These are the biggest no-nos for tourists looking to blend in with the locals. With anti-tourism protests heating up in popular destinations across Europe, many visitors are increasingly at pains to fly under the radar. But short of ditching your safari hat and sock-sandal combo, how can you blend in with the locals? There are tonnes of that could rub residents and fellow travellers up the wrong way.
Here are some of the gravest offences, according to users of Reddit’s r/travel forum. From Japan’s to a lake in which inspired the ‘Frozen’ movie, picturesque tourist hotspots have gone to great lengths to curb the crowds that come to take photos - even erecting screens to block the view. When it’s a free for all, though, there’s little to stop the wannabe-influencers taking over.
Answering the call for the “Biggest tourist no-no's [sic] you've encountered while travelling”, one Reddit user says: “People who get to a scenic viewpoint or landmark...
then proceed to do a full on with dozens of poses and retakes for Instagram. Most of the time I don't even want a selfie, just the viewpoint without a teenage girl in it.” Another respondent also scolds travellers for “taking cheerful selfies in inappropriate places (saw this happening in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park for instance)”.
Similarly, respect should be shown for locals and , including by not “posing and imitating Buddha in temples in Thailand - so offensive and tacky” - and not taking pictures of l.
