Tinder and Travel: Do You Swipe Right After the Flight?

Have you heard of the term ‘Tinder tourism’ before? Or maybe if you’re a fellow frequent traveler, it’s something that you think about while getting ready for a trip the same way you’re wondering if you’ve packed enough pairs of underwear. Urban dictionary limits the definition of a Tinder tourist to be someone who has no intention of actually meeting their chat partner while on the app. But I think the definition is broader than that…

Meeting up with someone from Tinder could prove to be a convenient if they end up being your local tour guide who will respond to you way faster than an obscure TripAdvisor forum.

Lots of my travels have been solo, so I never rule out meeting up with a local or fellow traveler. If he happens to be sexy AND knows the locale pretty well then it’s even harder to say no. And if he’s planning to help me choose the best restaurant in town by actually accompanying me there, then it’s a done deal. There’s always a chance that the meetup won’t go so hot. I’ve got one story that’s a lot crazier than what you might be expecting, but we’ll save that for another time…

I figured I would do some research and check in with some of my girlfriends — frequent travelers or not – to get their opinions on swiping right once you hop off a plane. Their answers ranged from “hell no” to “woah!” on how open they were to the idea of using Tinder while traveling and what their intentions were on the app. Here’s what they had to say and where they fall on what I now like to call the Tinder tourism scale.

Names have been changed to make sure no secrets are let out if anyone finds these ladies on Tinder!

“I’m all for the weekend boyfriend abroad, but I want to meet them in person — at the beach, at the bar, or even just crossing the street. Flowers and limoncello with that waiter on the Amalfi Coast… how could I say no?! But if I don’t log onto Tinder at home, why would I start abroad?” – Sasha, 25

“Wait a second, I don’t understand. You’re telling me that I should not only meet up with a total rando, but on top of that meet up with a total rando thousands of miles from home? Maybe I’m not understanding the question…” – Grace, 36

“I’ve gotten quite comfortable using Tinder at home, but I would never talk to a guy who’s visiting. It’s pretty clear he doesn’t have any long-term intentions. So why be a hypocrite when I’m away? Plus for whatever reason, I’m a lot more confident to go up and chat with a guy I’m interested in when I’m free from my daily grind at home.” – Melissa, 29

“I guess I don’t get away enough, but weekend boyfriend—sign me up! And if we don’t end up meeting, I don’t mind if he’s guided me in the right direction for how to make the most of my trip.” – Alex, 32

“Who says Tinder is for dating? The world is your oyster, literally.” – Laura, 41

There are others who have confessed they think like Laura, too. So tell us, are you on Tinder while touring the globe?