Don’t Be THAT Kind of Expat.

As long-term travelers, we all have a responsibility to do and be better.

A sculpture in the Qendra (city center) in Pristine, Kosovo. Photo by HF Sylaj, 2022.

I recently had someone comment to me that they cannot see the possible negative side of expats. It is an issue that has been recently discussed online. (Some articles: here and here and here and here as well as the comments on this one.) The commenter’s point was that all travel is good and brings money to a community. Travel also expands everyone's world and makes us a more open and tolerant society. So what is the problem with expats?

And I agree. The problem is when some people don’t respect that where they are traveling to is someone’s home and they are just a guest.

What is the difference between tourists and expats?

There are two kinds of travelers. Short-term ones who visit a place. We’ll call them “tourists. There are also long-term travelers we will call “expats”. Expats normally move to a place but don't intend to stay there forever.

Tourists

When tourists travel, they normally go to areas that are used to accommodating large numbers of people who don't live there. Those areas will have plenty of hotels and restaurants. The people who work at such places often speak English (or whatever the common…