January 22, 2008
What constitutes a visit to another country?
I get annoyed when people say they have visited a country when they:
- Have been there only on layover.
- Go there for business.
- Have only flown over the country (yes, I have had the misfortune of meeting such people!)
So what does constitute a genuine visit to a country? A very valid question addressed recently in a piece on Salon.
Is it the stamp in your passport? Is it the number of hours you've spent there? Is it the amount of constructive time you've spent there?
Then, as the author says:
Sometimes the country itself is what muddles things up. Consider the world's various territories, protectorates, self-governing autonomous regions, occupied lands and quasi-independent nations. For example: did my visits to Hong Kong count as visits to China? What about Tibet?
It's not uncommon to come across people who travel so that they can boast how much they have by listing the number of places they have been to. With regards to this, the author also brings up what I think is the most fundamental question: Does it really matter how many places you have visited?
I think not. A true traveler would prefer to have seen one place properly than go to 25 places and not see any of them properly.
A good read, check it out here.
What do you think counts as a visit to a country?
Comments (6)
If you go to a country for business then you have visited the country. To say that someone hasn't visited China because they have only been there for work, is at the very least wrong and it could even been seen as arrogance by someone who considers themselves more worthy of travel because they spend an extended period of time in different places.
You may argue that you only get to see 'real' country if you stay there for a while or travel to places other than the usual tourist destinations but the same argument could be applied to business travelers. They have seen a side of the country you haven't which is a direct result of them traveling there for business reasons.
If you start to theorize too much about what constitutes a real visit to a country then all you do is make yourself look like an arrogant traveler not unlike the people who travel to places simply to say they have been there.
Travel is different things to different people and the standards and benchmarks by which you measure travel will be very different to the next person. Just enjoy traveling and talking about it with others without judging people by your own standards.
Posted by dave | January 22, 2008 5:26 AM
Posted on January 22, 2008 05:26
Lists are fun so there's nothing wrong with making them :)
I think it would make more sense if one makes city lists instead of country lists.
Posted by Mike | January 22, 2008 6:12 AM
Posted on January 22, 2008 06:12
I appreciate this topic. I have wondered about it myself. Back in 1987 I visited Yugoslavia with three friends for a few days, covering parts of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia by automobile. Now, I have a philosophical quandry over whether to consider this having visited one country or three. Any ideas? I tend to error on the side of saying three today.
Posted by Roger | January 22, 2008 11:37 AM
Posted on January 22, 2008 11:37
I went from Italy to Monaco one day by train and came back the same day. Spent about 5-6 hours in Monaco. I count Monaco when I say I've traveled to other countries, but not France, 'cause I just cruised through it. As for any dummy who says they've been to a country 'cause they flew over it, then I've visited outer space already also. Went a whopping 40k feet in the air wahoo! Beats climbing Everest!
Posted by Anthony | January 22, 2008 8:18 PM
Posted on January 22, 2008 20:18
I agree wholeheartedly with Dave. I think that there' so much that you can learn about culture, language, customs, etc. by working with citizens of another country. WORK is such a huge part of who we all are ... it's how we spend most of our time! Granted, that experience only offers one view of a country, but so does backpacking and hosteling. No one type of traveler has a monopoly on the "real" way to experience a country.
Your general point is a good one, though.
Posted by Eliza Amos | January 23, 2008 5:19 PM
Posted on January 23, 2008 17:19
Interesting post. I posted a similar article earlier this month here:
When can you say you've been to a country?
Posted by James Clark | January 23, 2008 9:27 PM
Posted on January 23, 2008 21:27