Home Opinion An Open Letter to ‘Uneducated Tourists’
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An Open Letter to ‘Uneducated Tourists’

by Katie Dawes

Yesterday I received an email notification in response to a comment that someone left on one of my youtube videos. It turns out that, according to this viewer, I am promoting sights in Paris that are only good for ‘uneducated tourists’.

It looked a little something like this:

An open letter to uneducated tourists

For those of you viewing on mobile, here’s the full quote:

Stay on the Left Bank. Visit musée de l’Orangerie & musée Rodin. Add musée d’Orsay if time permits. Only uneducated tourists go to the Eiffel Tower & the Louvre.

Lots To Learn

Without mincing my words, this comment pissed me off a little bit.

So here’s a bit of advice for any of you who have visited, or plan to visit, the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre while in Paris.

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An Open Letter to Uneducated Tourists

I love the travelling community. I love the way we can inspire others to step outside their comfort zone and experience things they may never have considered.

It’s one of the reasons I write this blog. I love hostels. I love travelling solo. And when I have great experiences I want to encourage you guys to experience them for yourself. That’s why I write about them on here.

Receiving comments on this blog and on my social media platforms is another thing I love. Whether it helps you guys out, or even gives me more advice on where to go and what to see when I’m in a destination, comments from our community are a great way of learning more about the world around us.

Personally, I’ve never heard of the Musée de l’Orangerie despite countless trips to Paris. So had this commenter suggested it without attitude, I would have been super excited to hear about it and add it to my list. In fact, I have added it to my list of things to do in Paris and I suggest you do too!

However, let’s just take a moment to consider the fact that this commenter believes that those people who might want to see the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre are ‘uneducated tourists’.

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We are all uneducated tourists

There we go. I said it. So let me explain why I think this.

I try and experience life as the locals live it in every destination I visit. I try and find local bars in Bruges, or street art hotspots across Europe. And I want you guys so see the unexplored district of Amsterdam Noord, and get to know the awesome people of Montenegro.

Some people would argue that this makes me a traveller not a tourist.

I’d argue, what the bloody hell is the point in making this distinction?

Because guess what. I’m also obsessed with the Notre Dame Cathedral, and have enjoyed a hop-on hop-off canal boat tour in Amsterdam. I also don’t see anything wrong with doing a Vatican City tour, or visiting the highly touristic Edinburgh Dungeons.

You might want to take off for two months of travel with a carry-on backpack, or head to Paris for the weekend with a suitcase. Either way you are still giving yourself the opportunity to learn more about the world than if you had stayed at home.

Perhaps you prefer to travel with no guide at all, a trusty copy of Lonely Planet, or take a group tour with Topdeck or Contiki. You are still putting yourself in situations in which you will learn more about yourself and the destinations you visit.

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Travel Is Personal and You Shouldn’t Be Shamed In To Thinking Otherwise

Here’s some facts about me. I’ve never been inside The Louvre in Paris or the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Does that mean I really dislike tourists? Hell to the no!

Actually, I just really dislike crowds and queueing. And I’ve had little interest in stepping inside them.

But I will (and have on multiple occasions!) wake up at the crack of dawn to see the Trevi Fountain in Rome at sunrise. Or to get an early entrance into the Notre Dame Cathedral.

So if you want to queue for the Eiffel Tower or the Sagrada Família then I don’t want you to listen to some jumped-up, pretentious traveller bullshit that you’re not a real traveller if you do so.

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Your Actions Will Always Be Judged By Someone, So Do Them Anyway

What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then.

William Least Heat Moon

I would hate to think that anyone who read that comment now feels bad for choosing to see certain sights or take part in certain activities while travelling.

Unfortunately you will come across a few people on your travels who believe they are better travellers than everyone else. They have stepped outside of the box more than you, experienced local life more than you, and understand the local culture more than you. At least, that’s what they think.

But by diminishing your personal experiences as a traveller or tourist, all they are doing is trying to enhance their own feelings of self-worth by judging yours. Judgemental people have a morality skewed in their own favour. So no matter how you choose to travel, they will always claim to do it better and you’ll often be wasting your energy even trying to argue with them.

So instead of arguing with them, take a moment to acknowledge your own achievements. If you’ve stood atop the Eiffel Tower and achieved a personal dream of yours, then be proud of it. You can be just as proud of that as eating from a street-food stall in Marrakech.

And if you find it hard to feel proud of your achievements, remember that I’m proud of all of you!

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17 comments

Emily June 25, 2017 - 3:40 pm

This is such a fantastic post. I have definitely felt like I shouldn’t visit some places that are “too touristy” because it might make me less of a traveler and more of a tourist, shamed by people who don’t know me or my experiences (or education on places).

I took one of the canal cruises in Amsterdam last summer and felt so silly getting on the boat, as if someone were watching me and judging me for doing so. It was one of the most “touristy” things I’ve ever done (before and since) but you know what? I learned a lot about the city that way! I saw it from the water in a way I never would have from walking, I got to see neighborhoods I didn’t visit any other time on the trip, and I learned a lot about the history and amazing architecture, in English!, in a non-judgemental way, over the headphones. I’ll never regret giving an hour of my life to that experience and I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on it because I was afraid of being the “uneducated tourist.”

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 3:44 pm

Hey Emily! This line totally got me: “I’ll never regret giving an hour of my life to that experience and I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on it because I was afraid of being the “uneducated tourist.””

It’s so true that we feel we have to do things the cool way to avoid people looking at us like we’re just silly tourists. But having taken a canal tour myself I can tell you that I totally agree with all the pro points you mentioned for doing it! Including seeing the city from the water and in fact, that’s how the original Amsterdammers would have got around the city so I don’t see any reason why it should be seemed uneducated!

Really glad you liked the post and thanks for your contribution!

Sam Jones June 25, 2017 - 4:12 pm

Agree 100%, Shakespeare & Company and Musée de l’Armée are on my list.

Saying that, Louvre is just a massive queue, and I think seeing Eiffel Tower is better than going up it – but they’re hardly
Madam Tussaurds / M&M World tourist traps.

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 4:16 pm

Ah I love Shakespeare & Company! And as for the last two, I recently popped in to see a friend who works at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in Amsterdam… and loved it! 😀

Adrenaline Romance June 25, 2017 - 5:14 pm

For us, the only uneducated tourist is the one who 1) does not respect the culture and history of the place, 2) harms the environment, and 3) does something illegal. Other than that, we respect how everyone travels. We congratulate them (and am excited for them) for visiting places, engaging in adventures, and immersing themselves with the destination’s culture.

This is also why I don’t delve on the “tourist vs travel” bruhaha.

That YouTube commenter does not know what he’s talking about.

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 7:42 pm

Hi guys – and yes! I did wonder whether to bring in the disrespectful traveller as I completely agree… but I didn’t want to confuse the message of the post! Great contributing comment and glad we agree that this commenter was full of dribble…

Keane Li June 25, 2017 - 7:01 pm

THANK YOU. As someone who’s been involved with travel writing for some time, the thing that bothers me most is the ego. There is no “right way” to travel and, as you said, traveling is a very personal thing.

People who get snooty about knowing a lot about a place aren’t exemplifying the best values travel imparts: tolerance for other ways of living.

Some people dream their whole lives of visiting the Eiffel Tower. Who is a person to convince them otherwise? Let them visit the “tourist traps” and then they can start their “education” from there.

Thank you for this post.

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 7:52 pm

“People who get snooty about knowing a lot about a place aren’t exemplifying the best values travel imparts: tolerance for other ways of living.”

THANK YOU Keane! That’s something I wanted to get across in this post, but didn’t quite point it out. So thank you so much for your comment and support 🙂

Jane June 25, 2017 - 7:59 pm

Well said … we are all on our own journeys through life. Those who judge are insecure in theirs…

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 9:39 pm

Agreed Jane – I think we can choose to tread our own journeys as we damn well please 🙂

Denu June 25, 2017 - 9:15 pm

I’ve never queued nor in The Louvre, the Eiffel Tour or The Sagrada Familia. Buy tickets in advance, use the back door, the stairs, etc. So you get to do both the super turistic first time in a place thingy and the more local experience.

Katie Dawes June 25, 2017 - 9:39 pm

Haha great tips Denu!

Michael Vanarey June 26, 2017 - 12:50 am

100% agree Katie! Great well written article! Keep it up – Those photo edits tho! 🙂

Dan Hagen June 26, 2017 - 5:11 am

You made a good response to that pretentious idiot. I would say that often times, tourist attractions are popular simply because they’re just interesting to visit. Like in Chicago where I am.

Katie Dawes June 26, 2017 - 12:44 pm

Haha glad you like my response Dan and great comment!

Ewa June 26, 2017 - 1:17 pm

Never heard before about ‘uneducated tourists’ but about uneducated people that is for sure. And does it matter if we are tourists or travellers or both at the same time? What matters the most is to RESPECT, have fun, enjoy and learn. I always visit some of ‘must do’ and well-known attractions in each destination and never considered myself as uneducated. Actually I thought I’m more educated and reacher in new experience than before.
And btw I loved Sagrada Familia and never needed to queue as I purchased ticket online in advance!
Great article!

Katie Dawes June 26, 2017 - 3:18 pm

Well uneducated tourists would usually refer to tourists who are disrespectful to the sights they are seeing. The ones who carve their names into national park trees or 12th century churches. And it definitely doesn’t matter if we are travellers or tourists – but you definitely get the traveller ego popping up every now and again, as in this case… thanks for the Sagrada tip and glad you liked the article! 🙂

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