Lighten up, people. Yes, I know people who over-shop on vacation (and probably are just like that at home).

When I travel I usually hope to buy a shirt or two. Know why? Because if I buy something interesting and unique, no one else in my city will have it!!

I totally understand Anna's point. I grew up in a town of 350, nearest stores were more than an hour away. Twenty years later I still appreciate having shops nearby -- and checking out a few on vacation.

Hmmmm, interesting debate. I have become increasingly frustrated with shoppers too, not the fact that they shop but the fact that the lovely places they visit eventually become overrun with "mega strip malls and souvenir shops" by greedy developers. Last year I visited Mackinaw City, Michigan by the Lake and a starting point to Mackinac Island, when I arrived I was shocked by the huge shopping area that had sprung up complete with "Branson Style" shows (that is exactly how they advertised it too!). Then I hear they are building much the same thing near the entrance of the Grand Canyon!! Along with the influx of outlet malls next to other scenic and historical places, how much is enough, why aren't people satisfied with the places as they are. Do we all really need more cheap stuff? I feel that poor planning and people's insatiable need to shop have destroyed my enjoyment of these places. Niagara Falls quickly springs to mind. And when is a Casino an asset? While I'm at it I find it hilarious that people will make a mall (Mall of America) a vacation destination. Just stay home if you don't really want to be out in nature or exploring a different area! Everywhere feels the same now. There, that's off my chest.

Someone raised a good question: why are people critical of shoppers, but not critical of people who do other weird things on vacation, like wait hours to ride nauseating roller coasters? Well, the answer is that roller coaster riders are going to a lot of trouble for an "experience." Same for eaters, hikers, theatre fans, or even people who climb Mt. Everest. It is all about the experience, and maybe the personal challenge in some cases. Shoppers may say that they do it for the experience as well, but if that is the case, they have a name for it: window shopping. What some people find odd is shopping for the "experience" of acquisition. Let's face it. In the U.S., the vast majority of us have enough stuff, and the chronic shoppers usually have too much stuff. So those who overdo it like the elderly lady described in the post are kind of hard to understand.

It sounds like the problem is shoppers on TOURS. No one who travels independently complains about having to do something they don't want to do. We have only taken one tour for that very reason - we don't want to be subjected to something in which we aren't interested. Maybe the solution is to travel solo and set your own itinerary.

I agree with Cindy's post above. The stuff in gift shops is wayyy overpriced and nine times out of ten you can find the stuff at the Mall or on the QVC or the Home Shopping Channel. Some people are addicted to shopping and the thrill of the "find." I know people who actually schedule vacation time so they can go to the Mall of the America's or other places just to shop. And I know someone who maxxed out their credit cards buying stuff on vacation in Vancouver that they could not afford. Too often stuff that one buys on vacation ends up either at their next garage sale or donated to the Goodwill.

My husband golfs, I shop. What's the problem? I do carry what I purchase!

Sheesh! This one reaches a new low. Why the devil should anyone care if some people like to shop on vacation? If you don't like having to do things YOU don't like on vacation, don't go on a tour! If you don't like giving people gifts from your vacation, don't do it! I don't understand LOTS of things people like to do on vacation, but it's THEIR VACATION.

I personally like to hunt for handicrafts, because handmade things are so comforting in this world that is growing more mass-produced by the day--things like pottery from the Aguilar sisters at their house in Ocotlan Mexico, or a handcarved whimsical animal at a marketplace in Oaxaca, etc. So sue me! I don't understand why people spend their whole vacation taking pictures and videos, but hey, who cares?

WHO CARES what others do on their vacations? I do not understand why shopping or anything else that others do has anything to do with my vacation.

A vacation is usualy taken so that folks can get away and relax and do the things they like to do. If shopping is one of those things then so be it. The shoppers are entitled to spend their vacation however they see fit period.

Personally, I am not a shopper. I avoid stores whenever I can. That is my preference. However if others wish to shop than that is fine with me.

One of my pet peeves is people like Christine that think that their opinions are the only ones that count. Her statement "....have destroyed my enjoyment of these places" says it all. Maybe some people like the development and their reasons are equally valid.

In any event folks, please just enjoy your own vacations and stop trying to be judge and jury of others. No one person is right in this case.

Very interesting thread. Plenty of people who have responded think shopping is no one else's business. Well, Christine pointed out that vacation shopping has turned lots of tourist destinations into shopping mall hell. But there is one other impact of vacation shopping. A day tour used to be a tour. You went to see a certain thing (Pompeii, for instance), and you paid for a guide and transportation. Now, a day tour is a mini-tour plus frequent shopping breaks for the shoppers, with the guide getting a cut of the action. That does affect me, as it is so prevalent that it is getting harder to find a decent group tour that doesn't require that one wait for the shoppers to shop. Vacationers who are actually there to see the sights are being shoved aside to accommodate the more lucrative shoppers. Shoppers do have a right to do whatever they want to do, of course, but they shouldn't deny that their preference surely has changed the travel experience for others.

Anon: please don't forget to factor in another important determinant of 'crowding factor' at any one destination: total number of travellers worldwide.
As the world's population increases, as some economies soar, as air travel increases at a nearly dizzying pace, there are going to more and more hordes at all the popular destinations. Is it shoppers that are drawing the vendors, or is it that vendors recognize that even if a small % of tourists shop, that total # of shoppers is going nowhere but up?
Did you see that the government is now cutting back on vehicle entries into Yellowstone? Did that have anything to do with shoppers? No. Are lots more people visiting Pompeii than 15 years ago? You bet (I'm one of them, and I couldn't have gone 15 years ago). Is it because of shoppers? No. It's a bit of "chicken and the egg" in some cases, but in many cases, it's simply that there are lots more people touring than in decades past. Try to cast your blame in the right direction.

Oh, please. Stop whining about shoppers having a negative impact on your travels! Trade has grown up around travelers since the beginning of time. They have been ripping off tourists since the ninth century at Mont Saint Michel, for instance, and it is the growth in the number of travelers, not some huge increase in shopping as an activity, that has had a negative impact on this crowded destination. And yes, how sad, that if one takes a group tour one must accept the inconvenience of eating at and going to places aimed at the group. If that is too hard for you, don't take a tour! Granted, this is not economical at some destinations, but you have to expect to pay for having a tour just for YOU!

Really, isn't this the silliest thread??? People travel to have fun, so they should do what's fun to them! Now, as for people's behavior on tours regarding shopping or anything else, that's why I don't take tours because you're not in charge of your own itinerary, and there will always be rude travelers who don't care how their behavior impacts the others on a tour! But if you want the convenience and cost of a tour - well, remember, you get what you pay for!

No, I can't understand why you'd want to spend an inordinate (to me) time seeing the inside of shops, but whatever makes you happy! Happy trails!

Ah, what is silly to some is fascinating to others.

One reaction to Christina's post. There has been a bit of a backlash against the souvenier shops in the District of Columbia. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a few years ago the U.S. Parks service kicked almost all of the cheesy vendors off of the National Mall where the monuments are located. It had gotten totally out of hand and looked like a giant flea market. I think the change is wonderful. So maybe D.C. has started a trend, and other places will follow suit? One can always hope.

Thanks for your thoughtful, polite and mature discussion.

Ever notice that the majority of people who are for shopping on this thread are WOMEN? Just goes to show you women shop because they are frivilous, have zero self-esteem and have absolutely nothing better to do.

Another cowardly troll. Will it ever end? Sigh.

I like shopping. I probably spend about 10% of my vacation time shopping and 90% doing other stuff.

That you again, Andrew "Dice" Clay, chiming in as the notorious "xxxxx"?
We know that you're a closet shopping fiend, and that you wear a Speedo thong while driving that statement-making sports car of yours. Does it make you feel "bigger"?

This topic is ABSURD! Why on earth would anyone care what others do on their vacations? Some people enjoy shopping, others don't. If you don't like it, don't do it..end of story.
If you want to take a tour in some city and it involves shopping AND you don't like to shop, don't take it! For the life of me I do not understand why on earth anyone would care if I or anyone else chooses to shop or not. How does this effect people here? Do tell...

Robin

I cannot imagine anyone honestly going to the Grand Canyon, or any other National Park, and saying "gee, you know what would really enhance this experience for me, more souvenir shops and an outlet mall and maybe an Angus Steak House and a Taco Bell". If that is what a person wants, then why go to the Grand Canyon to begin with? Why not just go to a local mall? Once a strip mall is built, it's there for good and I remain unconvinced that it is needed or an enhancement to the area.

I go to places like the Grand Canyon to hike and to take in the natural beauty and to try to forget how messed up other parts of the country have become, I can do without shopping for a few days or eating at the same fast food joints I can get at home.

Personally when I travel I stay away from chain restaurants, chain hotels, and when I do buy a souvenir (rarely) I try to buy something locally made (not made in China). I like to feel like I'm traveling when I travel.

To me this thread is a hoot. All these woman getting all huffy because someone dares call them on there shopping addictions. Like buying all this meaningless stuff is going to fill the loneliness and emptiness inside them.
Fat chance. And if anyone says they don't understand or are annoyed by this
behaviour then the woman get their knickers in a twist. It is humorous to see.