| I think there’s still a lot of merit to the overarching idea to this article. The “do what the locals do” tip is almost like a form social pressure to resist doing what you actually want to do with your time as a traveler. Doing something “touristy” is considered tacky or low brow. You’re doing this right now, if you think about it. Why are you telling us to avoid the space needle? What if my whole goal is to see it even if it sucks? Following local tastes is also something that’s sometimes impractical or undesirable as far as the “infrastructure” of tourism goes. Let’s say I do this in Japan, and I’m doing what the locals do. Well, now maybe I’ve ended up at restaurant where nobody speaks a word of English and everyone doesn’t want me there. I might not be allowed in at all. Or, perhaps local customs and culture just isn’t something I’m comfortable with at all. For example, I’m not interested in ever being in a sauna despite it being a very common activity in Finland. I just don’t like it at all. These are just a couple of random examples. Obviously, yes, it is a good idea to seek out good experiences that locals enjoy. But in the age of the Internet is anyone really having any difficulty doing that? |