How to Avoid Looking like a Tourist

No one likes looking or feeling like a tourist. You get annoyed glances from vendors and the locals make fun of you behind your back. To make matters worse, you're probably lost for a good portion of the time and many people think it's funny to give you incorrect directions. Obviously, some destinations are worse than others, and it's impossible to be anything but a tourist in some areas of the world, but it helps to avoid it whenever possible. No matter where you're traveling, here are a few tips on how to avoid looking like a tourist.
Put the Map Away
Walking around with a map in your hands is a dead giveaway that you're a tourist. If you must consult a map of the area, do so discreetly in a restroom or inside your car. When walking around, fold up the map and tuck it into your pants pocket or keep it in your purse. This way, even if you have to ask directions, you won't look like you can't read a map.

Avoid Silly T-Shirts
Anything you buy in a tourist gift shop is going to permanently mark you as a tourist. By all means, purchase the silly t-shirts that have pictures of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge on the front, but pack them away in your suitcase to be worn after you get home -- preferably only as a night shirt. The same goes for funky hats, day-glo visors, nylon fanny packs and cheap umbrellas. If it says the name of your destination on the front, you can't avoid looking like a tourist no matter how hard you try. Instead, opt for a sea-shell necklace or a discreet Disney World key chain that no one is going to notice.

Act Like You Belong
If you're exclaiming over every little thing you see, there's no way to avoid looking like a tourist. Instead, observe your surroundings with the apathy of a local, keeping your excitement internalized. If you're traveling to a foreign country, learn as much about the rituals and customs as possible to help you fit in. If possible you can even learn where some things are and give directions to other tourists you see on the street. People will automatically think you belong!

Get Prepared Beforehand
Before you leave your hotel in the morning, plan your itinerary carefully. Decide exactly where you want to go and plot those destinations on a map, memorizing the streets you'll need to take. If you know exactly where you're going, you can avoid looking like a tourist. Asking directions is a dead giveaway, so always be prepared before you even leave the hotel.

Keep the Pictures to a Minimum
Walking around with your video or digital camera in hand will automatically peg you as a tourist. This doesn't mean that you need to avoid capturing memories with snapshots; just be subtle about it. Carry your camera in your pocket or in a shoulder bag and take it out when you're ready to snap a picture. This will make you look more like a casual photographer than a tourist.

It may be difficult to avoid looking like a tourist, but it's in your best interest. Not only is it humiliating to be pegged in such a way, but it can also be dangerous. Pickpockets and burglars often target tourists because they're likely to be carrying traveler's checks and expensive cameras and other things of value.