All you globetrotters out there will know
that traveling can be a bit of a minefield in terms of knowing what to do or how to act
in certain situations. Customs and cultures vary widely, and so what
is polite in one country might be darned rude in another. If we look at the United States, it’s a
fairy laid back culture, and it would be unusual to get things too wrong. But it’s not that laid back, as many Europeans
might have learned when they didn’t leave a tip at any of the places they ate or drank
at. You can virtually embarrass yourself in any
country, and today we’ll find out how, in this episode of the Infographics Show, Embarrassing
Tourist Mistakes Everyone Makes Around the World. 10. Italy
There are a few things in Italy which you might do wrong or even take offense to. Take staring for instance. Italians do seem to stare at you a lot. This doesn’t mean you should go up to people
and ask the question, “What the hell are you looking at?” As one person writing for the Huffington Post
says, you might well get a good staring at by groups of Italian men standing outside
a “scommesse” (betting shop). The stares are not usually aggressive, it’s
just what people often do. If you’re a woman you might even hear the
words. "Ciao Bella!" You might not like such overt flirtation,
but again, it’s cultural and getting all mad about it may just end-up being embarrassing
for you. This was discussed on Tripadvisor, with one
person writing, “It's part of the Italian male scene. I suppose you could say that it's in their
genes.” 9. Japan
Japan is very friendly for the most part, but there are a few things you could do to
upset someone. One thing, and this is the same in many parts
of Asia, is when you accept someone’s business card you should not do it with just one hand. It’s actually quite serious business, accepting
those cards, so you should look grateful and hold out two hands. Another thing, don’t be really loud in public. Loud Americans, listen up. It’s considered really rude in Japan to
talk very loudly in public places, and that includes shouting down your phone so everyone
in the vicinity can hear. If you have a cold, you might not want to
advertise it by coughing loudly or taking a big blow of your nose. The Japanese often wear surgical masks when
they are sick, and they certainly don’t want to be near a person that is obviously
carrying an infection. 8. France
If you’ve spent a fair bit of time in France, you’ll know it’s really not the place
to be shouting your orders or questions in English. Learn some French and understand many people
will resent you if you just think they will understand your English. If you’re invited for dinner, don’t go
crazy on the first course or drink your wine like it’s a drinking competition. Eating in France is often quite the ritual,
with many courses being served and lots of conversation. It’s not about consuming as fast as you
can. “Don’t make a pig of yourself” might
be the appropriate expression. The French already have enough rude-American
and uncouth-Brit jokes. 7. Saudi Arabia
Let’s now go to the Middle East, to a country with a lot of cultural Dos and Don’ts. Well, the first thing is don’t think about
getting into an argument about the merits of Islam. This won’t just be embarrassing, but it
could mean serious trouble for you. If you can do that, people might like you
more. They might even invite you to dinner, which
happens a lot there. Whatever you do, try very hard to say yes. It’s seen as mightily impolite to refuse
a dinner invitation at someone’s house. Oh, and please don’t complain about stores
being closed during what’s called “Azan” (Muslim Prayer calling). That’s just the way it is. Women might also have to accept the fact that
they won’t be allowed to drive or even go to a normal gym. You’ll have to find a woman’s gym. One of those was recently closed down because
pictures emerged showing women there wearing tight-fitting clothes. By the way, the driving ban for women has
been lifted, but so far not many licenses have been issued. If you’re a female visitor, it’s unlikely
you’ll be getting behind the wheel. 6. Thailand
This is a nation where you’ll find hordes of tourists from around the world basking
under the sun on beautiful beaches and trekking through rolling mountains. It’s also a place where the locals take
videos of ‘farang’ (foreigners) breaching cultural Dos and Don’ts. The number one is probably westerners being
a bit too affectionate in public, which is a big no no in Thailand. Or what about westerners turning up to temples
in beach wear, or donning skimpy shorts for a visit to a government office. Perhaps even worse is putting your feet close
to someone’s head, something that is sure to create very hostile feelings. Do these things happen? Yes, and quite often. You might just find yourself starring in a
viral (in Thailand at least) video if you do any of these things. 5. Brazil
Reading tourism websites, we are told that making the “OK” sign in this country isn’t
OK at all. One blogger writes, “It's VERY obscene! It means ‘screw you.’” So yeah, it’s an easy mistake to make, but
might end badly for you. Brazil.com tells us you should not eat with
your hands in the country as people will think you are uncivilized. And yes, that applies to eating pizza, too. Things that are also embarrassing for tourists
and seem to happen quite often are visitors using the Spanish language, thinking the Portuguese
speaking-people are actually Spanish speakers. Tourists, we are told, should also not call
the USA “America”. Why? Well, Brazil is also America, just South America. If you do this, you’ll look ignorant. 4. Sweden
Let’s venture into Scandinavia and Sweden. One Swedish tourism website tells us that
one mistake people make is thinking everyone here is fluent in English. While Swedes in general are good at English,
just remember not everyone will understand you, especially if you have some broad Scottish
accent or are a fast-talking person from Kentucky. According to one website, the Swedes often
regard some visitors as loud and overly animated in conversation. “This is the quickest way to irritate the
locals, and you can expect to be gently reprimanded if your voice carries over to the next table,”
said the writer. We are also told not to invade someone’s
personal space as Swedes are not keen on that. Keep your distance if possible. 3. China
Over to China and we are told one thing tourists often do to embarrass themselves is greet
people with a bow. You are in China, not Japan. Some people may shake hands, but whatever
you do, don’t apply that strong grip which many people are told is a sign of confidence
or even sincerity. In China it will be taken as you being aggressive. If you eat out, don’t leave your chopsticks
standing like poles in your food. While this might seem convenient, it’s symbolic
in China of incense sticks at a funeral. You might also not want to write with red
ink, for many reasons it is symbolic of death. Many westerners have written someone’s name
in red ink, and we can tell you, it doesn’t go down well at all. 2. India
This is such a culturally diverse nation that customs will change depending on where you
are, but it’s generally accepted that wearing skimpy clothes in public is a no no. The beach, ok, but not walking down the high
street or exploring the countryside. One website tells us, “There's a common
perception in India that foreign women are promiscuous, and wearing inappropriate clothing
perpetuates this.” Showing a lot of your body may result in a
lot of attention, but despite this many tourists still don’t adhere to India’s conservative
dressing standards. Sticking with clothes, try to remember that
when you go indoors, Indians will generally take off their shoes. If you don’t, you will look rude. Another thing that will not go down well is
passing people things with your left hand. The left is the hand usually used for matters
of going to the bathroom. 1. USA
So, what about the USA, a country that is fairly laid back and if anything is more associated
with cultural rule-breaking than having rules broken. Well, as we said already, tipping for good
service is a big deal in the U.S. You’ll look very stingy if you take a “I
don’t tip” approach when visiting the country. In some parts of the world it’s fairly normal
to see people smoking cigarettes, but in the U.S. you should be aware that smoking in public
is very much frowned upon or even illegal. California has very strict smoking rules,
so be aware. You might also remember that the Metric system
is generally not used in the USA. People won’t be offended if you do talk
in kilometers and kilograms, but they might be confused. We’ve also read stories of some people saying
Americans are overly friendly. Yes, that’s a thing. On Quora this is discussed many times, with
one person writing, “I am from Vienna, Austria. A city where people are known to be grumpy
and ever-complaining. The American friendliness often strikes as
superficial and insincere.” Well, get used to it, and wear your smile. We could have talked about so many more nations,
but why don’t you tell us how tourists can embarrass themselves in your country. We can help each other that way. Let us know some do’s and dont’s in the
comments! Also, be sure to check out our other video
Weird Things Americans Do. Thanks for watching, and as always, please
don’t forget to like, share and subscribe. See you next time!
