One of the worst things about traveling is looking like a tourist. Once people know that you are an outsider, they can even take advantage of you. In some places, tourists are prone to robbery because people know that they are carrying money and important documents with them, and in addition, tourists constantly get scammed when paying for something, as they don’t have a relation of what the price should be and therefore they end up paying more.
For this and a couple more reasons, tourists are often trying to appear as locals, in order to not draw attention to themselves but also to get a reasonable price without people taking advantage of them.
Therefore, here are some useful ideas to help an outsider not look like a tourist.
1. The Map Has To Be Kept Away
No local would use a map if they knew where they were going. In order to spot a tourist you can locate the person merely by seeing who is holding a map to their face and finding the correct location in it. There is nothing wrong with asking for directions, it is actually better than looking at a map all day. Now you could even search the location with google maps, this way saving yourself trouble to carry a map and simply seeing the location with your phone.
2. Stay Away From The Typical Tourist Shirts
Tourists can easily be spotted because they usually wear a shirt of the exact place that they are visiting. For instance, if you are on a trip to New York City, avoid wearing the typical shirt that says “I love New York.” This is definitely a tourist trap, and it is the best way to spot someone that doesn’t belong to the place.
3. Ditch The Fanny Pack
Also referred to as the money belt, where tourists keep all of their most prized possessions along with money, passports and IDs, cameras, and cellphones. The fanny pack is a clear sign that someone is a tourist and that they are visiting from somewhere else, so in order to avoid looking like a tourist make sure you use a more modern and sophisticated bag.
4. Learn How To Use Foreign Money
Something very typical of tourists is having problems whenever they pay for something as they still haven’t understood how to use foreign currency. It is actually a very typical problem mistaking the coin values or even trying to differentiate the bills and then converting the amount to their local currency right on the spot. Make an attempt to understand how the money works in the place you are visiting. If you truly don’t know, ask a local for help and have them explain to you what the value of each bill is and then start on from there. No one expects you to learn a currency that is unfamiliar to you, however, if you want to blend in and appear less touristy, make sure you pay close attention to how money is used.