Why you should tour with an expat!
There are literally countless options when choosing a tour operator. Everything from native locals to long time residents and new immigrants, especially when visiting popular tourist attractions. Everyone is trying to collect some tourism money. Of course, each tour experience is unique and depending on what you want to see, the answer of who you should choose may be different, but I’ll make my case for why you might want to choose an expat or immigrant.
One way to approach this is through reviews. I do think reviews give little clues beyond the “this was a great tour” as to what type of experience you will receive. Make sure to take into account the positive and negative reviews - they all have their merits. But look for other things too, like “made this tour unforgettable” or our guide was able to “read the group”. These are important factors and can sometimes make or break the experience. No tour that I offer is exactly the same, because every single group and person is unique and have different interests. I make sure to cater to their needs and wants.
Another approach is to find a tour guide in your native language or from your home country. There are things, good and bad, that this guide will understand about the country your are visiting from that no one else will. It’s possible that guide has even lived or at least visited your hometown. It will likely provide an immediate connection that will make you feel at ease. I totally understand wanting to immerse yourself in a new culture and place, but I also know that travelling is stressful and sometimes you want some comfort.
A good portion of my clients to date have been American. One point of feedback I have received from my guests over and over in the past few months with both my airport service as well as tours is how they feel comfortable knowing that they are being driven around by an American. I’m not sure I could say the same, given how I have seen some Americans drive, but I understand where they are coming from. And honestly after having a number of bad Taxi and Uber experiences here, I do understand how my safe driving brings them a level of calm.
Aside from the driving though, I think there’s way more to this idea of hiring an expat. I have literally been all over this entire country in the past six months. Nearly every trip I take brings me to a new city or town. I have seen so much of the country from Middleburg in the southwest corner to Leeuwarden and Groningen in the north. Maastricht and Eindhoven in the south to Zwolle and Almelo in the east and everywhere in between. Around every corner is a new sight to see and town to explore. I take it all in with wide eyes and excitement. And this is the real core of why I think you should choose an immigrant to show you around wherever you are visiting.
How many times have you visited somewhere and heard the locals say “I have never done (insert experience) and I have lived here all my life!”? Quite often locals never experience the things that the place is known for. Locals are busy with daily life like work, shopping, family, friends and more - there really are a lot of distractions. But I think another part of it is that locals sometimes think there’s plenty of time to see those things. Locals aren’t on a tourist timeline of needing to see the attractions so many never take the time to actually see them.
As an immigrant, I am continually “WOW-ed” by the country I’m living in. I see this beautiful place with similar fresh eyes and excitement of a tourist. It will probably wear off at some point, but I hope not. The idea I’m trying to get around to is that instead of being told by someone what the exciting or interesting thing is that you are supposed to be experiencing, you are actually experiencing it together. It’s a shared feeling because your guide is just as thrilled to see it as you are. And that makes for a special moment in time that you won’t forget. It’s something that is hard to put into words and I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou…
“PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID, PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID, BUT PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL”.
Since the first time I read it, this quote has resonated with me. I’d like to think I have hundreds of guests, co-workders and friends that I’ve interacted with over the years that have positive feelings from our interactions. When those feelings are shared around a new experience, I think the warm fuzzies factor grows significantly. I want to continue this feeling with the tours that I’m offering in the Netherlands. I want to showcase my amazement and excitement around the castles, windmills, wineries and more that we are touring together. And I think that most immigrants and expats also would provide an experience that includes at a very minimum the understanding of seeing something special for the first time.
I hope you think about all of this when on your next trip and if you haven’t tried a tour with an expat or immigrant, maybe take a chance and try it out. I’m hopeful that you experience will leave you with the most incredible feelings and experiences.
Until next time…cheers!
Some photos from my trips around the country…
