Tourist Traps

Stuck In A Tourist Trap?

You take a trip to visit some caves a few hour’s drive from where you live. Before you enter the parking lot you see a few shops with clever names, puns on the name of the cave. First you take a tour of the caves. You enjoy the spacious dark chambers, the stillness and silence except for the occasional drip of water from a stalactite.

Upon your return out into the blazing sun you make your way toward the parking lot. You decide to stop into the shops you noticed earlier. They are full of all kinds of interesting trinkets so you decide to pick some up for your kids. At the check-out stand you see some funny treats labeled “bat food”. You’ve got to have some of these, too. You also choose a keychain for yourself. A sign at the counter announces special tours through extra chambers of the cave. You make a mental note to come back and do that.

By the time you make it back to your care you have spent five times the amount you paid to enter the caves. You know what this means? You got caught in a tourist trap! That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a thing.

Tourist traps are any place that takes advantage of the fact that tourists will be nearby to get people to part with their money. This might be for goods or services, or even just a specific experience. They attract tourists visiting nearby sites or places and offer them something for their money.

Souvenirs are the most common thing tourist traps sell, but they also often offer food and refreshment. These things are always offered at prices significantly higher than in other places within the local economy.

Of course the term “tourist trap” has a negative connotation. Many people are frustrated when they find they cannot get a bite of food at a reasonable price anywhere near the place they are visiting. They don’t like being bombarded with things for sale. And if there are children involved it’s a thousand times worse trying to get away without emptying your wallet.

Still, it must be said that in global tourism tourist traps are part of what sets the stage for the actual event or place. It’s part of what makes you feel like you are at a fair and that contributes to the festive atmosphere.

Tourist traps are a fact of life. You simply have to plan to find yourself in them when you are sightseeing or vacationing. If you plan for them you can come away without spending too much money, or you can simply plan to be spending a little more and have a good time and bring home some souvenirs. After all, the tourist traps are part of what will help you remember your experience.

 

 

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