All you globetrotters out there will know that traveling can be a bit of a minefield
in terms of knowing what to do or how to act in certain situations.
Customs and cultures vary widely, and so what is polite in one country might be darned rude
in another.
If we look at the United States, it’s a fairy laid back culture, and it would be unusual
to get things too wrong.
But it’s not that laid back, as many Europeans might have learned when they didn’t leave
a tip at any of the places they ate or drank at.
You can virtually embarrass yourself in any country, and today we’ll find out how, in
this episode of the Infographics Show, Embarrassing Tourist Mistakes Everyone Makes Around the
World.
10.
Italy There are a few things in Italy which you
might do wrong or even take offense to.
Take staring for instance.
Italians do seem to stare at you a lot.
This doesn’t mean you should go up to people and ask the question, “What the hell are
you looking at?”
As one person writing for the Huffington Post says, you might well get a good staring at
by groups of Italian men standing outside a “scommesse” (betting shop).
The stares are not usually aggressive, it’s just what people often do.
If you’re a woman you might even hear the words.
"Ciao Bella!"
You might not like such overt flirtation, but again, it’s cultural and getting all
mad about it may just end-up being embarrassing for you.
This was discussed on Tripadvisor, with one person writing, “It's part of the Italian
male scene.
I suppose you could say that it's in their genes.”
9.
Japan Japan is very friendly for the most part,
but there are a few things you could do to upset someone.
One thing, and this is the same in many parts of Asia, is when you accept someone’s business
card you should not do it with just one hand.
It’s actually quite serious business, accepting those cards, so you should look grateful and
hold out two hands.
Another thing, don’t be really loud in public.
Loud Americans, listen up.
It’s considered really rude in Japan to talk very loudly in public places, and that
includes shouting down your phone so everyone in the vicinity can hear.
If you have a cold, you might not want to advertise it by coughing loudly or taking
a big blow of your nose.
The Japanese often wear surgical masks when they are sick, and they certainly don’t
want to be near a person that is obviously carrying an infection.
8.
France If you’ve spent a fair bit of time in France,
you’ll know it’s really not the place to be shouting your orders or questions in
English.
Learn some French and understand many people will resent you if you just think they will
understand your English.
If you’re invited for dinner, don’t go crazy on the first course or drink your wine
like it’s a drinking competition.
Eating in France is often quite the ritual, with many courses being served and lots of
conversation.
It’s not about consuming as fast as you can.
“Don’t make a pig of yourself” might be the appropriate expression.
The French already have enough rude-American and uncouth-Brit jokes.
7.
Saudi Arabia Let’s now go to the Middle East, to a country
with a lot of cultural Dos and Don’ts.
Well, the first thing is don’t think about getting into an argument about the merits
of Islam.
This won’t just be embarrassing, but it could mean serious trouble for you.
If you can do that, people might like you more.
They might even invite you to dinner, which happens a lot there.
Whatever you do, try very hard to say yes.
It’s seen as mightily impolite to refuse a dinner invitation at someone’s house.
Oh, and please don’t complain about stores being closed during what’s called “Azan”
(Muslim Prayer calling).
That’s just the way it is.
Women might also have to accept the fact that they won’t be allowed to drive or even go
to a normal gym.
You’ll have to find a woman’s gym.
One of those was recently closed down because pictures emerged showing women there wearing
tight-fitting clothes.
By the way, the driving ban for women has been lifted, but so far not many licenses
have been issued.
If you’re a female visitor, it’s unlikely you’ll be getting behind the wheel.
6.
Thailand This is a nation where you’ll find hordes
of tourists from around the world basking under the sun on beautiful beaches and trekking
through rolling mountains.
It’s also a place where the locals take videos of ‘farang’ (foreigners) breaching
cultural Dos and Don’ts.
The number one is probably westerners being a bit too affectionate in public, which is
a big no no in Thailand.
Or what about westerners turning up to temples in beach wear, or donning skimpy shorts for
a visit to a government office.
Perhaps even worse is putting your feet close to someone’s head, something that is sure
to create very hostile feelings.
Do these things happen?
Yes, and quite often.
You might just find yourself starring in a viral (in Thailand at least) video if you
do any of these things.
5.
Brazil Reading tourism websites, we are told that
making the “OK” sign in this country isn’t OK at all.
One blogger writes, “It's VERY obscene!
It means ‘screw you.’”
So yeah, it’s an easy mistake to make, but might end badly for you.
Brazil.com tells us you should not eat with your hands in the country as people will think
you are uncivilized.
And yes, that applies to eating pizza, too.
Things that are also embarrassing for tourists and seem to happen quite often are visitors
using the Spanish language, thinking the Portuguese speaking-people are actually Spanish speakers.
Tourists, we are told, should also not call the USA “America”.
Why?
Well, Brazil is also America, just South America.
If you do this, you’ll look ignorant.
4.
Sweden Let’s venture into Scandinavia and Sweden.
One Swedish tourism website tells us that one mistake people make is thinking everyone
here is fluent in English.
While Swedes in general are good at English, just remember not everyone will understand
you, especially if you have some broad Scottish accent or are a fast-talking person from Kentucky.
According to one website, the Swedes often regard some visitors as loud and overly animated
in conversation.
“This is the quickest way to irritate the locals, and you can expect to be gently reprimanded
if your voice carries over to the next table,” said the writer.
We are also told not to invade someone’s personal space as Swedes are not keen on that.
Keep your distance if possible.
3.
China Over to China and we are told one thing tourists
often do to embarrass themselves is greet people with a bow.
You are in China, not Japan.
Some people may shake hands, but whatever you do, don’t apply that strong grip which
many people are told is a sign of confidence or even sincerity.
In China it will be taken as you being aggressive.
If you eat out, don’t leave your chopsticks standing like poles in your food.
While this might seem convenient, it’s symbolic in China of incense sticks at a funeral.
You might also not want to write with red ink, for many reasons it is symbolic of death.
Many westerners have written someone’s name in red ink, and we can tell you, it doesn’t
go down well at all.
2.
India This is such a culturally diverse nation that
customs will change depending on where you are, but it’s generally accepted that wearing
skimpy clothes in public is a no no.
The beach, ok, but not walking down the high street or exploring the countryside.
One website tells us, “There's a common perception in India that foreign women are
promiscuous, and wearing inappropriate clothing perpetuates this.”
Showing a lot of your body may result in a lot of attention, but despite this many tourists
still don’t adhere to India’s conservative dressing standards.
Sticking with clothes, try to remember that when you go indoors, Indians will generally
take off their shoes.
If you don’t, you will look rude.
Another thing that will not go down well is passing people things with your left hand.
The left is the hand usually used for matters of going to the bathroom.
1.
USA So, what about the USA, a country that is
fairly laid back and if anything is more associated with cultural rule-breaking than having rules
broken.
Well, as we said already, tipping for good service is a big deal in the U.S.
You’ll look very stingy if you take a “I don’t tip” approach when visiting the
country.
In some parts of the world it’s fairly normal to see people smoking cigarettes, but in the
U.S. you should be aware that smoking in public is very much frowned upon or even illegal.
California has very strict smoking rules, so be aware.
You might also remember that the Metric system is generally not used in the USA.
People won’t be offended if you do talk in kilometers and kilograms, but they might
be confused.
We’ve also read stories of some people saying Americans are overly friendly.
Yes, that’s a thing.
On Quora this is discussed many times, with one person writing, “I am from Vienna, Austria.
A city where people are known to be grumpy and ever-complaining.
The American friendliness often strikes as superficial and insincere.”
Well, get used to it, and wear your smile.
We could have talked about so many more nations, but why don’t you tell us how tourists can
embarrass themselves in your country.
We can help each other that way.
Let us know some do’s and dont’s in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video Weird Things Americans Do.
Thanks for watching, and as always, please don’t forget to like, share and subscribe.
See you next time!