The Case for Tourist Traps (Why You Should Visit Them Anyway)

You roll your eyes at the Eiffel Tower. But tourist traps aren't scams—they're popular for a reason. Here's why you should visit them anyway.

You scroll past the Instagram post. Another influencer standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, holding a croissant, captioned "found myself." You're not impressed. You've been to Paris. The Eiffel Tower has a two-hour line. The croissant was cold. The influencer was probably paid to be there.

So when your friend suggests a trip to "that touristy place," you roll your eyes. Tourist traps are for people who don't travel properly, right? The real travelers go off the beaten path, eat where locals eat, avoid anything mentioned in a guidebook.

But what if you've been wrong?

The Rise of Anti-Tourist Sentiment

Somewhere along the way, "being a tourist" became an insult. Travel influencers started filming themselves in obscure neighborhoods, eating at places with no English menus, speaking in reverent tones about "authentic" experiences. The message was clear: real travelers don't do tourist things.

This anti-tourism sentiment spread through Reddit threads, travel blogs, and hostel common rooms. "Skip the Eiffel Tower," they said. "Go to the 18th arrondissement instead."

There's some truth here. But it also created a new form of travel elitism, where people feel guilty for wanting to see the things they've dreamed about.

Why We Actually Want to See the Iconic Places

There's a reason the Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world. It's not because people are sheep. It's because standing at the base of a 324-meter iron lattice, watching the lights twinkle as the city glitters below, is genuinely awe-inspiring.

Psychologists call this "collective effervescence"—the sense of being connected to something larger than yourself. You can't get that from a café in Belleville, however authentic. You get it from standing where millions of humans have stood before you.

The icons exist for a reason. They survived centuries of tourists because they're remarkable. Dismissing them because they're popular isn't sophisticated—it's just contrarian.

The Problem With "Authentic" Travel

The authentic travel movement promises something it can't deliver: a pure, unmediated experience of another culture. But every neighborhood that appears in your guidebook was once a "hidden gem" discovered by earlier tourists.

And let's be honest: sometimes the "authentic" local restaurant is expensive, booked solid for months. The "touristy" place might be exactly what you need after an eight-hour flight.

What Tourist Traps Actually Offer

Here's what the anti-tourist crowd gets wrong: the crowds are part of the experience. The Line to the Statue of Liberty isn't an obstacle—it's a conversation starter.

Tourist infrastructure exists because millions of people found value there before you. That value doesn't evaporate because something is popular.

How to Do Tourist Traps Right

The solution isn't to avoid the icons. It's to approach them with the right mindset:

• Go early or late. The Eiffel Tower at sunrise is empty compared to noon.
• Book skip-the-line tickets. Yes, they cost more. But you're paying to not stand in line for two hours.
• Do one iconic thing per day. Pick one and actually experience it.
• Combine iconic with obscure. See the Colosseum, then eat dinner in Trastevere.
• Accept the crowds. They're not ruining your experience. Your resentment of them is.

The Real Sin: Missing What Made You Want to Go

The worst travel mistake isn't being too touristy. It's being so focused on avoiding tourist traps that you miss the point of why you came.

If you've always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, don't skip them because "it's touristy." Book the tour, layer up, and watch the sky explode with color.

The Freedom in Accepting Tourist Status

Here's the liberating truth: it's okay to be a tourist. You are one. Everyone who visits a place they're not from is a tourist.

When you stop worrying about whether you're traveling correctly, you free yourself to actually enjoy your trip.

So book the trip to Paris. Climb the tower. Eat the croissant. You're a tourist. Own it.