If you ever felt like a graceless fool while traveling, you aren’t alone.
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Travel can get uncomfortable, even when we’re doing our best to follow the unwritten rules of our destination.
But knowing how to fit in while obviously standing out is an art form—one that requires mindfulness and bravery in equal measure.
I can help you take a few shortcuts. Not only have I lived and traveled abroad for well over a decade, and graduated with a degree in Global Studies, but I’ve also made many, many blunders in my day.
Want to learn from my academic background and ample mistakes? I’ve got the down-low on tourist etiquette 101 for my fellow Americans. Here’s how to be a great tourist no matter where in the world you decide to wander next.
Tourism etiquette 101: the basics
The golden rule: be observant
Being oblivious as a tourist is never a good idea. On a more obvious level, walking around with your head in the clouds makes you a prime target for pickpockets.
However, being oblivious can also lead to miscommunication and outright blunders.
The golden rule of fitting in as a tourist is simply to observe your surroundings. It’s easy to feel like the world is our oyster and museum as a tourist—but unless we’re at an all-inclusive resort, we’re actually stepping into someone else’s home.
If you aren’t sure how to act or feel like you’ve overstepped, take some time to observe what’s happening around you.
Learn about your destination
A little effort goes a long way when it comes to doing research. The best thing to do as an American? Just Google it. No big mystery here.
If you’re heading to Thailand, for example, you can Google things that Americans should know before traveling there. It’ll help you avoid problems like touching someone’s head. (Yes, it’s taboo.)
You don’t need to take a course on the history, language, and culture of your destination, but it’s never bad to seek out a bit of insight before leaving home.
Knowing yourself helps, too
The more you understand yourself and your cultural cues as an American, the less uncertainty you’ll face abroad.
One thing most Americans know is that we have a penchant for speaking loudly and acting boisterously. When we travel, it’s important to watch the noise.
But knowing our other cultural habits is helpful, too. For example, Americans tend to smile at strangers, if not instigate full-on small talk. In many places, that’s viewed as either strange or outright suspicious.
Obviously, you can and should smile at others! But the more you know, the more comfortable you’ll be… and the less hurt you’ll feel when no one returns your smile.
Be gracious as you learn
Here’s the last—and possibly most important—rule of tourism etiquette: Plan for failure.
I have offended people around the world despite my efforts to be a good visitor. Even with a background in intercultural studies, I still mess up. It’s not because I’m ignorant or unwilling. It’s because the world is large and diverse, and I only have one brain to take it all in.
The same is true for you.
I’ve found that being gracious and humble goes a long way when doing the wrong thing. The best way to make up for a mistake is to avoid nervous laughter, convey your apology in the most culturally appropriate way you know how, and try to help correct the mistake.
Everyone makes them, after all.
Tourism etiquette—the nitty-gritty
The tourism etiquette discussed above is more general and designed to teach you the ideas behind positive cultural exchange.
But if you want the hard-and-fast of how to be a good American tourist, here are my direct suggestions:
- Learn a few local phrases. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but the effort will go a long way. Try to learn five or six short phrases that you think will be the most applicable to your trip. Bonus points for attempting local dialects.
- Engage with locals at their pace. Everyone loves to get a nod of approval from locals, but let them come to you. Be mindful when you enter ‘their’ spaces and try to give them priority when possible. This might be as simple as letting a parent with children pass on the street.
- Ask before taking photos. Don’t assume that it’s okay to take photos, and avoid photographing people without their permission. It tends to make people feel like they’re living inside a museum exhibit.
- Support local as often as possible. Try to spend your hard-earned money at local shops, restaurants, and bars whenever you can. Avoid spending all your funds at mega-chains.
- Use sustainable operators. If you’re exploring natural wonders, focus on tours that meet sustainability standards. Usually, you can find a company’s sustainability outlook on its website.
- Slow down and be flexible. Americans are renowned for our hustle, but moving too quickly is sometimes viewed as a negative. It’s always a good idea to slow down while traveling and to be flexible—who knows what sorts of experiences this approach will open up?
- Always say hello. You might not get a greeting back, but that’s okay. The gesture isn’t for nothing.