20 Things NOT to Do as a Tourist

If you’ve never been a cringy tourist, good for you. I admire anyone who has always done everything right while traveling.

Do those people exist, though? Whether you’re a seasoned traveler with dozens of countries ticked off your bucket list or you’re just starting to dip your toes into travel, chances are you’ve thought about some things not to do as a tourist.

From simple things like how much to tip to your travel mindset, these are the mistakes that many travelers make (myself included for some of them!) and ways to avoid them:

The Top 20 Things Not to Do as a Tourist

20. Not learning at least simple greetings in the local language

Let’s face it: mastering the language everywhere you travel in the world is an impossible task. But whether you’re heading to Egypt to see the pyramids or traveling through Vietnam via motorbike, take the time to at least learn how to greet locals in their language. Navigating language barriers is a part of international travel, and making a genuine effort to learn how to say “hello” in different languages is a great way to break the ice in a new place.

Also, it’s essential to learn how to say “thank you” in the local language. Sometimes the generosity and kindness of others might feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to express gratitude even in your own language, but being able to say “thank you” to people along the way is a great starting point.

19. Expecting everyone to speak YOUR native language

This one is more of a mindset issue than a skill, but it’s important to remember that we are guests in foreign countries; it makes very little sense to expect residents to speak our native language, even if the economy is heavily reliant on tourism. This might surprise some people (or maybe not), but I see an astonishing number of tourists in Mexico and other Latin American countries get frustrated that locals don’t speak English.

If you travel anywhere that has a history of colonization (which is most places in the world), remember that the erasure of native languages has had a devastating impact on culture and history globally. By expecting everyone in the world to know English to better accommodate you as a tourist, you participate in neocolonial ideas that are harmful and disrespectful to local people.

18. Taking photos of people without asking permission