When I travel I try my hardest to be a good tourist.
I hate when people enter a country totally blind to the customs and history. I also hate it when people go somewhere and expect things to be the same as home and catered to in the same way as they are used to.
Do you even want to travel or do you just want to go somewhere that looks different but is exactly the same as you are used to? From trapezing all over the world, I have noticed annoying things that other tourists do that drive me nuts.
People who are rude when someone doesn’t understand them.
Hello! You are in another country they do not speak your language! How dare you get annoyed at a someone else, whether it be a shop keeper, waiter or any other customer service worker, you are on their turf. I have seen many people (sadly mostly American tourists) begin to shout at someone because they did not understand them. As if speaking louder suddenly makes the person learn another language. I am not saying I learn another language each time I go somewhere. That is nearly impossible. However I do try to learn a few key phrases and at the very least I am polite and friendly when someone doesn’t understand me. I often find myself in a situation where using a few key words in another language, pointing and smiling have gotten me a long way.
People who do not understand that things are just different.
When you are traveling you have to learn to roll with the punches.Of course I am used to certain things and when I am home I expect things to go a specific way however when I am travelling a lot of that goes out the window. I get the fact that nothing is the same and I have to realize that how things are done may be different.
For example, never in a million years would I find it acceptable to stay in a hotel in the United States that has no electricity and has a considerable amount of bugs in the room. When I was India I had to deal with this on a constant basis. It is just how things are, complaining about it and getting angry isn’t going to change it. It is all part of the wonders of travel.
People who have no respect for the culture of the place they are visiting.
Why would you go some where and not be aware of other people’s customs? When I was in India it was hot every day I wanted to wear tank tops and shorts and although I could have I didn’t. Women don’t dress like me there and doing so would have brought a ton of unwanted attention. I always wore a tunic over everything Plenty of places did not even let you in if you weren’t covered. It is about being aware of the world around you and being respectful to the people in it.
These are just a few things that other tourists do that drive me nuts.
The list could really go one but I feel like these may be the most important ones there are. So just remember where ever you are going whether its down the road or across the world make sure to be the best version of yourself. Open your mind to the possibilities and you will gain so much from each adventure.
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