When I first started travelling back in the Year 2000 things were different here in Australia. There were 2 domestic airlines (QANTAS and Ansett) and airfares were the same for both and to get a reasonably priced return flight an overnight Saturday stay was required, no mixing and matching with one way fares.
As someone new to travelling and flying I tended to plan trips around what attractions I could see so there was a fair amount of ticking off places. In 2001 the airline industry in Australia got a big shakeup with the arrival of Virgin Blue and cheap one way fares opening up different options for travel. I also got caught in the collapse of Ansett although I was fortunate to be able to rebook flights on a mix of Virgin and QANTAS for no extra cost.
As technology evolved and travel became easier to book rather than having to go into a travel agency and get paper confirmations of everything my travel style evolved as well. In the 2010s and 2020s my travel style has moved much more to a preference of staying in cities for longer and doing day trips and spending time exploring and experiencing things more like a local.
With many popular destinations experiencing overtourism seeking experiences not on the main tourist trails has the potential to be far more relaxing, enjoyable and inspiring.
So these days I consider myself a traveller not a tourist and the differences as I see it are:
Tourist - Rush from one well known overcrowded place taking the same photos as everybody else and eating at the same places, catching the same train or bus and staying at the same hotels.
Traveller - See some well known places that are of particular interest but try and find a less busy time. Explore away from the main listed places, stay in areas that are less touristy but still convenient for transport. Hop on a train and see where it goes, explore random places that look interesting.
