I mean a lot of tourists think they are getting cultural stuff when they really either aren't at all or getting watered down simplified or changed or fake stuff

I feel like, literally anywhere you travel to for anything other than work or to move there (or to come back home) is tourism

Where does visiting family fall?

that's kinda in-between in my experience

but I think it varies honestly

basically, the family visiting you (or when you are visiting but wtv either way) doesn't live there and doesn't know for themselves where the actual cultural practice can be seen

the family that does live in the area does

so it kinda depends on what get's shown to the visiting part of the family

and how much they actually want to see?

really I'm not an authority on this though, I just have a little experience from both sides of being the visitor and the visitee and have my own opinions on it

if, for example, you are the one visiting but you also feel like you belong there, it isn't my place to say you are a tourist

Unfortunately, the fault of thing you are getting cultural things but aren't actually is more of an issue for that proprietor. The tourist is trying to learn, the local is bamboozling them to give the an experience that they think they want to have.

The tourist doesn't know better.

I agree, but I also think tourists can come in to the experience with particular expectations and not bother to correct them even given the opportunity

It's a two way street

But because of everything I have said on this topic I just want to clarify that I also don't think that being a tourist is inherently bad or anything

People should definitely be allowed and even encouraged to visit other places and have a good time and maybe learn from another culture

They also shouldn't be expected to force themselves to do the second part even

However, yes sometimes tourism can be exploitative and it harmful as well

It's just important to be aware of that aspect of it

Oops it harmful as well I didn't mean to put that it there, I blame autocorrect

XD

There's a difference between visiting people and staying with people. When you visit, the priority is seeing family/friends, hanging out, doing stuff together (though you might do touristy stuff on the side). When you stay with people, the priority is doing other stuff (be that tourism, work conference, etc.), not being with them, they're mostly a free hotel. (Very late continuation of a thought I had above)

@bobble there's also in-between of that as well