''Touron'' is a

derogatory term A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

combining the words "Tourist" with "Moron" to describe any person who, while on vacation, commits an act of pure stupidity. The term is considered

park ranger A ranger, park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a law enforcement person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Description "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in th ...

slang that describes how some tourists act when entering a

national park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

. The phrase indicates an act of ignorance and is known to be used in different subcultures. It is also used to describe tourists in general when they are outside their normal " comfort zone". Not too bright

Etymology

Early mentions are '="touron n. A tourist, usually an annoying one. —"Say wha?", ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', September 20, 1987". In 1991 the term was cited in: "Over at U.S. 192 and State Road 535, westbound touron — (a combo of tourists and morons, according to a local dj) are constantly making sudden

U-turn A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a ...

s from the left lane, causing oodles of rear-end wrecks. —"The Road Toad," ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'', September 29, 1991". The National Park Service constantly warns park guests about the dangers of wildlife and the natural surroundings. Images and video of tourist in dangerous situations are uploaded to the internet and demonstrate their, often stunning, behavior. Tourists acting as ''Tourons'' can drive erratically. A common occurrence is to see vehicles stopped in the middle of the road at the first sighting of

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

. Drivers and occupants leave the vehicle to take pictures, backing traffic up for miles. The term is used as humor to defend against the usual aggravation of continued exposure to tourists by even local residents of tourist areas. It has been argued that everyone is a ''touron'' outside their own home and away from familiar surroundings. Just being a traveler in a foreign location could make one a touron. Author

Kelsey Timmerman __NOTOC__ Kelsey may refer to: Places Canada * Kelsey, Alberta * Kelsey, Manitoba * Rural Municipality of Kelsey, Manitoba (unconnected with Kelsey, Manitoba) * Kelsey Airport, Manitoba * SIAST Kelsey Campus, one of four campuses of the Saskatche ...

believes that: "A touron is one part eager tourist and one part well-meaning moron. You yourself have likely been a touron at one time or another." Tourists become touronic out of an innocent reaction to places they have never been due to a greater curiosity.

References

External links

Don't be a Touron
blog as mentioned by Kelsey Timmerman in article. {{tourism Sociolinguistics Idioms Tourism