Mob attacks, pyramid ascents and mountaineering rubbish: Tourists all over the world repeatedly disregard the usual rules of conduct. In the US there is already a word for ignorant vacationers.
The Indonesian holiday island of Bali has been making headlines for weeks – not with temple dances and dream beaches, but with unabashed tourists. Some are even deported after posing nude on the sacred Mount Agung or other sacred sites. The many visitors who disregard all traffic rules with rented scooters are also a thorn in the side of the authorities.
The provincial governor is reacting with tough measures, wanting to heavily regulate climbing tours on the sacred mountains and motorbike rentals. In other places, too, tourists often do not give a good picture. An overview of global missteps:
NEW ZEALAND
An extended British family caused such a stir in 2019 with their outrageous behavior that the story can now be seen as a musical satire in the theater: The stage play is called “The Unruly Tourists” (roughly: The naughty tourists) – after the nickname under which the brazen clan became famous.
At the time, the group not only littered beaches and stole from gas stations, but also refused to pay in restaurants and bullied anyone who criticized their behavior. Locals film the disrespectful actions and post the videos online. Thousands of New Zealanders petitioned for the expulsion of “tourists from hell”. They will then receive a deportation notice.
NEPAL
Mount Everest attracts mountaineers from all over the world – and they come with a lot of equipment. The result: The 8,848 meter high Himalayan colossus is now considered the “highest garbage dump in the world”. Especially in the base camp, abandoned tents, clothing, gas cookers, packaging and oxygen bottles are piled up.
In the meantime, expedition companies require customers to pay a garbage deposit of 4,000 dollars (around 3,700 euros). If they are caught leaving rubbish on the mountain, the money will be confiscated. The Nepalese army has been helping to collect the waste for several years. According to the Ministry of Tourism, 13,621 kilos were collected in this year’s spring season alone.
SPAIN
On the holiday island of Mallorca, drinking excesses and rowdy behavior regularly make negative headlines. The Germans are concentrating on the Ballermann, the British on Magaluf. Bare beer bellies or white tennis socks in plastic slippers are accepted with a shrug of the shoulders. On the other hand, there are complaints of drunks stumbling around bawling, urinating in corners, throwing up or defecating in public.
Last year, a young resident of Schinkenstraße caused a sensation, who also turned to tourists with a crowdfunding campaign to improve the soundproofing of their home. She complains that she can’t find a single corner of her apartment where peace reigns.
AUSTRALIA
Travelers Down Under tend to underestimate the dangers posed by the unique wildlife – and in doing so disregard all safety rules: Last December, for example, a vacationer southwest of Sydney wanted to pet a wild kangaroo and was promptly attacked. The enraged marsupial chases the young woman and jumps on her before hopping away.
In July 2022, a tour group in the famous Kakadu National Park ignores all warning signs warning of crocodiles in the rivers. A video that later went viral shows adults and children standing by the water, where several crocodiles are lurking. It ends lightly – but fatal incidents are not uncommon. In May, a Queensland angler was eaten by one of the dangerous reptiles.
EGYPT
The country’s pyramids are sacred. One of the worst missteps of 2018 was a Danish photographer who climbed the famous Cheops pyramid with his partner at night, which in itself is strictly forbidden. But then he photographs and films himself there having – at least implied – sex. The authorities are appalled and speak of “a violation of public morals”. The public prosecutor initiates an investigation. As early as 2016, a German tourist was given a lifelong entry ban for climbing a pyramid illegally.
MEXICO
The important Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá are also famous for their pyramids, which are also not allowed to be climbed. Still, at least one woman and two men have scaled the steep stone steps of the main pyramid of Kukulkán on the Yucatán Peninsula since November. Officials bring them down again. Outraged visitors then insult the tourists and try to hit them and throw bottles at them. Chichén Itzá has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and is one of the most important sites in Mexico.
INDONESIA
Not only in Bali, but also in the Muslim province of Aceh, a tourist recently misbehaved blatantly. At the end of April, the Australian ran out of his accommodation on the surfer island of Simeulue, naked and drunk, and attacked passers-by indiscriminately. In doing so, he injured a fisherman. The 23-year-old was arrested. According to Islamic Sharia law, he was threatened with up to 40 lashes. But he got off lightly: After he had paid his victim compensation in the equivalent of around 15,000 euros, the man was expelled.
Also in April, another Australian was jailed in Java for allegedly spitting in the face of the imam of a mosque. The 47-year-old is also deported.
USA
Park wardens in Yellowstone National Park, famous for its geysers, grizzly bears and herds of bison, urge vacationers to keep their distance from wildlife. However, a tourist from Hawaii caused the death of a bison calf in May. He picked up the newborn from a river and touched it. The animal is rejected by its herd and has to be put down. Park officials fined the man more than $1,000.
For such ignorant visitors, the region already has a neologism: “tourons” (from “tourists” and “morons/idiots”). The Tourons of Yellowstone Instagram page features hundreds of photos and videos exposing misconduct by vacationers.
FRANCE
In Paris, tourists like to stay in Airbnb apartments instead of hotels – and then have no regard for the long-term residents of the other apartments. “They make noise with their trolley suitcases and organize parties at all times of the day and night, and they don’t care if we ask them to be a little quieter,” the weekly “JDD” recently quoted an angry apartment owner as saying. In addition, the vacationers left rubbish all over the building.
The city administration has long since issued strict rules for renting out tourist accommodation and also carries out regular checks. According to “JDD”, some landlords therefore instruct their guests simply not to open the door.
MALAYSIA
The second tallest building in the world is currently under construction in the capital Kuala Lumpur: the 678.9 meter high skyscraper Merdeka 118. Before the official opening, which is planned for the end of the year, the following applies to unauthorized persons: Trespassing is strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, at the end of 2022, a tourist couple from Russia sneaks into the tower and climbs to the top. Photos of the two at dizzy heights went viral, much to the annoyance of authorities.
PERU
In Peru, several tourists caused outrage in 2020 when they illegally gained access to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, broke a stone out of a wall and even defecated in the ruined city. Five tourists from Chile, France, Brazil and Argentina are arrested and deported. The alleged main perpetrator has to answer in Peru for damaging cultural heritage.
Up to 4000 tourists visit the World Heritage site every day. Archaeologists and UNESCO have long been calling for the number of visitors to be significantly reduced.