Feature – We need to talk about travel – By Rupert Hogan Turner

We need to talk about travel – By Rupert Hogan Turner

It used to be a privilege, we young, hostel faring Australians were only lightly peppered around the globe. However, some mongrel has unscrewed the lid and now we saturate the international hostel pallet.

As more and more young Australians head overseas, the world gets a closer look at what lies beneath. We currently enjoy a level of literacy and education never before seen in Australia. But stupidity, like the scent of an unwashed towel in a cheap hostel, not only lingers, but fills the room. In my last three months globe trotting I have encountered questions (from Australians) like ‘Canberra is the capital, right?’ and ‘are you for or against Aborigines?’.

Yes folks, you read it right. These people are off in the world, creating an representative image of ignorance and racism for Australia. Unsurprisingly, the foolishness of these ambassadors only increases when prompted about the issues and culture of the country they are visiting. Statements like ‘I don’t need to learn another language’ and ‘They should really just install an elevator, it would make it so much easier’ (when discussing the 230 year old bell tower of the Dom in Cologne, Germany) are quite frequent from Australians abroad.

Every country has stupidity, it is an international issue. Not everyone can enjoy traditional education systems and reap the benefits of our current schooling system. However, general standards of courtesy should still apply. I am not asking much, just that before you go to a country, you should be able to point to it on a map, know how to say ‘please’ ‘thankyou’ and ‘hello’ and have at least googled the name of the country once before in your entire life. Even if you googled it by accident, as long as you saw the results page and have any basic idea about the country.

Basic stupidity however is not the real issue, it is the blatant disregard for customs and the brash and obnoxious nature of Australians that has me worried. In Australia’s natural ecosystem (South East Asia) we are big players. We send people we* don’t want off shore to wallow in the shame of attempting to better their own lives, and those of their families. We push other countries around and place Australia first. We take this attitude -along with our awful taste in fashion “I only have different shades of black t-shirts”- with us on these trips. Really Customs shouldn’t let us take them out of the country, it would make Border Security a much more interesting show.

Case and point we have Contiki tours. The premise being that you are racing through as many nations as you can fit into two weeks with the winner absorbing the highest level of narcotics and alcohol per kilo. These are not your own fear and loathing style tours of no consequence hedonism. People live in these places and have to deal with the fact that you threw up on their front door.

We are at a cross roads, to our left is a downhill path, a flat long slope paved with bricks decorated with the southern cross. If we follow this path we become the new stupid American tourist. Our dignity is forfeited, we are the new laughing stock of the world. This path involves violence, increased racism and lessened patience and understanding.
However, by some miracle there is another path, yes, ye of little faith, our dignity as a nation may be spared, hell some of us may even grow and mature. I know the concept is scary, I know many of you already have and admire the fighting kangaroo tattoo on your right upper arm. It is not too late! We may return to a country people respect and admire.
All that is required is that you refrain from walking down a street in Amsterdam drunkenly singing ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie.’

Let us move past the ignorance, let us forget the racism. Let us use travel not only as a holiday, but as a learning experience. Let us, wherever we are in the world, be proud to say that we are Australians.

*Ignorant racists of Australia Pty Ltd.