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

Things You Can Do to Be a Good Tourist

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. NEXT: 10 Etiquette Tips For Traveling To Morocco