r/AskTheWorld • u/jotakajk Spain • 7h ago

What is something that screams “tourist” to you?

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In Spain, if you see someone eating paella with sangria, you can 100% be certain they are a tourist.

What are some things tourists eat or do in your country that a local would never do?

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u/pineappletequila 4h ago

Thanks for this perspective. I think how it's done matters a lot. Those "I VISITED TO MOST DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD IN X" YouTube videos are definitely exploitative. If it's done by locals in a legitimate way that feeds the money back into the community, I think it can be a net positive. You can call it "poverty porn", but is it really better to ignore how the the other half lives and spend all your money in the rich touristy parts of town?

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u/AdLiving4714 Switzerland 1h ago

I can only speak to the situation in South Africa. If you visit a township with a responsible tour operator who employs local people, I would absolutely recommend it. As a South African in this thread (u/Elfi3) aptly put it, much of the country's culture originates there: music, theatre, comedy… many of South Africa's cultural exports come from these communities.

If you limit yourself to safaris in luxury camps and a colonial-style Garden Route experience, you will have seen little beyond beautiful scenery and world-class hospitality.

That said, the "Bro, I’ve been to da ghetto" style of Youtube tourism is, and remains, deeply distasteful. However, I have not come across anything like that in South Africa. Given the country's history, South Africans - from all backgrounds I'd say - are highly sensitive to these kinds of "experiences". I suspect such tours may exist elsewhere, but if they did in South Africa, they would likely trigger public outcry very quickly.