What is the difference between a nomad, an expat, a traveler, and a tourist?

Yes, let’s break down the key differences between these four very different groups of people.

Nomad

A nomad is someone with no fixed place of residence who moves according to the seasons, following work, or seeking pleasure.

It must be noted however, that you don’t need to be a “digital” nomad per se, to be a nomad. You might want to check this staggering list of nomads who are non digital.

Digital Nomad

A digital nomad would fall into the above category with the main difference being these nomads earn their living online. Bloggers, youtubers, and techies, all travel around the world generating their income via various online platforms.

If you are interested in checking out some top jobs for digital nomads, take a peek.

Things like, “I slept next to a llama last night”, “I haven’t washed my clothes since August”, or “Make sure you look out for rattlesnakes in your sleeping bag” are seldom mentioned in the world of tourists.

Expat

An expat, or expatriate, is someone who has emigrated from his native country with the intention of settling down in a new one. The term does not define how long this period will be, it could be for a year or a lifetime, but it does imply this individual will take up a new place of residence.

Traveler

Travelers are usually referred to as those who travel for extended periods of time. Not a quick weekend visit, or a 2 week stint, but we’re talking months and even years. At some point, the line between a nomad and a traveler can get a bit blurry. Travelers would become nomads once they regularly start earning an income during their travels. This is no longer only traveling, but it is now an auto financed activity.

Tourist

And finally, to round up this distinguished list, we have the most common species on the planet: the tourist. This entails a much lighter sort of traveler. Things like, “I slept next to a llama last night”, “I haven’t washed my clothes since August”, or “Make sure you look out for rattlesnakes in your sleeping bag” are seldom mentioned in the world of tourists. The main objective of tourists is to simply have a nice time in new surroundings. Which is fair enough.