Submitted by Kelly Mi on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Computer and Information Sciences…
I would consider myself an experienced tourist. I’ve traveled internationally as much if not a little more than the next person, and I’ve been to most major tourist destinations in America – Yellowstone, NYC, San Francisco, Orlando…. So I’m pretty well-versed in tourist etiquette. Which isn’t really that deep. Take your photos and don’t hog the sidewalk while you do it. Check out of the hotel on time and don’t forget to tip the maid. However, most of this traveling has been done with my family. It’s quite different to travel with classmates my age. The most significant difference is that I find that people my age (I can claim to have found a pattern, since I also traveled to France with classmates in junior year of high school) are incredibly self-conscious being tourists, in particular American tourists. Stereotypes of the typical American tourist loom large over our group excursions; many photo -ops are accompanied by commentary along the lines of “Look at us, being such tourists!”
I write this to say to whoever reads this blog: It’s okay to be a tourist. Especially, if you have already paid to do so. Of course, tourism is not a harmless industry. Tourism and neocolonialist legacies go hand in hand. In New Zealand, the commodification of Maori culture has, I’m sure, been the subject of many an essay. However, in places like wildlife reserves, national monuments, and mountain resorts, it’s irrational to be self-conscious of being a tourist. You are a tourist. Everyone there is a tourist. New Zealand is a beautiful place; even locals go to places like Aoraki Mt. Cook to take photos and hike. If you’re already there, it’s too late to be concerned about the detrimental effects of global tourism on small economies. And New Zealand is not a place that is particularly dense with American tourists like Paris or London; most tourists here come from Asia, Europe, and Australia. So there’s no need to be so self-conscious. Be respectful and don’t clog up the sidewalk, but it’s fine to enjoy popular tourist destinations as they were meant to be enjoyed.