what they try to do to prevent it. There are even types of shirts many here specifically label as "tourist shirts."

 

I'm sure everyone has seen tourists in his/her country or home area at some point or another, and may feel the same. But the question is...why? Why do we find these people so unlikable? Is it simply because these people are different than what we are used to, or more? And what is your image of "the tourist?"

 

I have deeply thought about this a long time ago and have my own reasons for why I and many others dislike the person we label as "the tourist." But seeing how this is indeed the Internet, I want to see what others think.

[JimboUK]

I've never had an issue with them, I used to work a lot in London where we get a lot of tourists and I found the mix of nationalities added something to the place. They're also good for the economy. :thumbsup:

[ginnyfizz]

I lived for a number of years in Devon, a very tourist oriented part of the United Kingdom and a largely rural area. The issue with the tourists was that they very often did asinine stuff like leaving farm gates open, abusing their rights to walk on footpaths, driving like lunatics on country lanes just because they appear empty, without consideration for the fact that around the corner there might be a farmer driving a herd of cows or a flock of sheep. And God forbid if you happened to be riding a horse, I have had them so close behind me that my horse's tail was on the bonnet of their car, with them shouting abuse.

 

There ARE tourists who do not help themselves.

[Lisnpuppy]

Have to agree with Ginny on this one. Tourist do asinine stuff...sometimes from inattention and sometime from an arrogant, "I won't see these people again so who cares" kind of way. I also think that most tourist don't bother to LEARN anything about the places they plan to visit beyond where this famous place is or this person was beheaded.

 

A few years back I went as a "tourist" to Boston, Mass and did the typical walk on the Freedom Trail. People forget many of the placed through which they go are homes or local businesses that really have nothing to do with the tourist trail. At one point you pass a graveyard which is right on a major, trafficked corner in downtown Boston. There are regular paths in the graveyard..so that many tourist can walk WITHOUT walking on the graves. Several famous people are buried here...John Hancock and the like. I watched as a woman...planted her fat arse on one of our founding father's gravestones and posed for a picture. I stood there, stunned as I remembered as a young child walking over a grave on Memorial Day and my great-grandmother popping my behind for it. Maybe some people think that is fine but I didn't.

 

Also as far as tourist not learning about the places they visit...obviously there are many cultural differences and very different customs...not learning some of this about the places you travel is in my mind, arrogant and can possibly cause you great trouble. It doesn't hurt to do some web browsing and a bit of reading or question asking. In America, a call to the local Embassy or State Department or a visit to their websites could answer many questions or lead to a place to get the information you would need and take little time enough.

 

So yeah, sometimes the tourist careless disregard for the things we hold important is frustrating and can lead to a unhealthy relationship between the natives and the tourist (who they usually need for economic benefits.)

[TheCalliton]

tourists in minnesota? lol, nobobdy comes to visit for fun here!

anywaysn places with lots of tourists hate em because they feel like their home is being turned into a zoo exhibit!

[ub3rman123]

THey walk too slowly and get in my way gawking at things.

[Balagor]

Good topic, @AliasTheory

Coming from Denmark I never really have this issue, since we can only provide short summers, with lots of mosquitoes.

However I have been, and still am a "tourist". I have travelled thousands of miles in many different countries. I am aware of this issue too, and have always avoided places with many tourists. I have always tried to mingle with the population.

As a "tourist" I have actually never liked tourists, myself. They are too noisy, sometimes drunk, and a few also acts like they own the country they visit I.E. they complain if the food is different from their own food, the waiters are lazy, they say, and all that bull.

When you travel as a tourist, you are as a guest in another familys house. You must be with your head bowed, and humble, untill you fully know the customs and cultur of the current county.

Like @Lisnpuppy mentioned with the incidents at the cementary, that would not happend if you just keep your head down, and your respect up. When we are on unknown territorries, we will always be uncertain on how to behave. Some people don´t even know the most fundamental rules, like be fully dressed in a muslim country, or a church. I am neither muslim nor christian, but I know the rules, and of cause I respect them. Most tourists don´t, and thats why I always travel alone. I nearly feel ashame when someone from my country break the rules, and they look typical scandinavian, like I.

I also don´t like the counterpart of the tourism. All the street sellers, who think that because I am from abroad, I must be that stupid that I want to have my photo taken, looking like Stallone, and with a plastic shark, all for only $ 100, or a 10 dollar watch fo $ 300.

 

My 2 cents

[AliasTheory]

I watched as a woman...planted her fat arse on one of our founding father's gravestones and posed for a picture. I stood there, stunned as I remembered as a young child walking over a grave on Memorial Day and my great-grandmother popping my behind for it.

 

What in the world...I can't believe ANYONE would do that. I'm shocked that someone would be that disrespectful.

 

@Balagor: Thanks. I really thought this topic wasn't going to be a flop.

 

Quick version of my side of the story:

 

In my case though...local Hawaii people scoff at the American stereotype in general and tourists' ignorance towards our culture. We often use chopsticks with our plate lunches and local-style food; they don't even bother with our delicacies most of the time. They use forks (though yes, picking up rice takes some time and experience.) Tourists also flow in dressed in crazily colorful floral printed shirts, and honestly, nobody dresses like that around here. Crazily colorful meaning a rainbow of colors. They come into a store with lots of leis on and in khaki shorts. (Don't forget the rubbah slippah.) At the beach, it is much worse. Locals laugh upon seeing an obese, Caucasian man on the beach completely red and burnt to a crisp, and those not knowing how to deal with man-o-war stings or vana (Hawaiian sea urchins.) That there, is the stereotypical image of the Hawaiian or tropical tourist.

 

It is unfortunate that these people will never really begin to blend in with the local population. They are mocked at for being different, and when they try to fit in, they do a terrible job and are mocked at anyway.

[ginnyfizz]

Eeeuw...I have to say that I struggle with chopsticks, as I have rheumatoid arthritis and my fingers are awkward and very clumsy. For me it would not be a case of ignorance, but I would likely starve if I had to use chopsticks, as it would take me a year to eat lunch/dinner.

 

Nevertheless, I do know what you mean. I cringe when I see the average British tourist abroad yelling for English beer and taking their suitcases packed with baked beans, ketchup and the like so they don't have to eat the "Foreign muck". I was actually flattered when in Corfu, I was among a gaggle of them and one of the local Greeks mistook me for a fellow Greek. I suspect it was because we were in the church of Aghios Spiridon and I was the only person being suitably respectful.

[Balagor]

@Alias

It is exactly those kind of tourists I think of, those you mention. Those who have spotted a postcard photo, or read the small guide in the plane, and think stereotyped: "this is how they all look. If I dress up like that, I´ll look native." Bull.

As for how to eat, I for once agree with you, @fizz. I will of cause eat the local food and spices, I just love that. But I too would starve without my fork. After all, we ARE "tourists".

Those I don´t like are the complaining and rude ones. I remember many years ago, I was working in Greece as a waiter at the sea shore (paradise for me)

There was this gang (I will not tell from where). First of all they were often drunk. They kept on complaining about the food was bad, they could not get the beers they like and the toilets were hopeless. One day One of them shouted at a Greek: "how can you live in this Godforsaken country, with all that heat, flies and no good beers"?

This is one of the few times in my life I got so mad, that I shouted back to all of them what the h::ll they were doing in Greece anyway, since it was all so bad.

What I mean is, those kind of people might as well find a good spot in their own country, and go camping, drinking or something. Perhaps then nice tourists would also have a better reputation then.