Whentravelingin a new country, it’s important to have a good time and learn or experience something new; but it’s even more important to be respectful of the place and the people you’re visiting.
Failing to do so can, in the best case scenario, make you look foolish, and in the worst one, cause serious injuries or even death – there have been one too many stories in places like Iceland of people underestimating the power of Mother Nature or ignoring the safety signs provided.
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TW: Holocaust / Concentration CampYears ago, I was in Auschwitz KZ.It’s hard to describe how particular this place is. It’s not a nice place. Entering the gas chambers where so many people were murdered feels solemn. Seeing clear clawing marks at walls is disturbing.When you enter, a somewhat simple yet clear information sign is translated in over 25 languages. It’s direct: you’re about to enter a small space where a ton of people were murdered for who they were. We ask you to respect this place. Do not run around, do not laugh, do not play games and avoid talking.I took a deep breath and entered. My brain quickly making all sorts of connections with my family history as the hair on my neck perked up from how eerie the place is. How instantly terrible I felt on this desecrated ground. I was immediately physically unwell.About two hot seconds later a gentleman struts in wielding a selfie stick cell phone on some Skype call with some family members was speaking very loudly, his high pitched voice resonating loudly on the walls as he obnoxiously yapped on in mandarin even throwing in a few laughs about who knows what. He was touching the walls and his partner, also with a selfie stick, was taking selfies with him.Murder suddenly made a tiny bit of sense in my mind.I never hated anyone so much in such a short amount of time.If you visit a KZ. Be respectful.
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If you’re in Hawaii (or really anywhere with coral reefs for that matter) for the love of god, don’t touch the coral! (Also seek out reef safe sunscreen if possible).
People who get to a scenic viewpoint or landmark with a narrow/small angle for the photo everyone wants, then proceeds to do a full on model shoot with dozens of poses and retakes for the Instagram. Most of the time I don’t even want a selfie, just the viewpoint without a teenage girl in it.
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, the OP, ‘danielgmal’, revealed that it was their personal experience while traveling that inspired them to ask this particular question. “A couple of years ago—pre-pandemic and pre-Brexit—I was messing around on Skyscanner looking at flights. I loved travel, and thought about it a lot, but I very rarely actually did it,” they recalled.“So when I saw a flight to Faro, Portugal that was cheaper than a coach within my own city, I impulsively booked it. That was the first trip in what ended up being an unbroken three year chain of monthly trips todifferent countries.”
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, the OP, ‘danielgmal’, revealed that it was their personal experience while traveling that inspired them to ask this particular question. “A couple of years ago—pre-pandemic and pre-Brexit—I was messing around on Skyscanner looking at flights. I loved travel, and thought about it a lot, but I very rarely actually did it,” they recalled.
“So when I saw a flight to Faro, Portugal that was cheaper than a coach within my own city, I impulsively booked it. That was the first trip in what ended up being an unbroken three year chain of monthly trips todifferent countries.”
- Behaving in a way that would be unacceptable in your home country/culture. For instance, I’ve seen way too many woman going to temples in Bali, Cambodia & India in bikinis or very scantily clad. You would never go to a church in your hometown dressed that way. And way too many guys behaving obnoxiously with local women when they well know they won’t be able to get away with even a fraction of that bad behavior back home.2. Being more interested in taking selfies or instagram videos than actually seeing and experiencing the place you’re in.3. Disrespecting the local culture.
When I was 16 my family went on our first and only Intl holiday, to Hawaii from Australia.I distinctly remember a Japanese family being kicked out of the Pearl Harbor Memorial because they would NOT stop taking photo’s, laughing and joking around loudly.I still can’t f*****g believe that. It’s been over two decades and it still is upsetting. Disrespecting a literal war grave, and coming from the nation that literally caused it… It’s like a Saudi doing that at Ground Zero, or an American doing the same at the Peace Museum in Hiroshima. It is absolutely beyond f****d up.
The redditor shared that what started as one trip to Portugal turned into an accidental odyssey across Europe, which they continued once the pandemic ended.“As a result, I’ve really gotten to know the continent of Europe and I’ve noticed that you can travel through several countries in a matter of hours and find traditions, cultures, and even laws totally change just in a matter of a few miles across a border.”
The redditor shared that what started as one trip to Portugal turned into an accidental odyssey across Europe, which they continued once the pandemic ended.
“As a result, I’ve really gotten to know the continent of Europe and I’ve noticed that you can travel through several countries in a matter of hours and find traditions, cultures, and even laws totally change just in a matter of a few miles across a border.”
Dudes going to poor countries acting like they’re god’s gift towards local women. Super cringe :/.
“WHY DON’T YOU ACCEPT DOLLARS?!” I’ve heard this in Italy, England, and Japan.
Taking cheerful selfies in inappropriate places (saw this happening in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park for instance)Generally bad camera etiquette (shoving your camera in local people’s faces, posing tastelessly in some bad imitation of “local” fashion based more on stereotypes than reality, taking up too much time on a photoshoot and blocking other people’s way, etc).
“So that’s why I asked the question,” the OP continued, “I wanted to know about the times people had come across these differences—big and small—because I think it’s interesting to put a spotlight on how different customs and expectations are throughout the world.“I also know there’s a lot ofanti-tourist sentimentacross Europe and elsewhere and I wanted to provoke a conversation about being a responsible and conscientious tourist, mindful of ‘rules’. Often there really are clear social rules, both spoken and unspoken, and this was a chance to emphasize them.”
“So that’s why I asked the question,” the OP continued, “I wanted to know about the times people had come across these differences—big and small—because I think it’s interesting to put a spotlight on how different customs and expectations are throughout the world.
“I also know there’s a lot ofanti-tourist sentimentacross Europe and elsewhere and I wanted to provoke a conversation about being a responsible and conscientious tourist, mindful of ‘rules’. Often there really are clear social rules, both spoken and unspoken, and this was a chance to emphasize them.”
Being a loud English speaker in a non-English speaking country assuming/forgetting others can understand you perfectly.Edit: or just being a loud tourist in general. 🤫.
People in National Parks treating animals like they’re theme park attractions. It’s wild seeing how many people get out of their cars to take pictures of bears.Also people who (for some weird reason) think places like Yosemite and Yellowstone are warm weather places. Those places have snow storms in the middle of may. It’s kind of humorous seeing tourists show up in summer clothes to find it non stop snowing. Neither of these places (especially Yellowstone) ever get “warm.”.
“It’s interesting, for example, to see the American confusion towards how seriously Italians take their food, as they will literally physically stop you from seasoning your food until you’ve tasted it, whereas Americans will often douse it in sauce and cheese as a reflex. For the Americans the personal liberty seems more important, and for the Italians respecting the work the chef put in takes precedence. Very different takes, but no one is ‘wrong’.”
Don’t take photos of locals without permission ESPECIALLY children. I see it a lot in African countries and it bothers me a lot.
Nepal: tourists filming a funeral procession. It wasn’t even a “known” person’s funeral, just some regular funeral and tourists were filming the grievers like they were a zoo exhibit. Why would you even want to do that? Go back through your vacation photos to look at a funeral? It’s as bizarre as it is utterly tactless.
Expecting waiters in France to check in on you every five minutes during your meal. Restaurants are not like in America. The waiter will come when they see that your plate is empty or if you’ve stopped touching your food for a while. And waiters let you take your time to order food, so they give you the menu with all the dishes and come back a while after. To signal that you’ve made your choice, you close the menu and put it on the side of your table.
The OP admitted being no stranger to tourist “no nos” themselves, as they have made themselves or others rather uncomfortable with certain poor choices.
Posing and imitating Buddha in temples in Thailand- so offensive and tacky.
This isn’t cultural but leave your f*****g drone at home.
In the netizen’s eyes, part of being a responsibletouristis knowing what is expected of you as a guest in someone else’s home country. But it can also be a matter of safety: “If, for example, you went to Morocco and didn’t know homosexuality is illegal, you could get in a difficult position. So it’s practical too,” they said.“In Germany, you can be naked in the public parks and many beaches, but I wouldn’t recommend trying that in Malta where nudism isn’t legal.”
In the netizen’s eyes, part of being a responsibletouristis knowing what is expected of you as a guest in someone else’s home country. But it can also be a matter of safety: “If, for example, you went to Morocco and didn’t know homosexuality is illegal, you could get in a difficult position. So it’s practical too,” they said.
“In Germany, you can be naked in the public parks and many beaches, but I wouldn’t recommend trying that in Malta where nudism isn’t legal.”
If you are visiting French gothic cathedrals, take off your damn baseball hat. Take off any hat in a house of worship. It infuriates the locals when we treat their churches like a tourist trap.
Everywhere: watching videos on your phone and talking on the phone with the speaker on.
Taking photos in museums that strictly prohibits them.Visited Prado Museum last year and it was so nice because there weren’t 100’s of iPhones up in the air taking pictures of a picture…people actually had the time to enjoy the art.Except a few idiots who kept on trying to sneak photos. Thankfully the museum staff quickly caught them, but they did it like 3-4 times. It was obnoxious.
Walking around supermarkets with no shirt on or in your swimming stuff. I hate it. So disrespectful.
If you’re a tourist, don’t trash-talk about other people (tourists and locals alike) thinking that no one can understand your language (unless it’s Ayapaneco).I, a non-Hispanic American, was once in Costa Rica. At the cash register of a grocery store, the cashier asked me for my ID. I had been hiking in the rain and had put my U.S. passport inside a ziplock bag. When I took it out, the Spanish tourist behind me made fun of my ziplock trick to her partner. My Spanish is basic but I have a good ear for Spaniard accent (have friends in Valencia).I didn’t say anything back but made sure to chat with the friendly cashier loudly enough for the Spanish woman to hear me. Yeah, Spanish is such an unknown language…
Being loud, drunk and violent are among the worst things tourists can do.
Saw a group of Italien men try to pick up women while visiting Auschwitz. That was beyond cringe.
Do not touch delicate artwork or ancient artifacts.I see this happen everywhere. Drives me nuts.
Wearing immodest clothing in typically modest countries. Look what the locals of your gender are dressed like, and try to cover the same body parts. I cringe when I see “influencers” posing in front of the pyramids wearing a tiny crop top and shorts. Have a bit of respect for the local customs and culture. What would you think of someone walking naked down your city street? Would it be okay, just because they walk around naked in their own country?
Jaywalking is a shockable offense in Germany. Pedestrians will wait at an empty crosswalk with no cars in sight and wait until the little man tells them they can walk and if you walk across the (empty street) they will stare at you like you just mugged an old lady in front of them.
Those are not garbage cans outside shops in Japan those are for umbrellas. Don’t be me A.K.A a dummy.
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Driving slowly looking at the scenery, holding up local traffic; we’ve got places to be, people to see.If you want to admire the view pull off somewhere & enjoy it properly.
We were following a group of British tourists up the Big Daddy dune in Namibia and they were playing bad American pop on a portable Bluetooth speaker. Ok, I heard Justin Bieber so maybe it was bad Canadian pop. We were with a local guide, he yelled at them, adding it was a local holiday, so they were being especially disrespectful, and they sheepishly turned it off. I (American) said a silent prayer of gratitude to the universe that it wasn’t Americans being obnoxious this time.
Don’t turn right on a red in Europe. Oops.
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Just general rudeness to locals. Treating them disrespectfully.I remember being in a restaurant in Bangkok and the table next to us would snap their fingers at the staff to get their attention. Just disgusting.
Outside of the US, when someone asks where you are from, the answer is not your state. It is your country aka simply the US. 🤣.
Stop loudly talking about how cheap everything is.Locals in many places don’t have near the purchasing power you might as a tourist from a wealthy country. It can be infuriating and disrespectful to the locals who may be struggling with cost of living.
Please just leave the wildlife alone. I was in the Philippines and saw a couple pick up a couple of star fish from the ocean floor to take a picture with out of water, then toss them back in after the photo.
Don’t accidentally get on the women’s only carriage (as a man) in the Delhi Metro (yes, it was me 🤦🏻♂️).
Not brushing up on local etiquette before traveling somewhere new. For example, when I visited family in Tokyo, I brought a gift (not strange where I’m from to bring a gift for your host/hostess). But the gift etiquette in Japan is complicated, and the hostess was embarrassed because she wasn’t expecting it and had nothing ready to reciprocate. Much befuddlement and so on for me.
Thinking every culture is like Americann culture. Our 5 star different, complaining because something “isn’t right” but in that country that reaction is considered wrong. Also comparing how we do it in America and inferring our way is the right way. The other thing I learned was I always say on the “other”, “left” or “opposite side”of the road not the wrong side in the Britain and Ireland. It’s an assumption it would be wrong to say it in Japan too, but I’m not sure.I always find attempting even a few words in the country’s language is appreciated. ( except in France, they got angry with me).
Watching a man with two very young kids walk to within 100 feet of a grizzly bear in Yellowstone.
I’m currently in Zagreb and today saw three loud American girls kicking furniture over and then kicking swings in a play area of a park today. They were probably late teens early twenties and were everything people hate about Americans abroad. Loud and weirdly disrespectful.
In a Muslim country, don’t eat in public during Ramadan. Even if you guide gives you food from the market to try, even if he insists that its okay.
Dont assume that a place accepts Apple Pay or honestly any sort of debit or credit card. First time visiting the Netherlands, I was in Amsterdam for pride and was behind a large group of Americans at a hot dog stand. They all ordered their food (about 20+ euros worth) and STARTED EATING IT BEFORE PAYING, and when the leader of the group whipped out her phone for Apple Pay, the very confused Dutch man told her he doesn’t accept anything other than cash. Took them 5 minutes to figure out which one of them had enough cash to cover it! When I came up and ordered in English he kept repeating before handing me my order “ ONLY CASH MEVROUW! “ god bless him lol.
Not reading the fine print before booking a flight on a budget airline. Cheap flights are cheap for a reason. Their policies towards carry-ons and checked-bag sizes vary, and you might have to unexpectedly fork up some more money. Also, don’t expect budget airlines to make it on time if you have a tight connection or will have to go through immigration on your layover.
American military in Europe so I’m already not the Germans’ biggest fan. I literally cannot go anywhere on a train with my friends here. So obnoxiously loud and they don’t care or get embarrassed at all. Just play into the loud american stereotype perfectly.Also they don’t even attempt German. I think the least you can do as a foreigner would be to say dankeschön or tschüss instead of just thanks.
Going to Paris in August when all the Parisians take their holidays, which means all the restaurants and bakeries you’ll probably want to go to are actually closed for two weeks.
Perfumes and colognes. Please stop. Bathe properly and wear deodorant. No need to assault people with nasty smells.
Kathmandu was second hand embarrassment to the point of humiliation.We went to see thee living goddess. People come from all over Nepal to see her and receive her blessings.While we were there with many religious devotees and tourists alike, waiting for her we were advised not to take pics. It was a very black and white rule reiterated several times.She comes to the window, several people take pics, all tourists, including a group from Australia, she gets pulled straight back into the building and no blessings given.
No public displays of affection in Vietnam please. Maybe don’t even hold hands to be respectful.In most Asian countries, please receive shop receipts with both hands. Same for business cards and do not put it away if seated, place it on the table until end of interaction.
Give the monkeys fruit.
I don’t know if this is a No No. I was in the Montemartre part of Paris at lunch in a small restaurant. Four women from .I’m guessing Texas, “Do y’all have Dr. Pepper?”, “No? I can’t believe y’all don’t have Dr. Pepper!”.
Loudly pondering why something is done in a particular way merely because it is done differently where the tourist is from.
Taking photos of the locals minding their business but especially in countries in the global south. In the global south, I also find it uncomfortable when wealthier tourists still haggle in markets.As someone else here has said, taking selfies in inappropriate places particularly the Holocaust memorials and sites like concentration camps in Europe. Being rude to locals and disrespecting/not following local customs or openly challenging them too.
Reading signs for Historical places out loud while you block everyone else from reading it. Wearing athlesure in cities where it’s not accepted. Talking too loudly. Comp,aiming about prices.
I see a fair number of people from certain other countries that try to haggle for the price of products in the US and seem upset when it’s made clear that prices are firm.
Not caring about being ripped off because “it’s cheap for me anyway”.
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