The 30 Biggest Mistakes Most Tourists Make In Major Cities, As Revealed By People Who Travel A Lot (New Answers)

An interesting thing about people who love traveling is that they often hate being perceived as tourists. They don’t want to “dress like a tourist” or go to the most “touristy spots”, and they’re desperate to look like they fit in (until someone speaks to them and realizes they don’t know the local language). We all know the type of tourist they’re probably imagining: proudly strutting around with a selfie stick in one hand and a map in the other, wearing a t-shirt with the name of whatever country their in splashed across their chest. While this person may sound cringey or embarrassing, is there really anything wrong with that type of tourist? They’re just enjoying their vacation!

But if you’re anything like me, you might be interested in some tips to be a more discreet traveler. I aim to be a tourist who finds myself at lesser known restaurants filled with locals and who researches the culture before going anywhere to try to avoid making a fool out of myself. Does it make any difference? Who knows. But I do love traveling, so I’ll be happy to learn a few tips from this list. 

When it comes to international travel, it has been steadily rising since the end of World War II. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 25 million international tourist visits in 1950, rising all the way up to 1.4 billion in 2018. While there are many factors influencing who is traveling abroad, certain destinations are consistently popular for tourists from all over the world. In 2017, France was the top visited country, racking in 87 million visitors. Of course, almost 70 million of them were from other European nations, but it’s still a popular destination for travelers from the Americas and Asia as well. After France, Spain came in next with 82 million visitors, then the US with 77 million and China with 61 million. Also high on the list were Italy, Mexico, the UK, Germany, Thailand and Turkey. And in terms of where all these visitors are coming from, China provides the most tourism abroad, with over 143 million journeys abroad in 2017. This is not surprising, given the country’s wealth and population, but it’s still an impressive amount of traveling.   

While international travel has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s beginning to see a rise again. During 2020, the months of July, August and September saw tourism levels 64% lower than the same period in 2019. In 2021, however, the year’s tourism increased by over 50% during those same three months. Travel rates are expected to remain lower than they were pre-pandemic during 2022, but The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that arrivals in Europe have already increased 350 percent compared to last year. Restrictions easing up around the world is great for the global economy, but it’s also a plus for those who love traveling and have felt confined over the past couple of years. Now is the perfect time to receive some travel tips before planning out your next trip to one of the countries mentioned in this list. 

When it comes to blending in as a tourist, it requires a bit of research. Thankfully, nowadays there are countless travel blogs, vlogs, podcasts and social media accounts to help us along the way. One of which is The Invisible Tourist, a blog by an Australian woman named Alyse, which focuses on the idea of “invisible tourism”. Alyse features many travel tips on her blog and even has published a book titled How to Not Look Like a Tourist: Unlocking Your Hidden Power for Overtourism Solutions.

We reached out to Alyse to gain some insight from a travel expert and hear about any tourist faux pas she has made or witnessed. "The worst travel mistake I made was riding a donkey up the 500+ stairs from the port to Santorini's old town," Alyse told us. "My poor juvenile donkey was so exhausted half way up, tripped, and we both fell to the ground. From that moment I decided to walk the rest of the stairs myself, and vowed not to engage with animals exploited in tourism moving forward."

We also asked Alyse to break down her concept of "invisible tourism" for us. "Being an Invisible Tourist is about making a conscious effort to "blend in" as best as possible when travelling. Overall, the aim is to minimize the negative impacts tourism has on local communities, their culture, and the environment." Alyse provided us with a list of ways to blend in as a tourist including: "practicing local customs, etiquette and dressing appropriately to demonstrate our cultural awareness; learning the basics of the local language to help preserve it and show respect; prioritizing local, regulated accommodation over international hotel chains to keep tourism money in the community; immersing ourselves in the local culture through food and experiences; seeking out alternatives to popular spots to dilute our tourist footprints; purchasing handcrafted souvenirs to support local jobs and keep traditions alive; packing reusable items for our trip to minimize waste; and opting for small, locally-owned group tours instead of larger ones when not travelling independently".

"There are many more strategies to add," Alyse says. "But helping to preserve the identities and culture of places we visit keeps them beautifully unique, whilst resulting in positive exchanges between tourists and locals. A win-win for everyone!"

When asked why international travel is an important experience to have, Alyse told us, "Travelling to other countries... can introduce us to new ways of thinking we haven't been exposed to before. It's an opportunity to extend outside our comfort zones and experience different cultures, sights, cuisines and more that we may never have the chance to at home. Exposure to these things opens our minds and also helps us gain a better understanding of cultural differences. Each is special in their own unique way, and that’s a beautiful thing."

Lastly, Alyse wanted to add that, "Prior to 2020, more people were travelling than ever before. This resulted in overtourism issues in popular cities, leading to resentment of tourists. It doesn't have to be that way! By looking back at mistakes of the past, we can learn from them. Tourists ultimately hold the power to drive change within the industry. I always like to say, 'no one likes an annoying tourist.' By changing how we travel and making decisions that leave a positive impact moving forward, we can be tourists the locals will love!"

If you're looking for more tourism tips for blending in, be sure to check out Alyse's blog and book!

When it comes to tourists, some countries are more notorious than others for being obnoxious. The United States is a particularly divisive nation. Despite the millions of travelers who visit the country every year, many people around the world don’t love it when Americans come to them. Keep in mind there are over 320 million people in the US, so it’s hard to make generalizations about them all. But if you are an American (nothing wrong with that, I’m one too!), we’ve gathered some things to be sure to avoid doing while traveling from Best Life’s list of “20 Countries That Hate Tourists from the United States”.