There are many unique places around the globe. But wherever you are, all the time make time to explore a tourist town. From Tokyo to Liverpool and everything in between, you will all the time find something interesting. So keep away from the typical attractions, and head there to take advantage of each urban area you are lucky enough to visit.
Find the Best Food and Drink
If you are honest with yourself, what you all the time look forward to when visiting a new place is the culinary offerings that each city has to offer. You can find the best places to eat and bars by traveling away from the beaten path and down some obscure little streets and alleys. For example, Kelowna brewery littering British Columbia, but you will not find it next door to a downtown McDonald’s. So you need to look for it. And the same goes for food. It’s a waste to visit a country and not try the local food. A good tip is to check where the residents eat and follow.
Each City Has a Unique History and Heritage
Every city, wherever you go, is full of history. From the horrific part that Liverpool, England, played in the slave trade to the American Revolutionary war in Boston, USA, history is everywhere. And among the best things about the history of any city is that there are normally many ways to get a glimpse into the past. For example, most cities have museums and memorials dedicated to a tragic past. In most cases, the money generated from your presence is used for a good cause. However, you miss it if you wander aimlessly around retail stores and parks.
Always Explore Tourist Cities to Support Small Businesses
Cities in the world are huge and house millions of individuals. Yet they’re micro-economy unto themselves, and a few in fact depend on tourism to survive. The Caribbean islands are a perfect example. Without tourism, their economy will collapse. But even big cities like New York and London are home to people who make their living from tourism. Given the past two years of the pandemic, the loss of revenue from travel restrictions means local businesses need tourists. You can help support local trade and services by reaching more areas.
Explore to Find Hidden Gems
Finding hidden gems is among the best parts of exploring a city. Of course, there’s far more to each city than the center, even though they even have astonishing inventions. A recent tourism survey found that 85% of visitors like to experience new things. But you might be missing a lot if you stick to central areas designed to take advantage of tourists. Often, you can get a real sense of the city by venturing further into vibrant remote locations and suburban areas. Admittedly, you will not find many tourists, but that is the point. So head out, and who knows what you will find?
BONUS: Stay Safe in Strange Places
Unfortunately, there is not a city on Earth that does not have problems. Murder, drug abuse, and despair are common in most cities. Some more than others, but still, you can never be too careful, and staying safe can take a backseat when you get excited. Try the following:
- Try not to look like a tourist: it is challenging, but you will be the main target.
- Keep an eye on valuables: keep your wallet, cellular phone and laptop very close at hand.
- Ask about dangerous places: a wrong turn can end in disaster.
- Beware of scams: the cities are full of individuals looking to take your money.
- Always let someone know where you are: just in case the worst happens.
Stay safe while traveling comparatively easy if you cover your base. Looking like a tourist includes pointing at buildings, looking lost, and wearing new clothes. Also, criminals love to prey on the ignorant, so stay on your toes, even in high-end areas.
Find Something Exciting Happening
There’s all the time something fun going on at some point. Of course, there are important events in certain cities, such as the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans or the Oktoberfest in Munich. But every city has things going on all the time. And probably the most enjoyable things is discovering something that happened that you did not expect. You can turn a corner to find a street art workshop or a limited new museum exhibit. Anything can occur. Of course, you can all the time check each city’s official travel website, but it isn’t the same as finding it yourself.
Explore a Tourist City to Meet New People
Most people will tell you that meeting new people in town is part of the experience. No one’s suggesting you talk to everybody you meet. It will be strange and possibly dangerous, but you should not shy away from talking to strangers either. Since 25% of couples meet in bars, you may meet your soulmate while ordering drinks in a British pub or a German beer hall. Then, obviously, you can make some interesting friends who will stick with you for the rest of your life. Just imagine how cool it would be to say you have friends in an exotic city.
Know your City of Residence
Of course, you possibly live in a tourist town. But you may not know anything about it. This is a missed opportunity to learn interesting historical facts about the city where you live. Take Edinburgh in Scotland, for example. The city has one of the biggest networks of Christian catacombs in the world. And you can explore it, and it’s also said to be probably the most haunted locations in the world. Unsurprisingly, there are “ghost tours” available. However, you can virtually guarantee that almost all of the city’s residents have never visited the site.
Get Your Steps
With all the fun and excitement of exploring a city, you’d be forgiven for thinking you are neglecting your sport. But as a tourist, you might walk an average of 8 miles per day while exploring your destination city. While it isn’t a grueling workout, it is better than nothing and an amazing way to get your daily steps in. This is possibly a good thing because you need a way to burn off the calories from the extra eating and drinking you might be doing. So do not feel too guilty the next time you eat a New York hotdogs. you’ll still do it.
Summary
Visiting a city is an amazing thing to do on a long vacation. But you need to explore to get the most out of your time. When you stray from the tourist path, you are virtually certain to find some of the best food and drink the city has to offer, historical insights, and interesting people. However, the city is a dangerous place, so take the required steps to stay safe.
