The posed shot in front of the Eiffel Tower. The fridge magnet. The third attempt at asking a stranger to take the same picture. A lot of travellers treat these habits like a guilty secret — but a new opinion piece in Getaway South Africa argues we should stop apologising for them.
The argument is a rebuttal to the quiet one-upmanship that has crept into modern travel culture, where 'hidden gems' and undiscovered neighbourhoods are treated as the only authentic way to see a place. Writer after writer, feed after feed, popular attractions get dismissed as tourist traps. Yet the Eiffel Tower is still extraordinary, Table Mountain still delivers one of the great city views anywhere, and Victoria Falls has not lost an ounce of power simply because thousands of people show up to watch it each year.
There is actual research on the photo side of this. A 2016 study by Kristin Diehl, Gal Zauberman and Alixandra Barasch, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, ran nine field and laboratory experiments and found that taking photographs can increase enjoyment of an experience — because choosing what to shoot makes you engage more closely with it. Snapping away does not automatically mean you are missing the moment. The caveat: get the picture, then put the phone away and actually look around.
The piece makes a broader case for embracing the clichés: buy the souvenir that makes you smile years later, take the guided tour where a local guide gives you context you would never find in a quick search, queue for the famous pastry, and capture the chaotic family photo where somebody always blinks. None of it needs to be flawless to become a treasured memory.
That said, being pro-tourist is not a free pass. Some attractions deserve scrutiny — captive wildlife shows, exploitative animal encounters, ventures that disrespect local communities should not get your money just because they appear on every itinerary. Popular places also face real pressure on infrastructure and environments, so respect local customs, follow conservation rules and support responsible local businesses.
Why does this matter? Because travel is not a competition to see who can find the most obscure destination. A picture of Table Mountain might look like a million others, but the story behind yours — the first overseas trip, the anniversary, the family holiday that took months to plan — belongs only to you. The scale, sounds and atmosphere of a landmark are hard to grasp from a screen, and finally seeing one in person is its own reward, crowds and all.
So stand in the right spot, smile, ask someone to take the shot, then put the camera down and enjoy the view. The perfect landscape shot might win likes; the goofy one in front of the famous sign is the one you will actually look at in ten years.
