Some tourists give a bad name to those travelers with genuine wanderlust and curiosity about other places and cultures. Not every tourist is terrible, but it is easy to pick out the terrible ones from a crowd. Read on to find out the hallmark signs of a bad tourist and how you can avoid being one.
The Hallmark Signs of a Bad Tourist
Terrible tourists don’t have any concern or consideration for the destination they’re visiting. Typically, they only care about their own feelings and experiences without any regard for the effect they have on the place they’re visiting and the people who live there.
They often visit significant places like religious buildings or historic sites and care only about getting the perfect selfie. Not that taking selfies is a bad thing, but being respectful means appreciating the stories behind the landmarks you’re seeing and always showing courtesy. Bad tourists, for example, take their clothes off at Machu Picchu or visit Auschwitz and decide to film loud and cheerful travel vlogs.
A hallmark sign of a bad tourist is failing to observe local laws. This is extremely common in cities where mass tourism has almost spoiled the destination entirely. Thousands upon thousands of locals arrive and don’t bother to educate themselves about what’s legal and what isn’t and end up breaking the laws. In reality, whether or not tourists agree with laws makes no difference to whether or not they have to follow them. When you’re in someone else’s home, you have to play by their rules.
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In the same way, bad tourists don’t observe local customs and etiquettes. Even without breaking the law, they commit social blunders and do things that make the local people feel comfortable. Obviously, making a few genuine mistakes doesn’t automatically make someone a horrible tourist. The difference is bad tourists don’t care about trying to observe the local customs. They just make the same mistakes over and over again.
For example, it’s rude to blow your nose in public in Japan. In some Middle Eastern countries, locals don’t like to have their photos taken. There are many countries around the world where it’s considered rude to wear shoes indoors. Ignoring these social norms probably means a person is a very inconsiderate tourist.
Because bad tourists only care about their own feelings and experiences while traveling, they can often be very disrespectful to the local people and the local culture, especially regarding sensitive issues like politics and religion.
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Things You Can Do to Be a Good Tourist
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to be a good tourist! It mostly involves having respect and consideration for the destination you’re visiting and the locals who live there.
One of the most effective things you can do to be a good tourist is researching your destination before you go. Become familiar with the laws you’ll need to obey, the customs and etiquette that you should follow, and anything else that you need to know. Especially if you’re visiting an extremely popular destination, it might be a good idea to look into the specific ways that tourists cause trouble in that city and how you can avoid being part of the problem.
Ignorance is never an excuse for breaking the law, at home or while traveling. The more you can do to educate yourself about what’s required and expected of you in a foreign country, the better off you’ll be.
It’s also wise to educate yourself on the local currency, directions, transport timetables, and anything else that you’ll need to know. Avoid asking unnecessary questions to locals. If you do need help during your trip, ask someone who is paid to help, like a tour guide or concierge.
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If you’re visiting a place where they don’t speak English, try to learn a few words and phrases in that language. Nobody will expect you to become fluent in another language, but it’s obnoxious to arrive at a foreign destination and expect that the locals speak your language for your convenience. Even if the locals do speak English, just learning a few helpful sentences in their language shows that you acknowledge that you’re in someone else’s country. It’s just common courtesy!
Good tourists try to minimize their footprint as much as possible, especially in destinations that are slowly becoming ruined due to overtourism. This means never leaving behind litter and not causing any damage to landmarks, monuments, or the natural environment.
To be the kind of tourist that locals will welcome back, remember to always show respect to both places and people. Bad tourists are disrespectful by drawing unnecessary attention to themselves, being loud and unruly, and sometimes being nuisances by getting too drunk. You can still enjoy yourself, but prioritize respect and courtesy above your own enjoyment.
The most important thing to remember when trying to be a good tourist is that you’re really in someone else’s home. In the same way that you’d always be polite and show a level of reverence when visiting someone else’s house, maintain that same awareness when visiting someone else’s country.
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