Pointers on Decent Tourist Behavior
Pointers on Decent Tourist Behavior
While many tourists seem to have everything in check whenever they hit the roadfrom their sleek professional cameras, down to their trusted travel guide slash foreign dictionarysome travelers seem to forget their good ol' etiquettes back at home.
Don't add up to the usual negative connotation of tourists being insensitive and arrogant. Be the best representative of your homeland, and leave them a great impression that they will cherish for a lifetime.
Below are five tips to avoid playing the role of the dumb tourist, and make locals remember you long after you've left.
SHARE, BUT BEWARE Tipping is mandatory in some parts of the world, so giving an extra bill or two is never a bad idea. However, set limits without being a penny pincherknow what's reasonable and what's not. There are also establishments out there that would prey on unsuspecting foreigners by jacking up prices, so being street smart would certainly be of value (no pun intended).
Tip the efficient waiters, and leave an extra for the wonderful chef. But if the prices seem astronomic even to your untrained eye, be sure to have a word with management.
RULES ARE RULES Unless you're headed to some wasteland governed by outlaws, chances are your destination will have its own set of rules. A simple internet research can save you from a unique tripone that involves a view from the back of a police car.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T There are written laws, and there are also unwritten ones, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't be heeded all the same. Learn the appropriate dress codes; what's appropriate in your country may be inappropriate in some. You may not necessarily end up hearing your rights read to you for breaking a certain social taboo, but you may very well end up hearing something worse from some dude you offended unknowingly.
EXCESS BAGGAGE It's always wise not to leave your valuables unattended, but what's never wise is having your bags press someone's face against the subway door or bus window. While it's typical of campers or hikers to carry a heavy load on their backpacks, but be mindful of those behind you, especially in crowded places.
It happens most of the time when you ride the bus or the local trains on a rush hour. In Asian countries like China and Singapore, riding the train is like being in a sardine can-extra crowded and at times with extra grease in a sunny hot weather (gross!). So if you plan to carry your backpack with you, be sensitive enough to carry it in your front, or place it somewhere where it won't be space-consuming.
HOLD YOUR TONGUE Just because you're in a foreign country doesn't mean you're safe behind your language. Want to diss that man on the bus who smells like three-year old cheese? Countries with a colonial history often know their parent tongue. Most Filipinos are fluent in English, and some Indonesians speak Dutch. Major cities like New York and Paris, meanwhile, are a rich melting pot of tourists and immigrants. So before you talk about that blonde and her equally blond armpits, think before you speak and get a slap in the face.
While it's good to enjoy the different cultures this world has to offer, remember that you are also an envoy of the culture that you represent. Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean your manners have to be too. Paul Tourism Chain To Build The Beijing-tianjin Baigou Shopping Plate - Baigou, Commodity - Gifts Comparison of the Affiliate Theme vs StudioPress vs Thesis Themes - Three Premium Wordpress Themes Color Building Materials Industry Growth Driven Great Countryside - Building Materials To The Partying too Hard on Spring Break 2011 A Perfect Planning of Holidays- Holidays in India Excellent gift idea for Christmas Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l. Inc. Franchise Review BOOK A HOLIDAY APPARTMENT IN ITALY Catch ‘Holiday Madness' in 90210 S03E11! Getting Started with the Right to Enfranchise The Best Time to Go and Travel Cheaply Celebrate Christmas Day 2010 with FNP The First Quarter Of 2010, China's Coal Supply And Demand Situation Is Generally Relaxed - Coal