National Tourist Appreciation Day - May 6, 2024

Tourists get a bad rap, which is a little funny, considering that anyone who’s done any traveling is likely guilty of being a tourist. It can be frustrating as a local to see fair-weather fliers come and go, but the truth is, that many of our favorite local spots couldn’t sustain themselves on local traffic alone. Tourists provide an essential boost to many local economies, and for that, we should be thankful. On May 6, let’s celebrate National Tourist Appreciation Day!

National Tourist Appreciation Day Activities

Get some tourist garb

With a little work, you could have your very own tourist "costume." Not that it'll be an everyday outfit, but when you decide to pack up and go, you'll be surprised how much stress you'll avoid by having bought it all already.

Go somewhere new

Get your inner-tourist on! National Tourism Day is the perfect excuse to book that trip you've been talking about for years. Grand Canyon? Do it!

Make a list of dream destinations

While some of the best trips can be spontaneous, there's good reason for extensive planning, too. If hopping on a jet today just isn't in the cards, start thinking about where you'd go right now if you could!

Why We Love National Tourist Appreciation Day

They opt for function over fashion

This can be summed up in two words: fanny packs. They're the classic example of something that everyone acknowledges as useful, but no one wants to be caught dead using. But when we're abroad? Strap on that fanny pack, grab your embarrassingly large hats, and wear them proud!

They're adventurous

You'll have a hard time find a tourist who doesn't like to do new things. It sort-of comes with the territory — so if you're looking for an out-of-the-box time, head to where the travelers go!

They spend money

There's no debate here — tourists spend money. A lot of money. In 2016, more tourists visited Bangkok, Thailand than any other city in the world. According to MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index from 2016, travelers spent nearly $15 billion in the popular destination last year. That's more than enough to build three replicas of NYC's One World Trade Center building (what WSJ calls "by far the word's most expensive new office tower"), and still have a whole bunch left over.

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