The Change To Move Away from Tacky Travel Souvenirs
I still recall the days in the 1990’s when I purchased cheap tacky travel souvenirs of shot glasses from The Netherlands, and plastic key rings from Disneyland. Where are those items now, likely sitting in landfill somewhere I assume, along with all the other similar souvenirs I purchased in my early travel days.
Since then my mindset and habits have changed when it comes to travel souvenirs.
In the early days I stopped buying such cheap tacky style souvenirs for the main reason I was moving quite a bit, I was sick of packing them every time I moved. Yet as time went on, I realised there was no use for these items, they gave me instant gratification for “something” that reminded me of the destination, yet had no relevance to the destination. In reality I could’ve bought the same item on the opposite of the world, and which I did in some cases!
Over the years I moved towards more meaningful souvenirs which I treasure more and have more significance to me. Like a colourful tribal painting from Tanzania that hangs in my house, hand rolled cigars from a Cuban tobacco farm, and a Kenyan spear that is taller than me, that resides at my front door.
Along with purchasing meaningful souvenirs, I also started to look for useful souvenirs when I travelled. And possibly items I could use whilst travelling would even be better, as they remind me of my travel experience whilst travelling. A win win!
Over the years I’ve found useful items of a large yet super lightweight travel towel from Christmas Island Australia, which goes on just about every trip of mine, as folds down very compact, and dries super quickly. As a last minute decision in the Caribbean, I bought a “One Love” reggae singlet in Jamaica, that I love to wear in hot climates, and brings me happiness. And I cannot forget about the bright blue woven necklace I bought when in Mauritius that rolled up into a ball, very handy when travelling, which I adored, until I unfortunately left it behind in Cambodia after a wild night out. Damn me!
I’ve purchased so many more useful souvenirs whilst travelling, that I continually use over and over. They’re not only useful at the time, they also remind me of my travels, who wouldn’t want that?
As people become more aware of their decisions when travelling, they are choosing to opt for more memorable souvenirs, of which don’t necessarily need to be “objects”, they can be experiences instead. A souvenir is anything which you remember a place, person or event by, which can be memories, even photos.
Why not opt for local activities and locally ran tours when travelling, such as a a village tour, a walk in a nature reserve, or a guided tour of historical ruins or visit a museum to help understand the history of a destination. You could also participate in a locally celebrated event / festival such as carnival.
Finding local activities helps builds your awareness of a location, increases your knowledge of a destination, and allows you to meet new people, whilst being exposed to new customs and cultures.
Another option for alternatives to traditional souvenirs, is a food tour. Whether it be cooking classes, walking food tasting tours, cycling winery tours (which could be trouble!). Or try EatWith to join a local host to dine with, for a more authentic experience.
Even the simplest and cheapest activities like sitting at a street side cafe can be an experience to remember. It will cost you a drink or two, plus it’s customary to buy a snack, it could be a great way to learn a little bit about a town or city. Sitting back watching people go about their life, understanding the local lifestyle, also giving you the opportunity to meet new people who may be sitting near you.
In recent years there have been a positive shift to move away from animal based tourist experiences, which is great to see. Although there is still work to be done to reduce this even further, and this too comes from what people chose to do when they travel.
When it comes to the photos you take when travelling, whilst there’s social media to upload your photos to, an alternative is to print off your photos. They could be printed either as individual pictures, or you can make a coffee table style book that you can look back in years to come. I print a coffee table book for most of my travels, and find the books are great talking piece, plus people learn about a destination they may not know much information about.
So next time you find yourself walking around the tacky tourist store, or wondering aimlessly at the airport duty free shop (which is usually overpriced), ask yourself, do you really “that” item, or could you look for alternative souvenirs.
