While world leaders continue to negotiate behind closed doors, a new kind of diplomacy is taking shape. One determined not by suits and ties, but by backpacks and stamps. It’s time to admit that traditional diplomacy is outdated and that the future of intercultural communication belongs to the wanderers.
Soft Power in Hostels
John Nye was the first to coin the term “soft power,” which describes a country’s ability to be viewed as attractive through its cultural richness rather than through a forced stance. This notion is largely enhanced by cultural exchanges, such as Erasmus programs. Another new take on this idea is the increasing demand for hostel life among travelers. Applications like “Hostelworld” allow backpackers to easily find short stays tailored to their needs. Want a party hostel? Chill vibes? Whatever suits your travel style, you can find and arrange it accordingly.
The Essence in Hostel Life
Picture diplomats traveling and meeting important people in other countries. Now, take away all the formalities. Instead of “soft power,” let’s call this “soft diplomacy”—a space open to the public that allows for cultural exchanges. Here, people meet and form international bonds, questioning stereotypes in the process. A commonly held belief is that the public is hard to reach. Politicians wonder how to connect with the young—those not interested in politics—but they often forget one crucial thing: to actually spend time with them.
Once a guest speaker during my Erasmus exchange on intercultural communication said to us:
''Every culture has the right to exist. Identity needs other people. Take time to know people. Take time to listen and be a good listener.''
And this is it. The core, the heart of living in a hostel. Endless conversations with strangers you may or may not agree with. Language barriers force you to communicate differently. Each side is in constant reevaluation of themselves and the person in front. Resulting in incredibly intense experiences of human connection. What happens when we then don’t meet other people, take time to know them, or listen?
Simple: We miss out on the opportunity to trust, understand, and be understood, fostering emotional growth and all the vibrant experiences that come with truly feeling alive.
The Outcome
So, how come a backpacker can be a better representative of a culture?
Stereotypes form easily because we only see what we know. Being bombarded with cultural input from TV shows and social media platforms can make us think we already understand when, in reality, we don’t. We might think it rains all year in Ireland because we’ve seen it on TV, but that’s not the whole story.
Listening to someone talk about how the rain is annoying makes you truly know them through their experience. Living and existing around different cultural input, whether it’s your roommate or the person running the hostel you simply can not, not learn about a new culture. Come on people, enjoy the richness that is not found in material things or money but in the person found in front of you! How cool is that!? (not even a 9–5 job necessary!).
So why do we take the shortcut, believing we know instead of taking the time to hear it from an actual person? Because we forgot what it means to communicate and the importance of it. How would you feel if you were considered a diplomat rather than a backpacker who is escaping a millennial midlife crisis? Probably, you would feel a little more appreciated for all the hostel searching you have been doing and the tolerance you’ve developed for… well pretty much everything that got to your way because what else can you do right?
So next time when you plan your hostel journey see yourself as an intercultural communication expert, culture ambassador, or diplomat. The only difference: you can succeed without having to exploit nepotism.
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