Tourist Traps – Go Ahead and Get Caught in Them.

Tourist Trap: noun: a place that attracts many tourists and where goods and services are more expensive than normal.

Beware of the tourist trap, don’t get scammed, make sure you stay off the beaten track and there you can truly feel the authentic meaning of travel.

Lies. This is not true. If you are lucky enough to be able to travel, you will be a tourist in that country, and tourist traps may not be as scary as you first thought. They offer a chance to support local business, see a new part of the world – and I experienced many tourist traps in Morocco. 

Many people when travelling warn you not to go to the restaurant next to the Eiffel Tower, Piazza de Marco or London Bridge. Don’t stay in the normal hotels or hostels or don’t go on organised tours because they are all just tourist traps. Instead find an obscure travel blog that recommends this small bar on top of a car park, stay in a local community with no WiFi and just hitchhike across the country – I’m sure that’s really the easiest and best way to see a country….

We were told on a recent trip to Morocco to be very aware of tourist traps. Many people told us to stay away from Marrakesh, stay in the countryside in local communities and whatever you do, don’t take tours from a hostel it will be full of tourists and will cost you an arm and a leg.

So we decided to stay in Marrakesh, take a tour from our hostel and enjoy the Ouzoud waterfalls with a bus load of other tourists. 

We had a great day, we were shown around waterfalls and plunge pools by a local guide and enjoyed a three course meal for 10 Euros overlooking the largest waterfall in North Africa. We paid a total of 3 Euros each to have a guide show us safely where to walk and jump into the water and told us interesting stories along the way. 

Was this a tourist trap? Yes we may have paid above usual prices, but they were not extortionate. We gave money directly to local people who live in the area, and it was a safe and organised day for us all. Was it authentic? What does that word truly mean, we had a day with tourists and locals, we were kept safe and enjoyed ourselves – that’s what I see as true travel. 

In a country where tourism is one of the main foreign exchange sources, it contributes 8.1% to GDP and accounts for 7.1% of total employment in Morocco, it is clear to see the impact tourists have. Marrakesh had 2.7 million visitors in 2018, I think it is wrong to dismiss activities, restaurants and hotels made for these visitors as simply tourist traps. Instead tourists should be aware and conscious of the impact they have on communities, help support local business and enjoy their time in the country. 

Tourist traps are made for tourists, so go ahead and get caught in them.