'Biggest ick': Annoying thing I wish travellers would stop doing
OPINION - "The Eiffel Tower? Are you serious? So touristy. There's a 16th century chapel in the 12th arrondissement that is much more interesting."
Is it though?
My big ick about travel is people who are too quick to dismiss places as "too touristy".
For example, I get people asking me what they should see in Paris. When I say, number one, of course, is to see the Eiffel Tower I sometimes get back, but isn't that too touristy?
Apparently the Eiffel Tower is not worth visiting. Getty
If you mean is it frequented by many tourists then Yes. If you mean is it too touristy to visit then the answer is No.
By all means take the road less travelled from time to time because there are gems to be found off the beaten track, but don't do it at the expense of the attractions pictured on the front of the brochure.
Read the fine print but don't ignore the 64 point headline.
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There's a reason certain places, monuments, buildings, mountains, cute villages, the Bondi to Bronte Walk and Santa's House in Lapland are popular.
They are INTERESTING, SCENIC or AMAZING! They don't become sought after for being dull, ugly or bland.
Would you skip the Taj Mahal if you went to India? Supplied/John Walsh
But if you did your travel research on Reddit (or the snarkier end of TripAdvisor) you wouldn't go anywhere popular.
I was shocked but not surprised to read some Reddit reviews of the Eiffel Tower.
Some guy described it as "a glorified cell phone tower." Harsh. And over on TripAdvisor Giorgio complained about waiting for the lift - "torture." Poor Giorgio. Tough having a holiday in Paris.
Some not so great reviews of the Eiffel Tower. Supplied
And don't get me started on the Mona Lisa! The world's best known painting and about as perfect a portrait as you can get.
There are SO many people on these online forums who are critical of it for all sorts of reasons (including someone who said they could paint a better portrait themselves) including my favourite - that it is too small.
That is NOT a measure of artistic excellence.
If that was the case, this KFC poster in Tokyo should be behind glass in the Louvre instead.
A KFC billboard so giant it went viral online. Instagram
So, why this disdain for tourist attractions so many people want to see?
If it crowds I get it. So, the answer is don't go at peak times in peak season. There's your problem sorted there. I've walked around Rome at dawn. Zero crowds. Brilliant experience.
Is it about being cool? It's cooler to say go see a Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece in the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon than it is to recommend the Mona Lisa.
The Chrysler Building in Manhattan is a better piece of design than The Empire State Building, but because of its fame, history, and countless movies set there I would always say go see it first.
Sydney Town Hall, according to those who know, has better acoustics than the Sydney Opera House, but if I want to listen to a concert I don't need to tell you where I'll be going.
OK, so not cool and too crowded are two possible reasons why popular is sometimes pooh–poohed.
I really think it comes down to your attitude to travel.
To put it in movie terms I think people fall into two broad categories: Indie or Disney.
The Indie fans will seek out an obscure film in a hip cinema and the Disney fans will attend the singalong screening of Frozen. Which one are you? I'm Disney all day in this scenario - celebrating all travel rather than curating it.
Does Disney sometimes mean cheesy? Sure. Are the ticket lines longer? Probably. But at the end of the session have you been entertained? Almost certainly.
And when the lights come on at the end you don't have to Google: Everything Everywhere All at Once ending explained.
Seeing the big thing isn't always worth it. But you don't know unless you go. Getty
So, I think when you break it all down you need to bring a sense of wonder, childhood wonder to travel.
Leave the cynic in you back at the baggage carousel. Like with people, you should look for the good first before honing in on the bad.
Try and squeeze the most you can out of every experience whether it's Mt Gambier or Mt Everest.
Will the juice be worth the squeeze? Not every time. But that's one of the joys of travel.
Not knowing what's around the corner but going anyway.
John Walsh was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
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