We’ve all heard the phrase … Ugly American.
We also all think the same thing upon hearing it: “That would never apply to me!”
Unfortunately the ugliest of American travelers never realize that the term does indeed apply to them. This is hardly a surprise. Ugly Americans are just that because they are ignorant of their surroundings and lack the ability to tune in and act accordingly. It is no surprise they haven’t any idea the negative impact they have upon locals while traveling.
Americans, of course, haven’t cornered the market on such obnoxious behavior. I’ve witnessed people from a variety of countries stumbling through foreign lands, insulting and shocking as they go.
To help tone down this behavior, Budget Travel has published a short list of the “10 most common faux pas” committed by foreign tourists. Some seem so very simply obvious, like learning how to say hello. Anyone with common sense could figure this out. The list, however, is published for those without any common sense. Unfortunately, most of them don’t know who they are. So please take a moment to check it out just in case, by some far stretch, you just happen to fall into that category.