Juha, the unknown tourist wants the familiar things around – these are the brands he/she knows are good, honest – and the expected souvenirs and gifts for those at home.
When I read this, the phrase “Unknowing tourist” sprang to mind. People do, sadly, want what they know. I went to St. Maarten years ago and the first thing I heard from a plane load of fellow fliers was “Thank God they have McDonalds and Pizza Hut!”. With all that beautiful seafood and local produce. Arghhhh
In that sense my daughter’s student exchange partner from Philadelphia was a very positive exception: she tried all varieties of food, never (in my presence) asked for a Hamburger… But the behaviour you describe is all too common.
You might enjoy the film ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ (here’s the trailer on youtube)
Do adults really want to wear tee-shirts with Mickey Mouse on them? Is the European refined sense of taste corroding so badly that they can support a Disney Store? It’s just sad…
John, yes, there are such people (more than you or I would like to see). Sort of a half-assed rehabilitation: There are plenty of other overseas nations among the roughly 3 million tourists that visit Venice every year.
“The unknown tourist”, that is a good phrase. In fact, how many of us do see the familiar things around; we only think we see. So we are unknown tourists even at home.
Juha, I guess it’s a bit like spices in the meals: If you get used to glutamat and salt overdoses (in the visual realm: TV, advertisements, gaudy colors, maxxed-out saturation), it needs quite some learning to re-enjoy what is near and available. And if you feel uneasy with your life, its all too common to start a permanent crusade for something even better, tastier, hotter, newer and the like. Then “at home” is just boring, but away from home you probably won’t see either.
Oh, no!! Not Venice! Mega-corporations, go home.
The Bad and the Bad and Ugly – you name it, they have it! Along the Canale Grande, there’s one chain store next to the other…
Giza’s pyramids, Disneyland, Stonehenge, The Grand Canyon… 😉
Juha, the unknown tourist wants the familiar things around – these are the brands he/she knows are good, honest – and the expected souvenirs and gifts for those at home.
When I read this, the phrase “Unknowing tourist” sprang to mind. People do, sadly, want what they know. I went to St. Maarten years ago and the first thing I heard from a plane load of fellow fliers was “Thank God they have McDonalds and Pizza Hut!”. With all that beautiful seafood and local produce. Arghhhh
In that sense my daughter’s student exchange partner from Philadelphia was a very positive exception: she tried all varieties of food, never (in my presence) asked for a Hamburger… But the behaviour you describe is all too common.
You might enjoy the film ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ (here’s the trailer on youtube)
Do adults really want to wear tee-shirts with Mickey Mouse on them? Is the European refined sense of taste corroding so badly that they can support a Disney Store? It’s just sad…
John, yes, there are such people (more than you or I would like to see). Sort of a half-assed rehabilitation: There are plenty of other overseas nations among the roughly 3 million tourists that visit Venice every year.
“The unknown tourist”, that is a good phrase. In fact, how many of us do see the familiar things around; we only think we see. So we are unknown tourists even at home.
Juha, I guess it’s a bit like spices in the meals: If you get used to glutamat and salt overdoses (in the visual realm: TV, advertisements, gaudy colors, maxxed-out saturation), it needs quite some learning to re-enjoy what is near and available. And if you feel uneasy with your life, its all too common to start a permanent crusade for something even better, tastier, hotter, newer and the like. Then “at home” is just boring, but away from home you probably won’t see either.