March 7, 2025 — 5.00am March 7, 2025 — 5.00amNormal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeIt’s not all tourists. There are plenty of conscientious, thoughtful travellers out there doing the right thing, acting in ways that reduce their impact on their hosts and maybe even helping to make the world a better place.But there’s the flipside, which gains far more attention: the tourist behaviour that has been leading to protests and agitation throughout many of the world’s most popular destinations. Public rowdiness, housing shortages, cultural frictions, higher prices, the sheer weight of numbers causing overcrowding. These are issues that are almost unavoidable when you have mass tourism to the world’s most popular spots.Under the spotlight – Rajasthan, India.Credit: AlamyNo wonder locals are exasperated. They’re taking to the streets to protest in Spain and the Netherlands, squirting tourists with water pistols in Barcelona, driving awareness campaigns in Japan. Large crowds of visitors can give rise to this, regardless of the patience or hospitable nature of the hosts.The following is a list of those behaviours that annoy and frustrate locals in popular tourist destinations. Some are unavoidable, though some certainly fall to a lack of research or effort on tourists’ part. If you’re a traveller hoping to respect your hosts and lessen your impact on the world, you would do well to avoid these.Because it’s not all tourists. But it is a lot of them.STAYSShort-term rentalsThis is a key issue, particularly in Europe: the proliferation of short-term rental accommodation and the knock-on effect this has on local populations who feel they’re being driven out of their homes. In some destinations, short-term rentals work well, but you need to consider your impact before booking an apartment or house that could be otherwise occupied by a long-term resident.Short-term staysDon’t just stay one day and leave. Or even worse, don’t just turn up for a few hours and then disappear. One of the keys to successful travel now, for both visitors and hosts, is to slow down. Stay for a week in one place. Spend your money in local shops. Spend less time moving, more time enjoying.NoiseHouse parties on a Tuesday might seem fine to you the traveller who has no daily schedule – but for all the people living their lives around you, it’s going to be a recurring nightmare.AdvertisementPopular neighbourhoodsTourists photograph a geiko walking through Gion in Kyoto.Credit: BloombergEveryone visiting Barcelona wants to stay in the Gothic Quarter; everyone visiting Kyoto wants to be in Gion. These areas are rapidly becoming tourist ghettos, when there are so many more interesting places to stay.Staying in “local″ neighbourhoodsThere’s a flipside to that coin, and that is tourists who want to stay in apartment or house rentals in neighbourhoods that have no hotels, and are otherwise populated only by locals. It’s a complete cultural immersion for the visitor – however, have you considered why those locals live in an area with no hotels or tourist infrastructure?Break the chainThere’s a time and a place for a Hilton or a Hyatt. But it’s also frustrating for local business owners when tourists insist on only staying with familiar international brands, rather than opting for a locally run hotel.Housekeeper harmonyIn the United States, hotel guests are expected to leave a tip for the person who cleans their room – somewhere between $1 and $5 a day. It feels unnecessary for many of us who aren’t from the US, but if you don’t do it, you will be upsetting people.EATING + DRINKINGShow upWe get it: you’ve made a reservation at a restaurant a few days ago, maybe even a few weeks ago, but your plans have changed. You’re on holiday, you don’t know anyone here, and you just don’t get around to cancelling. Or, you do it at the last minute. This might be understandable, but it’s also incredibly frustrating for restaurant owners, not to mention disrespectful.Leave no leftovers… Dining in Japan – don’t order more than you’ll eat. And take a seat.Credit: iStockThis is a particular issue in Japan, where it’s considered bad form to order or take more food than you’re able to eat. Wastage is disrespectful to everyone involved in the food chain, from the farmers to the chefs.… and take a seatAgain, this is specific to Japan, and something every visitor should be aware of. In Japan, you don’t eat on public transport, or while walking around, or even while sitting in a crowded area. Find a quiet spot to perch and consume.Don’t always book for 7pmAsk an Australian what time they want to book dinner and there’s a good chance they’ll say 7pm. That leads to crowded restaurants for an hour or so, and empty seats the rest of the night.Public drunkennessIn most countries, locals don’t get publicly, tragically wasted. They don’t get rowdy. They don’t get obnoxious. So when they see visitors indulging in behaviour they might not even do back at home… it’s an issue.Educate yourselfWhy has your restaurant stopped serving lunch at 2pm? Why does it cost more to sit down instead of standing at the bar? Why can’t I order that meal for breakfast? Why don’t you serve alcohol? Tourists with no idea about local customs are a nightmare.It won’t be “like home″There’s also a brand of tourist who will constantly point out the flaws in a destination’s dining scene as opposed to their own. To which most locals must want to say, “Why didn’t you just stay home?”Crunch the numbersYou may not like the culture of tipping, particularly in the US where it’s getting out of hand. But tipping is a reality in some countries, and visitors who refuse to take part are denying servers a large chunk of their income.Reservation saturationThis is an issue with sheer numbers. Restaurants in the likes of Kyoto in Japan and San Sebastian in Spain only have so many reservations they can accept. And when those cities are filled with tourists, those reservations disappear quickly, meaning many locals can no longer access their favourite restaurants. Stingy snappersMany food-obsessed travellers will indulge in a market tour, a stroll around a local area to soak up the colour and the bustle and take a few photos. Only… they don’t buy anything. They take up all that space, they shove cameras in people’s faces, and they don’t spend a cent.SIGHTSEEINGInstagram hot-spotsIf you spot a huge crowd of people, sometimes even formed into an orderly queue, in an otherwise nondescript spot, you can bet there’s a viral Instagram photo that has been taken there. And everyone else wants it.Really? Acoma Sky City, New Mexico, US.Credit: Alamy Influencer infiltrationSpeaking of social media, this can go further than just queueing for a photo. Tourists dance for TikTok views; they set up tripods and video themselves on public transport; they film themselves eating in restaurants while talking to their cameras. They’re travelling for content and it’s infuriating.Damage to historic sitesThere’s been plenty of coverage recently of tourists behaving badly, carving graffiti into Colosseum walls, breaking into Machu Picchu after hours, stripping naked on sacred mountains. These places are the cultural heritage of a people and a nation – they deserve far more respect.Death of mannersThere’s a tendency among some travellers to not even see locals as people like them. They’re there to serve. Or they’re not there at all. And so they treat them rudely, abrasively. That wouldn’t take long to become exasperating.No local lingoIt doesn’t take much effort to learn to say hello, and thank you, and even “do you speak English”, in the local tongue. It’s also a mark of respect. And it’s something plenty of people don’t bother to do.Bin itThe solution to so much of this list comes down to a simple directive: when you’re travelling, behave with at least as much respect for people and places as you would at home. Would you drop that paper on the ground at home? Would you leave that bottle? Would you not bother to recycle that plastic? Then why do it here?Risky businessIt’s safe to say that if you need rescuing at some point in your travels – if someone has to put themselves in danger to get you out of danger – you have probably taken a risk you shouldn’t have. Don’t put locals in a situation where they have to save you.Local gems …Maybe you don’t need a tour guide in your destination of choice. That’s fine. But if you do, it’s frustrating for locals when you choose someone from out of town, with only sparing knowledge of the place you’re visiting. Support locals, and learn from locals.… and local spendsIt’s not just local guides who need your money. It’s independently owned shops, boutique bars and restaurants, artists and creators who make the very things they’re selling. These people deserve more patronage than the multinational corporation next door.Show some respect.Credit: Alamy Swimwear in the cityJust because you’re on holiday and the regular rules feel relaxed, doesn’t mean everyone else is. So don’t walk around bare-chested or in a bikini in a place where no-one else is dressed like that. Don’t ignore local customs just so you can have a good time.Keep left (or right)Think of that classic New York refrain: “Hey, I’m walkin’ here!” It’s said when some bumbling pedestrian – usually a tourist – has blocked the footpath or wandered into their path while, say, reading the maps app on their phone.Haggling too hardThere’s no glory in haggling someone down by a few dollars, just so you feel like you got the “local” price. If you’re in a country where haggling is the norm, there’s a good chance you hold the upper hand, financially, by a huge margin. Don’t get your kicks by withholding as much cash as possible.No photo!Everyone has a camera now, and everyone fancies themselves as the next Nat Geo star, which is why you see so many tourists photographing and videoing locals without bothering to ask permission. In some countries, this is deeply offensive or annoying.Selfie sticksI mean, obviously, right?TRAVELLINGNumber crunchThe most annoying thing about tourists? When there’s a lot of them. Thousands. Millions. In your home. Aggravation is guaranteed.Tourist discountsJapan fans might have noted recently that the price for the country’s famously attractive JR Pass was raised dramatically. This was done in part to appease residents, who thought it unfair that tourists were given such large discounts.The Trevi Fountain – might be time to avoid the popular neighbourhoods.Credit: AlamyDestination obsession …A huge number of the world’s issues with mass tourism and over-tourism would be solved if everyone would just go to more places. But no, we need to get to Dubrovnik, to Kyoto, to Amsterdam, to Bali, to Venice, to Santorini.… at peak seasonWhat’s worse is that not only does everyone want to go to the same places, they want to go at the same time. Peak seasons are becoming notorious, so much so that locals are looking for ways to escape their home cities when the hordes arrive.Cruise crowdsYou always know, in some cities, when the cruise ships are in town. Dubrovnik is a prime example: the city of only 40,000 people was so popular that local authorities had to limit it to 8000 cruise passengers a day. These passengers move in large groups, and they don’t spend money on accommodation – sometimes not even meals.Price hikingThere’s an increasingly common complaint from residents of popular tourist destinations that they’re being priced out of their own homes. It’s not just real estate becoming more expensive: everything from restaurant bills to transportation can increase in price when cashed-up tourists inflate the market.Choke holdThis comes in many forms: air pollution from planes and cars; noise pollution; water pollution; soil contamination; even light pollution. Tourists’ presence, their movements, cause inevitable damage. All you can do is try to reduce it as much as possible.Local wheelsA common bugbear for residents and business owners in popular destinations is that tourists arrive on package- tours that don’t use local transportation. This takes money out of local economies, where it could be far better spent (and should be, since you’re using up resources and taking up space).Tour with locals whenever possible.Credit: AlamyCustomary respectWhat could be more annoying than hordes of visitors who come to your home to enjoy themselves, and yet show absolutely no interest in your culture, your history, your society? This happens all the time, and it would drive you wild.Fridge magnet, keychain painThis is another classic complaint from residents in the likes of Amsterdam and inner-city Barcelona: the stores that cater to locals are being replaced with tacky souvenir shops and international chain outlets. The butchers, the cheesemongers, the hardware stores, the homewares shops just don’t exist anymore.Riding public transport …This is a particular issue in Kyoto, though it does apply in varying degrees around the world: tourists ride public transport, and local authorities haven’t designed those systems to handle the extra numbers. It’s not really tourists’ fault, but it is frustrating.… ignoring public transport etiquetteYou don’t eat on public transport in some places; you don’t talk loudly on the phone or to friends; you shuffle up to make space for more people as soon as there’s room. Those who don’t understand this etiquette can get under others’ skin.FLYINGSecurity queue faffIt’s not really locals you’re going to be annoying here – it’s fellow travellers. Still, these are legitimately frustrating behaviours. And the first: not being ready when you get to the security scanners. Oh, my belt? My wallet? Oh, I need to put my bag on the tray instead of trying to carry it through? My bad.Tiny taxi ridesCab drivers hate a short fare, particularly after they’ve been queueing for hours to pick someone up from the airport. There’s not a lot that travellers can do about this – you have to go where you have to go – but be prepared for a lot of complaining.Leaning back …It really bugs some people when you recline your seat on a plane, particularly if it’s a short-haul flight in the middle of the day. Though…Making space, or not.Credit: iStock… and leaning inIt annoys other people when some complain about their reclining. The seats recline. You’re allowed to recline them. Stop whinging.Carry-on down the aisleEveryone understands that that person crashing down the aisle hitting everyone with their multiple carry-on items is bringing far too much on board and will take up way more overhead space that they’re entitled to. So why does it still happen?Crowding the carouselBaggage carousels would be much more pleasant if everyone would just take a few steps back and refrain from ramming their trolley right up against it the second it starts moving.Too long at the airport barDon’t get too boozy before your flight. That should go without saying.Five things locals love about touristsMoneyLet’s be honest, the ultimate benefit of tourism to locals is financial. Tourism brings in money, in some cases money that is desperately needed. People get jobs through tourism, they keep small businesses afloat through tourism, they get improved local infrastructure through tourism. As a visitor, you can be highly beneficial.Driving the local economy – San Sebastian, Spain.Credit: Alamy Stock PhotoConservationA knock-on effect of the money tourists bring to a destination is the way that money can be used. There’s a good case to be made that if it wasn’t for tourism, many of the world’s greatest historic sites and even under-threat animal species would suffer from the lack of attention and financial gain.Preservation of traditionsLike those historic sites, the attention of tourists also helps to preserve the cultural traditions of countries that might otherwise lose them. Good examples include traditional handicrafts, dance and musical performances, and even food and drink.Cultural exchangeHow boring would the world be, would your home be, if you never saw anyone different? One of the obvious benefits of tourism is that everyone – visitors and hosts – gets exposed to new people, new ideas, new ways of living and being. It’s an opportunity to learn, and it’s fascinating.RelationshipsThat cultural exchange can go further too, into genuine friendship or even romance. Tourism means people who would otherwise have been separated by tens of thousands of kilometres can meet and bond and form connections that could be fleeting, or lifelong, though memorable nonetheless.How we travelSign up for the Traveller Deals newsletterGet exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox.
