Thousands of Residents of Barcelona Protesters recently took to the streets to protest the financial impact of mass tourism in their city. Armed with neon-colored water pistols, they sprayed visitors dining at outdoor restaurants.
The protesters carried placards that read: “Tourists go home.”
Their main complaint, like that of many disgruntled residents around the world, is that extreme tourism has driven up the cost of living. Investors are snapping up properties to rent to tourists, driving up housing prices. Other entrepreneurs are also rushing to cash in on travelers looking for accommodations other than a standard hotel room.
The crowd is tense infrastructure of major popular destinations in the United States and cities abroad, such as Amsterdam, Athens, Paris And VeniceUNESCO World Heritage Sites are overrun with people trying to make their holiday dreams come true.
There is one thing I have also noticed as a tourist: in the name of frugality, some visitors complain about prices and end up becoming stingy travelers. They do not tip when they should, they vandalizing historical monumentsand they fail to take into account the positive financial impact they could have on the local economy.
Even though I'm thrifty, I can be overly generous when I travel. Here are five tips to avoid being an inconsiderate tourist.
I find that people who spend too much on debt to travel justify their greed, for example by not tipping appropriately, by emphasizing the cost of their trip.
It's understandable that they want to watch every penny if they know that when they return they'll be faced with a credit card bill with an interest rate of over 20%.
So, save up and go. You'll probably be a better, more generous traveler if you don't worry about the debt you'll have to deal with when you get home.
My husband and I enjoy exploring places that are much less crowded. This serves two purposes. We can relax without the crowds, and we support vendors, artists, and restaurants that don't experience the same traffic as tourists. tourist traps.
Trendy places that cater to tourists often have higher prices, so we can save money by finding less popular areas of a city or town.
Yes, tipping is not expected in many cities abroad, and it is a welcome practice for many Americans suffering from tilt fatigue back home.
However, you may encounter many people—guides, street musicians, baggage handlers, or housekeepers—who you will need to tip, even if no tip is expected.
Even though a tip is included, it's nice to have cash on hand to show appreciation for people who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Before you go, ask about the local tipping culture so you're prepared to support those who work to serve you.
Don't be that pretentious tourist
Keep this in mind: Travel industry workers are not your servants.
You are a visitor and you must respect the places you visit and the people you meet. You might think this advice goes without saying, but social media posts and the news Tell a different story.
Is it selfie Do you want to damage property or disturb the harmony of the place you are visiting?
Spending a lot of money on your trip does not give you the right to behave inappropriately. Do not offend the locals with bad financial behavior.
Build generosity into your travel budget
If you are visiting a country where you know the cost of living is high or its citizens live below the poverty line, be generous.
In addition to the cost of your holiday, think about the impact that donating much-needed items to residents or schoolchildren could have. Is there a local charity you can support?
Let me also come back to the issue of tipping.
A question I get asked a lot is: Should you tip on the pre-tax bill?
The Emily Post Institute's general tipping guide, which offers etiquette tips, says you should tip before tax. However, some servers feel that discussions about whether you should tip before or after tax are petty.
For example, let's say your meal before tax is $100. With a 6% sales tax, the bill comes to $106. Before tax, a 20% tip would bring the bill to $120. At $106, including tax, your bill would come to $121.20.
So, no, you're not breaking etiquette protocol by basing your tip solely on the meal and not the taxes. Nor should you be called stingy if you tip before taxes. However, the extra money could be very helpful to someone trying to make ends meet on a low-wage wage.
Don't be that tourist who scams locals who work in the tourism industry. Being frugal doesn't mean being stingy.
