When I hear or read the words ‘tourist trap’, they conjure up mostly negative connotations; words that spring to mind include crowded, tacky, over-rated, over-priced, queues etc. etc. (got any others to add?). I tend to visualise a crowd of loud, boisterous and ignorant tourists wielding oversized maps and audio guides, sporting socks and sandals who have no sensitivity towards the local culture. Am I alone in this?
What is a tourist trap?
If someone asked me to rattle off a list of so-called ‘tourist traps’ I would probably begin with the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Vatican City, the Colosseum, Las Vegas, the Statue of Liberty, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Sydney Harbour Bridge…you get the picture. Each of these world-famous sights could be considered a tourist trap if we’re judging by the list I made above: many of them are very crowded, charge high entry prices and can only be enjoyed after patiently waiting in queues moving at a snail’s pace. I’ve even heard people call many of the sights I mentioned over-rated, and I’ve certainly seen a few stereotypical socks-n-sandals characters at these locations.
Despite the crowds (see the infamous Mona Lisa in Paris’ Louvre above), I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of these sights, even if they could all be described as tourist traps. I can understand why people get frustrated with large crowds; wouldn’t we all like to stand alone in front of the Taj Mahal and take a photo without someone accidentally photobombing? And don’t we all dream of finding the perfect little unknown restaurant that no foreigner has ever entered nor ever will again? Of course, but surely there’s a reason why millions of people come from far and wide to see these ‘tourist traps’. They can’t all be over-rated and devoid of any character or value.
Of course, there are some sights and experiences that I haven’t enjoyed as much as others; for example, I thought Madame Tussauds was boring and a waste of money. Just because I think that doesn’t make it a tourist trap though; plenty of people have really enjoyed their experience at this famous wax museum and no-one should consider avoiding it just because I didn’t rate it.
Do people avoid them?
I asked the question on my Facebook page: do you avoid places that are labelled as tourist traps? It seemed like most people are happy to visit such places, although some suggested waiting until night-time or when it’s not peak tourist season; one person even said they avoid people who use the word ‘tourist traps’ which made me giggle. Their answers made me wonder though, if the majority of people don’t mind visiting supposed tourist traps, why were they labelled as such?
Why do we give them the label?
Are we scared that if people knew we visited Paris and only saw the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Sacre Couer that they would think we were unoriginal and unadventurous, so we label them tourist traps and move on to the grungy, ‘undiscovered’ parts of the city, thereby appearing ahead of the curve, and in the process missing out on some of the most amazing architecture, history and art in the world?
Or maybe someone just had a really bad experience at the Sistine Chapel, where they were pickpocketed, overcharged and surrounded by loud Americans asking if the paintings were by Da Vinci or Edvard Munch, and so they labelled it a tourist trap.
Does it really matter?
I’m not sure what the reason is, but I for one don’t tend to stay away from so-called ‘tourist traps’; I will often leave an extra day during which I can check out a few lesser known places…but if I didn’t, who cares?! Ultimately, it’s a great thing to be able to get out and see as much of the world as possible, and if all you ever did was travel between one major sight and the next, I’d salute you just as I’d salute someone who ventured in the middle of nowhere…travel is travel after all!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all try to stop using the word tourist trap? All it does is make people feel inferior for liking a sight or attraction that others did not, and as a traveller I think it’s far more important to encourage people to get out and see things than feel superior about an attraction that wasn’t quite as expected.
What do you think? If you hear a place described as tourist trap, do you avoid it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I have mixed feelings about these super-famous attractions.
Some have so much hype and are disappointing in the flesh (Mona Lisa, Empire State Building) but at the same time it’s good to tick them off your must-see list and be able to say it’s something you’ve done.
Others, such as the Eiffel Tower, will never NOT take my breath away – I’ve never been up it but you don’t need to do that to appreciate it’s beauty!
I like to hunt-out lesser-known attractions – in NYC I much preferred Top of the Rock to the ESB and what’s more it’s cheaper AND you can see the ESB and the rest of the famous skyline while you’re up there!
Becky | life.style.flash. x
I think sometimes, there’s not much choice but to delve into the traps. I do not often like it, but that’s the only way to investigate these things sometimes?
Sarah Betty xx