Greetings and Happy Midweek!
And since today is almost mid-month, it’s time for another of our RAP sessions (Review And Process, deeper and wider). Each RAP revisits a cross-cultural theme or topic from a previous Connect. This month we are going to revisit tourism (see LINKS below) and we’ll be focusing on all 3 dimensions of Global SKILLs’ 3D Dynamics framework*:
1st Dimensions: Home (where you come from)
2nd Dimension: Host (where those you are visiting come from)
3rd Dimension: Harbor
(where Home and Host meet, to live and work together on mutually agreed upon goals).
I was sharing travel experiences with an acquaintance this morning, and we got to talking about what it means to be a ‘good’ tourist or a ‘bad tourist’. I said I feel like I’m a ‘bad’ tourist because I am not satisfied with just rapid-fire moments viewing people and their cultures ‘from the outside’. I always want to engage, embed, interact. That simply doesn’t work for traditionally hectic ‘If it’s Monday, it’s Paris” schedules and “been there, bought the t-shirt” travel trophies.
I explained I am like this at least partially because for most of my adult life, I lived in places where people came as tourists. My Homes (in Switzerland, Senegal, France, etc) were exciting vacation hotspots for tourists, to visit briefly and then move on! The Hosts were vendors, guides, performers or other types of cultural ambassadors…but for me, they were co-workers, neighbors and friends. And when I have visited places as a tourist, I have trouble following the itinerary because I want just a few more minutes - to talk with that really interesting market lady I just met or to better understand the history behind those stone walls! These are not easily navigated borders, spaces and relationships - and when I do travel as a tourist, I am confused and often frustrated!
The Harbor dimension, within our 3D Dynamics’ framework, is one key to solving this tourism dilemma. Finding (or creating) and spending time in the Harbor, on any trip or in any cross-cultural context, allows me, you and really anyone, in either the Home or Host dimensions, to step back or step forward into whatever level of engagement all participants would mutually agree upon. And then whether it’s a quickie tourist moment or a welcomed first step into cultural integration…it’s mutually satisfying
How about you ~ what kind of tourist have you been on recent adventures …and are you happy with that?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for more on this…
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
Using this blog link (https://www.globalskillspartners.com/blog-1), check out these previous Connects exploring travel & tourism (12/15/21, 2/16/22)…and t-shirts! (4/14/21)
~ one way that a tourist ‘hotspot’ is actually un-welcoming unwanted tourists:
and
~ some ideas on how not to botch a trip - as a tourist or otherwise - to Paris: https://www.thediscoverer.com/blog/5-mistakes-to-avoid-in-paris/XvHyVpKgiwAG5al8?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1699445117&ST=RF_A
Notes
* Through my business Global SKILLs and several partner subsidiaries I offer unique cross-cultural consulting and training including:
3 Dimensional Dynamics Model: (which we explored this week)
1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST ; 3rd dimension = HARBOR)
PROACTive Learning Strategies: PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Application, Collaboration and Transformation
~ contact me for more information on this model and these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming: betsy.barbour@gmail.com
2023 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”
Please Note: this is copyrighted content.
Please do not reproduce or share without my permission (betsy.barbour@gmail.com )