Adventure is a State of Mind
There are lots of articles on the internet about how to not look like a tourist. My advice to you? Don’t try to look or act like a local. Why? Because most of the time, you can’t avoid looking and acting like an outsider.
But even though you can’t be a local, do try to be a good guest.
Living Like a Local
Many people who travel independently do so, in part, because they want the experience of living like a local. That’s a great goal for travel because experiencing different ways of daily life first-hand is what makes travel so fascinating.
But it’s important to realize that wanting to look and live like a local is an aspirational goal, meaning you’re not going to be able to achieve it as a traveler. It’s important to accept that reality in order to avoid a lot of frustration.
There are a number of reasons why you’re not going to be mistaken for a local during your travels. Only part of it is about what you wear. (More on that later.) Although many people focus on the clothes and trying to look like a local, the problem is less about what you wear and more about how you act.
The biggest reason it’s highly unlikely you’re going to look like a local is if you’re not living like a local, you’re not going to be acting like a local. As a traveler, you’re (hopefully) actively exploring the area. You’re slowing down your pace and absorbing the sights and sounds around you, you’re learning about the area, and you’re experimenting with new foods.
The locals, meanwhile, are going to work, running errands — you know, the sort of things you do during a normal day at home. That alone is going to make you stand out as someone not from the area, regardless of how you dress.
If you want to be mistaken for a local, the best way to do it is to move and actually become a local. Of course, that’s not an option for most of us.
Safety Concerns
In addition to wanting to immerse yourself in the culture and to experience positive interactions with the locals, there are also other considerations that contribute to some travelers wanting to fit in more like a local than as a tourist. Safety is probably the most significant of these.
Most travelers know that tourists are frequent targets for pickpockets. Wearing flashy jewelry and expensive clothes, as well as carrying expensive bags or camera equipment, can definitely make you a target for a pickpocket. This is also true for gawking at sights, looking lost, and pulling out a map and turning around and around in an obvious attempt to gain your bearings. So, again, it’s your actions as much as what you are wearing that make you stand out as a visitor.
The “Ugly American”
Okay, we’ve accepted that we can’t fool others into thinking we’re a local, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can do to fit in better with the cultures we visit.
There is a well-known stereotype of “the ugly American” that many travelers from the U.S. are keen to avoid. This stereotype depicts Americans as being loud and arrogant, and comparing everything they see to the supposedly bigger and better version in America.
The term comes from the book, The Ugly American, published in 1958. Like most stereotypes, it is not true of all American travelers, but there are certainly parts of it that are sometimes accurate observations of some American travelers.
And honestly, it’s not just Americans. There are loud, rude, and arrogant travelers from every country who like to point out all the ways they think their country is better than the country they’re visiting. It makes you wonder why they chose to travel internationally in the first place!
In many parts of the world, the word “tourist” has become a dirty word. And then there is the park ranger slang, “touron,” a linguistic mix of “tourist” and “moron” that is used to describe a person on vacation who acts in annoying or dangerous ways due to ignorance or disregard of the cultural or natural environment. This is the person who is attacked when trying to pet a large, wild animal, or who creates a car pile up on the highway after stopping in the middle of the road to photograph the wildlife.
Rude or ignorant behaviors are not going to be appreciated by the locals, and they are about as far from fitting in “like a local” as you can possibly be.
I once heard someone say to be a little more like a tourist at home, and a local on the road.
Samantha Brown
If You Can’t Fit In, You Can Stand Out Less
Once we’ve accepted that we’re guests rather than temporary locals, there are still things we can do to make it a little less obvious that we’re travelers.
First of all, think like a chameleon. A chameleon changes its colors to blend into the background. It doesn’t become invisible – if you look hard, you can always see it no matter how well it matches the foliage it is on – but it can blend in enough that you could easily pass by without noticing it.
Similarly, we all engage in behaviors that mark us as coming from a particular area of the world. When traveling, however, by carefully observing those around us, we can be like a chameleon by adjusting our body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Watch how individuals greet each other. Pay attention to how groups interact and how loudly they talk. Even how quickly people walk and how much personal space they allow (or take up) can differ from culture to culture. And making small adjustments to how you move through the world and interact with others can help you to stand out less when in a new country and culture.
In addition to carefully observing those around you, don’t be afraid to ask questions. While visiting a fellow biologist in France, Greg experienced an awkward interaction with the biologist’s wife when he attempted to return “la bise,” the French cheek “kiss” greeting. He clearly stood out as an outsider, but he chose to laugh with everyone in the moment and then ask questions. He consequently increased his (and my) chances to share la bise like a native the next time the opportunity arises.
Some insights you can gain before leaving home. If you know someone with first-hand knowledge of the culture, ask them about what differences they’ve observed. You can also do an internet search for subjects, such as “cultural differences between [your country] and [the country you plan to visit].”
Similarly, do an internet search for the meaning of hand gestures in different countries. Believe it or not, some of the gestures that are considered completely innocent in your home country are quite vulgar in other parts of the world. You’re not likely to experience positive interactions with the locals if you’re unintentionally insulting them!
Respect
Avoiding insulting gestures is one way you can show respect for others in the countries you visit. Another is to increase your awareness of cultural and religious norms. These norms can impact behavior as well as clothing.
For example, in many countries, it is considered disrespectful to have bare legs, especially when visiting a church. This is true in Greece, where both men and women are expected to have their shoulders and knees covered when visiting churches and monasteries.
Just as we tend to respect a friend’s house rules when visiting their home, such as whether they take off their shoes when entering the house, it is polite to respect the rules and norms of other countries and cultures. An added benefit to the traveler is you will fit in more just by doing so.
Other Clothing Considerations
In addition to dressing in a way that is respectful, also dress in a way that is appropriate to the climate, but don’t necessarily assume that means the same clothing in every culture or environment. For example, here in Kansas on a hot, summer day, you will likely find me wearing shorts. When traveling in Europe, however, when the weather is hot, I’m less likely to wear shorts and more likely to be wearing light-weight capri pants or a skirt. Why? Because it is far less common for women to wear shorts in Europe than it is in the US.
Again, doing a little homework beforehand can help you to figure out what to pack if you want to minimize how much attention your clothing attracts while abroad. Even common colors can differ between countries. That doesn’t mean you have to buy a new wardrobe for your journey, but it helps you to make strategic decisions when packing. For example, if you are deciding between a black and grey sweater and a sweater in bright pinks and purples for your trip to England, a quick internet search will tell you that citizens in the UK tend to prefer more neutral colors. This doesn’t mean you can’t bring your favorite, brightly-colored clothes, but just know that doing so will likely draw attention to you. Then decide whether or not you can live with that attention.
Stay in Sync
As I discussed before, your behavior more than your clothes will make you stand out as “not from here.” This is true as much for gestures as it is for how in sync you are with the local clock. A large part of staying in sync with the environment around you is when you choose to eat meals.
Some cultures tend to eat dinner early in the evening while others eat late at night. Mediterranean countries, especially, have a culture of eating much later in the evening than many of us are used to doing. In fact, in some countries like Greece, most families may be sitting down to eat their evening meal at approximately the same time you would be going to bed at home.
If you can adapt to the local schedule, you’ll probably fit in better. It may also be easier to find open restaurants when you’re away from heavily touristed areas. (Restaurants catering to tourists know they have visitors who are used to different meal schedules and therefore tend to stay open for longer hours to cover all the options.) Eating at the same time as the locals will also give you more opportunities to potentially meet and hang out with individuals who are from the area you are visiting.
Avoiding Controversy
Have you heard the term “flag-jacking?” It’s the act of travelers wearing or displaying the flag of another nation in an attempt to appear as though they are a citizen of that nation. This most frequently occurs with American travelers attaching a Canadian pin to their jacket or backpack in an attempt to receive more positive treatment and attention when traveling abroad than they might get as American visitors.
It’s true that in many parts of the world, Americans are looked upon less favorably than are our neighbors to the north, whether because of the actions of our government or in response to the behavior of American travelers encountered before us. That doesn’t mean, however, that it is a good idea to pretend to be something we are not. This can lead to lots of misunderstandings.
The opposite also sometimes occurs – Americans who wrap themselves in the red, white, and blue with the t-shirts and hats they wear. Or perhaps it is not about your country but about a team or something else you feel strongly about and advertise with your clothing.
If you’re concerned about drawing unwanted attention to yourself and about not wanting to be immediately identified as a tourist, using your clothing as an announcement of your country, loyalties, or beliefs is probably not a good idea. Especially since you cannot predict the biases others may hold, which could result in them quickly making (mis)assumptions about you and who you are.
Instead, a better practice might be to have a neutral approach with your clothing to allow room for your behavior to show others who you are.
And if you do want to make a statement with your clothing, make sure you make a conscious and deliberate choice about what that statement is going to be.
I’ve been mistaken for being a Canadian multiple times while traveling abroad. I’m not sure why, but it’s not because I put a Canadian pin on my bag or try to present myself as being anything other than American. When someone assumes I’m Canadian, I let them know where I’m from, and I also try to use the moment as an opportunity to change negative stereotypes about Americans.
The Benefits to Looking Like a Tourist
As much as many of us would like to be mistaken as a local, there are some benefits to being spotted as a visitor. Just as we travel because we are curious about how people live in other cultures, the people living in those cultures are often curious about us and where we come from. For this reason alone, locals may start up a conversation with you.
When I’ve traveled Europe, I’ve had conversations with local residents about their language, their food, and local games, all of which began because they could immediately tell from my accent that I was from somewhere else. (As I mentioned previously, there’s sometimes been the assumption I was from Canada rather than the US, but they definitely placed me somewhere in North America rather than Europe.)
Many countries have a tradition of hospitality to strangers, so being a foreigner can sometimes even result in special consideration and care, whether it’s walking you to the shop you struggled to find or offering you a complimentary after-dinner drink.
It’s important not to expect special treatment just because you’re a visitor, but it’s an occasional and special gift to the traveler that you can accept with gratitude. In fact, the experience of being an outsider in an unfamiliar area can make some of us more vulnerable and open to receiving help, guidance, and favors than we might be when we’re at home and feel more confident and independent.
Be Curious
Much of what we have been discussing so far involves curiosity. Curiosity about how others act and dress. Curiosity about what is similar and what is different.
Curiosity is what has helped humans adapt to so many climates and environments that we are now found living on every continent of the earth. That same curiosity will also help you fit into the different countries and cultures you visit.
It’s natural to compare ourselves with others to figure out what is similar and what is different. This can be a skill unless it turns into judgment. When noticing differences between ourselves and others, there’s not much benefit in labeling those differences as better or worse. Instead, celebrate both the commonalities and the differences.
Remember, there is no “other.” We’re all part of the same family of humans. An acquaintance recently told me about her first trip abroad. She stated that she had an epiphany that we’re all the same, with similar joys and sorrows, when she saw an Ikea store in Athens, Greece. I have to admit, I was surprised it was the Ikea store that birthed her epiphany. Regardless, she did stumble across a universal truth that many others have discovered through travel.
Be a Good Guest
In general, the best advice to fit in is to try to be a good guest. Worry less about your clothing and more about your behavior. Manners and respect are always a good idea, whether you’re at home or are traveling. Do your research before you leave home, and observe the behavior of those around you once you arrive.
Accept that you are a guest and likely will not be able to fit in as a local, but try to be the best version of a guest you can be. Do your research beforehand and be open to learning new things about the places you visit.
Know that living like a local is an aspirational goal that you’re unlikely to achieve, but at the same time, be open to local experiences. This can mean learning about new customs or following a different daily schedule or pace of life. If you have the time, get away from the tourist sites and explore the side roads and small towns. Or visit a local grocery store instead of another souvenir shop.
Have you researched the next place you plan to visit? What have you learned about the climate, clothing, customs, gestures, and body language? How can you use that knowledge to either fit better into the local culture, or express yourself in ways that still respect the local customs and norms?
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