A tourist in the Philippines climbed into a crocodile cage to pose for a selfie, only to be attacked by the beast.
Tourists often regret breaking laws abroad, with 42% admitting to such actions, a survey found.
Experts say entitlement and lack of cultural awareness contribute to poor behaviour by tourists.
Travellers are advised to understand local laws and apologise if they inadvertently break them.
Confession time! What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done on holiday?
Austin Rulfs says he’s still embarrassed about his recent visit to a Balinese temple. He was wearing a T-shirt and tattered shorts. The locals stared at him with disapproval.
“I underestimated how strict they are about respecting sacred areas,”says Rulfs, a financial consultant from Adelaide, Australia.
Travellers do all kinds of things on holiday that they later regret. A recent survey by Radical Storage of more than 1200 Americans found that, like Rulfs, almost one-third of tourists (32%) have done something similar, such as posing inappropriately with a statue. And 42% admit to breaking the law.
“Breaking the law in other countries carries important consequences,” says Alex Thompson, CEO of Legaroo, a company that offers international legal assistance plans to travellers. “You can’t defend yourself by claiming that you’re a foreigner.”
Of course, the list of tourist misdeeds is long. You can see visitors spray-painting tourist attractions in the Canary Islands, mocking local customs in Dubai and carving their initials into the side of Japanese shrines. Their shenanigans go far beyond an occasional faux pas. It’s often criminal behaviour – some of it so unspeakably bizarre that I can’t even write about it.
Venice's canals are beautiful... but they're not for swimming.
Are more tourists breaking the law on holiday?
Let’s just say tourists haven’t been on their best behaviour lately.
“There’s been an increase in poor behaviour,” says Charlie Neville, the marketing director for Jayway Travel. “Many regret their actions when they realise the harm caused – like swimming in Venice’s canals or damaging historic landmarks. The worst part is often when tourists don’t care they’re the strangers there, acting entitled and demanding, especially in groups.”
Breaking local laws is not hard. Matt Little was driving in Florence when he inadvertently entered a Zona Traffico Limitato – one of Italy’s infamous restricted traffic zones.
“I was blissfully unaware that the area was off-limits to most vehicles,” he recalls. A few weeks later, he got a US$80 ($134) fine in the mail.
“I couldn’t help but regret not having done my homework on the local driving regulations,” says Little, who runs a lighting company.
Not all lawbreaking results in fines, says Alex Andreichuk, the CEO of Altezza Travel, a tour operator based in Tanzania.
“Some tourists engage in behaviours that may seem more innocent, such as sitting on monuments or changing clothes in public spaces,” he says. “These acts reflect a lack of social and cultural education.”
It’s surprising how often people use the “I’m a tourist” excuse – and when that doesn’t work, it’s, “I demand to speak with the embassy”. (FYI, the embassy can’t break you out of jail. It will send you a list of overpriced attorneys and contact your family. But you’ll need to talk to someone like Thompson at Legaroo if you want help.)
Being a tourist can make you feel you have licence to behave in ways you wouldn't at home.
Why is this happening?
There’s a reason why tourists are doing unspeakably terrible things when they travel.
“Some people bring a sense of entitlement with them on their holidays,” says Nick Leighton, host of the etiquette podcast Were You Raised By Wolves? “This can often be an attitude of, ‘I’m paying for this, so I can do whatever I want’, and this can lead to all sorts of inappropriate behaviour.”
Experts say the pandemic made the problem worse, because many people felt they had nothing to lose after that. The evidence, says Leighton, is in the gift shops frequented by tourists – you know, the ones with the off-colour T-shirts and coffee mugs.
“You wonder, ‘Who buys these things?’,” he says. “Well, the nature of being away from home can make even the most level-headed and sane person lose all sense of judgment and reason.”
I’ve broken a few laws, too, but they’re minor. When I lived in Dublin, I did a lot of jaywalking. If you’ve been to Dublin, you probably know why. (Fines reportedly range from about $800 for a first offence to three months in prison for repeat offenders.) In my defence, the traffic lights are a little wacky and in some cases, there isn’t enough time to cross the street even if you wait for a green light.
But still, I probably shouldn’t have done that. Sorry.
You might not agree with a country's laws - like the ban on chewing gum in Singapore - but you must abide by them when visiting as a tourist.
It’s easy to break the law, but it’s a bad idea
It’s easy to violate rules and customs when you’re out of the country. Heck, it’s even easy when you stay in your own country.
Your loud music at the beach could violate local noise ordinances. The rubbish you leave behind could break waste management laws. And that new string bikini you can’t wait to try out just might be a violation of decency laws.
And if I have to tell you that carving your initials into the side of a shrine or spray-painting a monument is wrong, there’s not much this column can do to fix that.
John Gobbels, chief operating officer of Medjet, says you have to understand the law, and the legal process in whatever country you’re visiting. For example, chewing gum in Singapore is against the law. Bringing a satellite device into India can get you into trouble.
“You may think a law is stupid or not serious, but it is a law and being arrested in a foreign country may not be what you expect,” he adds.
A medical evacuation membership such as Medjet can offer legal support, but at the very least, carry a phone number for the nearest embassy – just in case.
“My advice for anyone thinking of breaking the law,” says Lisa Mirza Grotts, author of the book A Traveller’s Passport to Etiquette in a Post-Pandemic World: “Don’t.”
But there’s also a takeaway: no matter how careful you are, you might accidentally break a rule when you’re away. It’s bound to happen sooner or later.
My best advice: know how to apologise. Learn how to do it in the native language, whether it’s a “désolé” in Paris or a “sumimasen” in Kyoto. A sincere apology is often enough to get you out of a tight spot.
If you’re on holiday somewhere and are thinking of doing something illegal – or that could be illegal – take a moment. Do you really want to end up as an anecdote in one of my stories?
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a non-profit organisation that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service.
