“Dear Travelers: Don’t Just Be a Tourist; Discover the Explorer in You”

“A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

Lao Tzu 

Hey there! Have you ever wondered if there’s a difference between tourism and traveling? While they both involve visiting a new place, they have different meanings and purposes. In this blog post, I will try to explain the differences between tourism and traveling and clarify why it is important to distinguish between the two. So, let’s start.

Tourism: A subset of Traveling

When we talk about tourism, what comes to our mind? Look for favorable dates, choose popular tourist attraction destinations, book tickets, make reservations, pack bags, and finalize a to-do list at planned tourist places. Yeah, when we talk about tourism, we generally plan a well-established vacation at any famous place with a proper itinerary.

Tourism is a convenient vacation plan where we may prioritize comfort and familiarity. We stay at pre-booked hotels, visit conventional tourist attractions in pre-booked cabs, rely only on authorized tourist guides, and eat at famous food chains. Many of you may argue that this is just one form of tourism i.e., leisure tourism.

Yeah, that is right. What was discussed in the preceding paragraph is just about leisure tourism. Before, going further, let’s discuss some different types of tourism based on purposes of travel.

1. Business Tourism: In this type of tourism people go to other places, domestic or international, for business purposes like meeting with potential clients, or for attending an event or conference.
2. Shopping Tourism: When people visit some specific destinations to get hold of a particular object or brand which are not locally available, it is called Shopping Tourism. For instance, in fashion tourism people like to visit Milan, New York, or Paris.
3. Cultural Tourism: When we visit a place of cultural importance, where we can experience another place or country’s cultural heritage, such as architectural monuments, literature, religion, festivals, theatre, music, cuisine, and more, then it is cultural tourism. For example, visiting Agra to see the Taj Mahal, or any other place listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List is a kind of cultural tourism.
4. Medical Tourism: As the name suggests, this tourism is visiting a particular country to receive medical, surgical, or wellness treatments.
5. Adventure Tourism: This type of tourism is quite common these days, especially among youths. In adventure tourism, we go to remote, exotic, or challenging environments. Thrill seekers who want to push their limits and seek exhilarating experiences prefer adventure tourism. The Himalayan region in India is one of the most preferred locations for adventure location.

(Note: There are other types of tourism also like sports tourism, religious tourism, or urban tourism. But this blog is not about different types of tourism.)

So, what do we observe from these different types of tourism? All forms of tourism are theme-based visits to a different destination with a pre-planned tour program and limited purpose. Some people may argue that adventure tourism is different from other forms of tourism as in adventure tourism, people’s plans are, mostly, less pre-determined. However, adventure tourism also includes a pre-determined destination and a limited purpose.

Now let’s know about some greatest travellers in World history.

The Greatest Travellers in World History

We know that early humans were known to be nomadic and travelled in search of food and shelter. Later, as civilizations developed and new trade routes were established, people began traveling around the world to explore new destinations and pursue trade opportunities. Let’s look at some of the greatest travellers in world history.

1. Marco Polo: Marco Polo was an Italian merchant who traveled through Asia, at the age of seventeen with his father and uncle, along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. Throughout his travels, Polo explored the Silk Road, visited Tibet, and spent several years in China, where he became a trusted advisor to the Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. Marco Polo was sent on many diplomatic missions throughout his empire and in Southeast Asia. Later, he returned to Venice in 1295 after travelling almost 24,000 Km. He accounted for his travel experiences in his book ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’ which introduced Europe to the cultures of the East.
2. Ibn Battuta: Ibn Battuta was an Islamic scholar who visited most of North Africa, the Middle East, East Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, the Iberian Peninsula, and West Africa between 1325 to 1354. His travelogue is “A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling”, commonly known as The Rihla.
3. Zheng He: Zheng He was a Chinese mariner, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China’s early Ming dynasty. Zheng He is known for his huge fleets and between 1405 and 1433, commanded seven expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa. Zheng He is widely regarded as the greatest-ever Chinese explorer.
4. Christopher Columbus: Christopher Columbus was an Italian mariner and navigator who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean between 1492 and 1504. On his first voyage (1492-1493), which was motivated by his desire to find a shorter route to Asia and establish trade relations with the East, he made landfall on one of the Bahamian islands. For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean. Columbus’s voyage opened up a new era of exploration and discovery, leading to the colonization of the Americas and the establishment of new trade routes between Europe and the New World.
5. James Cook: Captain James Cook was a British cartographer and naval officer. He is famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to New Zealand and Australia in particular. During his voyages, he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.
6. Freya Stark: Dame Freya Madeline Stark, famously known as Frey Stark, was a British-Italian traveler and writer. Born in 1893, she started her solo visit by boarding a ship to Beirut in 1927. It was during this trip that she developed a deep affection for the Middle East and went on to explore various regions of Syria, Iraq, and Arabia. By 1931, she had completed three dangerous treks into the wilderness of western Iran, exploring regions that no Westerner had ever ventured before. Her explorations led her to discover the legendary Valleys of the Assassins. She documented her remarkable discoveries and adventures in her book titled ‘The Valleys of the Assassins’.

Be an Explorer, Not Just a Tourist.

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”

Freya Stark

As you can see from the lives of the greatest travellers, traveling is all about discovering new destinations, learning new cultures, and opening new opportunities for mankind. Travel means learning new cultures, and the unknown history of different places. It’s not just about visiting a well-known place for leisure, adventure, or some other specific purpose. In fact, traveling is all about going on an expedition to some unknown place in search of new learnings, cultures, traditions, and even opportunities.

Traveling is an art of wandering that is not just about visiting new places. It’s also about gaining knowledge about various cultures and people. You might argue that due to our busy lives, it’s not possible to go on such expeditions. Yeah true. The world has changed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t travel less famous places. Let’s see how we can do it.

Whenever you plan a solo trip or a family vacation at any famous destination, it’s a good idea to reach out to the locals instead of pre-booking tourist guides. I am sure they have more stories to tell. Also, find the oldest eateries in the area and try their traditional delicacy. For example, if you are visiting Agra for the Taj Mahal, try “Jalebi with Curd” at some local sweet shop. It is far better than the food you will be served by any famous restaurant near the Taj Mahal.

Using local public transportation is a great way to experience the essence of a place when traveling, instead of relying on taxis. For example, wandering the old markets of Delhi in a rickshaw can give you a better understanding of the Mughal era in Delhi than visiting historical monuments alone.

 It’s always a great idea to explore the nearby local places when you visit a destination. This is a great way to learn more about the culture and traditions of the place you’re visiting. Keep in mind that the true essence of any famous destination can be found in the nearby places, not just at the main attraction.

If you are traveling alone or with friends, consider an unplanned trip to an unknown or less-known place without any pre-bookings. Embrace your inner explorer and venture to unknown places without prior knowledge. This will give you a sense of thrill and adventure.

Conclusion

So, whether you’re traveling alone, with friends, or with family, remember that the true spirit of any famous destination lies not only in its well-known attractions but also in the undiscovered gems nearby. Don’t just follow a predefined path; instead, become an explorer. Seek out the stories, engage with locals, savor authentic cuisine, and ride local transportation. Venture into the unknown, and you’ll uncover the true essence of travel – a journey filled with adventure, learning, and lifelong memories.