8 Travel Clichés and Why You Should Avoid Them

A cliché is generally defined as something that has been overused, or that portrays a lack of original thought. Often, a cliché is a word, but it can also be a concept. For example, “the grass is always greener on the other side” is a common cliché.

When it comes to travel and tourism, there are plenty of clichés floating around. They’re used by regular travelers in conversation and on social media, and they’re also conveyed by travel writers, bloggers, influencers, and destination management organizations (DMOs).  

But are clichés harmful? Some have the potential to be, but plenty of them are just platitudes. “The grass is always greener” cliché, for example, doesn’t carry a bad meaning in most situations.  

In travel, however, some clichés can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and others can oversimplify a country or a place, overlooking the nuances of culture.

8 Travel Clichés to Avoid (And Why!)

Let’s dive into 8 common travel clichés, and why you should avoid them. 

1. Debating Tourist vs. Traveler

In recent years, I’ve seen a growing trend around travel vs. tourism, and travelers vs. tourists. On social media, there are videos where people argue that they aren’t tourists – they travel in a way that makes them more than a tourist: a traveler. 

These words are often used to evoke two specific images of a person who travels. The “traveler” is portrayed as someone who is intrepid and goes to less mainstream places, whereas a “tourist” is wandering around with a guidebook in their hands, going to well-known sights. 

This common cliché about being a “traveler” rather than a tourist creates a binary where it’s implied that a “traveler” is more adventurous, engaged, culturally aware, and conscious than a tourist. I often see people positioning “traveler” as though it’s a superior way to engage with tourism.

So, what are the official definitions of these words?

Merriam Webster dictionary defines a tourist as “one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture,” and a traveler as “one that goes on a trip or journey.”

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a tourist is “a person who travels for pleasure,” and a traveler is “a person who is traveling or who often travels.”

By these definitions, there really isn’t much of a distinction between the two. Both words refer to the act of traveling to another location. 

The main distinction between them is that the definition of “tourist” includes the “why” behind that traveling: for pleasure or for culture. 

That distinction (the “why”) is noted in the definition for tourist, but that doesn’t mean it can’t apply to the traveler as well. Anyone who goes on a trip or journey is going to have a “why” – they are heading out on a trip for pleasure, or for culture, or for both.

Ultimately, I’m not sure what this travel cliché aims to do beyond creating a binary around types of people who travel.

Travelers and tourists are doing the same thing: visiting places that they aren’t local to. While it’s definitely a good thing to encourage people to travel more mindfully, I think that a person who goes to “mainstream” places and does mainstream things has the ability to do this just as someone who identifies as a traveler versus a tourist.

2. Romanticizing Rural Places

I’ve traveled several times to the west coast of Ireland. It’s one of my favorite regions of Ireland, and I’m super lucky to have a close friend who has lived there for years as my personal guide whenever I visit. 

Before my most recent trip there, I did some reading. Something I noticed is the words that are used to describe this part of Ireland. Lot’s of cliché descriptions like, “wild” and “remote” appear in articles, blog posts, and social media posts. 

These descriptions are commonly applied to places that are considered rural – I see these descriptions applied to my own province, Ontario. These descriptions might seem harmless, but often, they can play into misconceptions about places that we ourselves don’t live. 

So why should we avoid romantic clichés when describing places? Ultimately, it’s because they’re based on limited perception. A region or place may seem remote to a person who isn’t local, whereas for a local person, it may not feel that way at all. 

I even notice this in western Ireland. It’s described as “wild” and “remote,” but in my few times traveling there, I haven’t found that description super accurate. 

What’s most important is to know the history of a place, be selective about the language used to describe it, and center local voices and narratives.  

3. Describing Places as “Cheap”

There are two main issues with this travel cliché. First, that “cheap” is relative, and second, that there is a connotation that “cheap” things are lower quality. 

When this word is applied to a country or region, it can subtly contribute to unfair misconceptions about those places. Ultimately, it signals travel privilege that many travelers from Western countries benefit from. 

What may seem affordable to you may be expensive to others. For example, a $2 meal in India is extremely affordable for a person who is from North America. But for people living and working in India, not so much, because average earnings in India are much lower than in North America.

Across the planet, there are big differences in how much we earn, how we think about money, and the strengths of our currencies. Being cognizant of this is one way that travelers can be respectful to others when visiting countries that have a different economic situation than their own. 

The word “cheap” can also suggest that the quality of something is less. A hotel, tour, or meal may cost less in another country, but that doesn’t mean it’s of lesser quality. The price is simply relative to that region’s economy and currency. 

So, what language can be used instead? When needing to talk about the cost of traveling to a place, you can instead use the word affordability, or mention that your currency is strong there. 

4. Using the Word “Colonial” and Related Language

It’s really easy to think of colonialism as something of the past, when in reality we are seeing the lasting effects of it really all over the world. 

When I was in university, I took several courses in post-colonial literature, which exposed me to many books that explored the impacts of colonialism after it is “officially” over, like economic inequality and systemic racism. 

A lot of the literature I studied touched on the psychological and emotional impacts, too. For example, intergenerational trauma, which is this idea that even when something horrible like colonialism “officially” ends, the trauma that it causes on people is passed down through generations. 

It’s important for people, especially people like myself who are descendents of colonizers, to acknowledge this history, because it’s still at work today. When traveling, it’s impossible to ignore the colonial legacies that many countries around the world are still impacted by. 

Commonly used words like “colonial,” “explore,” and “exotic” may have at one point described desirable places to go. But today, they can be perceived as subtly signaling otherness, and even as glamorizing colonialism.

The tradition of travel writing actually is connected to the history of field note-taking of 16th-century colonizers. These people took notes as a way of gathering knowledge of the people and cultures they encountered, but unfortunately, it was often a way to justify colonial activities. 

This history of colonialism is why it’s so important today to avoid the clichéd language that was once so common.  

5. Chasing After Hidden Gems

Especially on social media, there’s a tendency to frame locations as hidden gems, or as being “untouched” or “undiscovered.” 

While this may seem harmless, there’s a colonial undertone to these descriptions. When people seek out hidden gem travel spots, or describe spots as hidden gems, there’s an insinuation that it’s a location that most other people don’t know.

While some places may be lesser traveled or lesser visited, in most cases, they are known to Indigenous communities or local communities. Framing them as “hidden gems” can contribute to erasure of this Indigenous and/or local knowledge. 

There isn’t anything wrong with being interested in visiting lesser-known places or locations, but it’s important to be cognizant of the undertones used to describe them. 

When writing about, or talking about a “hidden gem,” you can leave that language out, and instead acknowledge the people and history of that place. 

6. Culturally Appropriating Instead of Appreciating

Cambridge University defines cultural appropriation as the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.

It becomes controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from minority cultures. A classic example of cultural appropriation is when non-Indigenous people wear Indigenous dress as a costume, like for Halloween. 

When non-Indigenous people use parts of Indigenous culture as a costume (for example), they are displaying ignorance of this history. It shows that people continue to disregard Indigenous voices, personhood, and a long history of colonization and trauma.

It can seem completely harmless to participate in a cultural practice that’s not your own, or to wear a piece of cultural clothing, but doing that without consent and respect can have a negative impact.

Cultural appropriation in travel can be a problematic travel cliché because it upholds the power dynamics that contribute to the systemic oppression of marginalized groups. And, it risks perpetuating misconceptions and stereotypes about marginalized cultures. 

Cultural appropriation in travel can easily be a gray area because it is easily confused with cultural appreciation. The main difference is that cultural appropriation does not seek permission, whereas cultural appreciation does. 

Cultural appreciation is all about expressing a willingness to learn and admire another culture with that culture’s guidance and consent. And, taking the time to learn about the tradition or object you are appreciating.

The goal of cultural appreciation is to earn a better understanding of a culture, and embrace it in a respectful manner.

A great example of cultural appreciation? Taking a local cooking class while abroad! This gives you an opportunity to engage with someone from that local culture, and learn from them directly about their culture and cuisine. 

There is also cultural exchange. In this form of engagement, the goal is to embark in a mutually respectful journey of being invited in, engaging with, and, in the process, learning about each other. In a true exchange, you give something and receive another thing in return. 

7. Country Counting and Tick-Box Travel

In the age of social media, highlighting how many countries you’ve been to, and what you’ve achieved on your bucket list, is a common practice. I totally understand why. Especially for bloggers, travel writers, and influencers, it’s a way to signal your “merit” as a traveler. 

To some degree, knowing and sharing how many countries you’ve visited is okay. I think where it becomes a problematic travel cliché is when this practice contributes to “gamifying” travel. It can shift the emphasis of travel from experiences, to collecting countries and ticking them off of a list.

Country counting also brings into question what it means to count a country as visited. You could argue that to really count a country as visited, you need to spend significant time there. 

For example, I spent a day in Kuala Lumpur on a long layover. My 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur did give me a brief glimpse of Malaysia, but it was only one region of a large, diverse country. Therefore, I don’t quote Malaysia as a country I’ve visited.   

To avoid this travel cliché, shift your mindset. Rather than viewing travel as a way to tick off countries on a list, view it as being about fostering connections, learning, and experiences. This is what the deep travel movement is all about!

8. Only Traveling to New Countries

The final travel cliché in this list is related to the country counting. I’ve often heard people quote that they have a policy of always visiting new countries or places. This may come down to personal preference, but I do think it’s a missed opportunity to not return to countries. 

When you return to places, you’re able to see more, and get to know a place and its culture in more depth. 

For example, on my first trip to Morocco, I traveled the most well-known route, from Marrakech to the Sahara Desert. But on my second trip, I was able to visit lesser-known places, like Bhalil. It gave me a more well-rounded perspective of Morocco’s diversity. 

Final Thoughts: Working Toward More Responsible Tourism

Awareness around the pros and cons of tourism is growing, and I’m noticing that as a result, more people are interested in how to be a responsible tourist. 

The way we talk about our travels, whether it’s online or in person, is a big piece of responsible travel. Words and clichés are powerful, and it’s important to understand their impact.

Over the years, I’ve been learning more about these travel clichés, and how to avoid them. While this list isn’t conclusive, these are the most common clichés I’ve noticed in myself, and in the travel community in general. 

I hope that this list is helpful in understanding travel clichés and why they should be avoided. And if you have a cliché you’ve noticed yourself, and want to share it with me, email me at erin@pinatravels.org! 

Want to learn more? On my podcast Curious Tourism, I interviewed Vincie Ho, a linguist, educator, social justice advocate, and the founder of RISE Travel Institute, about how to responsibly share your travels. You can listen to the episode, right here.

More from Pina Travels on responsible tourism:

• What is Economic Leakage in Tourism (& How to Prevent It)
• Why is Sustainable Tourism Important?
• 10 Helpful Tips For Responsible Wildlife Tourism