The author cites the popular distinction between "traveler" and "tourist", noting that the latter has come to signify someone less enlightened, less conscientious and less distinguished than the former. Discussing critical pedagogy in terms of this paradox, she draws upon her experience in designing and teaching an interdisciplinary undergraduate seminar on tourism and cultural policy in the Pacific, and examines incidents from the culminating study trip to Hawaii and New Zealand. From a touristic viewpoint, the writer opines that the rewards of refusing reflexivity are powerful and the threat of shame that attends the non-reciprocity of one's well-intentioned interest in the community/communities one visits, is also potent. Rather than drawing back from this, the author advocates cultivating it as a resource to help one face one's personal closely held social and subjective commitments, pointing to the material and cultural factors that may be preventive from reciprocating interest and connectivity. The insights drawn from shame apply as much to teachers as to students and, writes Werry, can be a significant resource for critical pedagogy. (Contains 17 notes.)