Let's stop the “touristy places cannot offer an authentic experience” mentality

One of the beauties of growing old is
that you will come to a point where you give zero fucks about labels.
You will hear what other people say about you, but in the end you will choose what your heart desires. I
appreciate this especially when I am seeking destinations to explore. I do like leaving a space for arbitrariness, for there is something magical about finding a place that is not on
Google Maps and where no people are in sight for miles.

However, every now and then, I also
like discovering tourist favorites. I like going
simply because a place has piqued my interest and I have to know why it is coveted. Real beauty doesn’t fade because someone else saw it first. There have been some well-known tourist attractions that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’d like to think it’s partly because I’ve long let go of caring about other
travelers’ perception.

Fort Santiago, Intramuros. Minsan touristy, minsan history lesson.

There is nothing wrong with touristy destinations or travelers who prefer them over oft-beaten track destinations as long as:

The place is ready for tourism and responsible tourism practices are in place. Both locals and local government units work hand in hand to ensure proper and efficient management of tourist footprint. There must be measures to ensure indigenous and local traditions and beliefs are respected.

The place can handle the stream of tourists and is not suffering from overcapacity.

The place is safe for tourists. Are there proper tourist infrastructures in place? Is it free of hazards that may pose a danger to tourists, including small children and seniors? In case of emergencies, are there local medical facilities or emergency response personnel to attend to patients?

Osmena Peak, Cebu. Minsan touristy, minsan Sunday family activity.

I’ve chanced upon some inveterate travelers who adhere to the belief that popular tourist attractions offer inauthentic experiences, and those who prefer them over “the road less traveled” are inferior travelers.

In what dictionary does it say that tourist is a derogatory term?

There really is no argument here.

People travel for many different reasons. Our standard isn’t theirs. Theirs aren’t ours.

If we focus too much on the arbitrary and being “original” than on the wonders that traveling yields; if we say that going to “touristy”places is an inauthentic experience, we are also emboldening the notion that it is not the journey that defines the authenticity of one’s experience but just the place itself.

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta sa Clark. Minsan napaka-touristy gawin, minsan pangarap mo lang talaga.

Traveling is a personal experience. Authenticity, outside the realm of ripoffs and branded originals, is relative. There isn’t a true must-see or must-visit destination. If a place made you feel alive, if it offered you something that nothing else has, that is an authentic experience. It doesn’t matter where it took place. It only matters how you felt and what lessons you took with you.

We determine our own standards, our own must-sees when traveling. It is not up to other people to decide on what our definitions should be. Travelers who think they are authority just because they’ve been to more “authentic” places than the common folk aren’t geniuses. Just snobs.