It feels like common sense, basic decency, and politeness are in rather short supply these days. You’d expect that every person who visits other countries to experience different cultures would be at least somewhat respectful. Alas! The sad reality is that even though many travelers are considerate, nonetheless, there are still quite a few ‘adventurers’ who shock the locals with their rudeness, entitled behavior, and disregard for rules when they travel abroad.
Our team at Bored Panda has curated this list of photos showing some of the worst, most infuriating moments of tourists behaving in genuinely shameful ways. From disrespecting historical sites and memorials to damaging nature and property, it’s enough to make anyone’s blood boil. Scroll down to lose a bit of your remaining faith in humanity and to remind yourself what not to do when traveling.
#1 Shocked
Image credits: External-Quote3263
#2 Another Disrespectful Tourist In Japan
Gymnast felt it was okay to use a Torii Gate like playground equipment for her social media clout.
Image credits: TomarikFTW
#3 Yellowstone Hotel – Guest Comment Regarding Bears
“Our visit was wonderful but we never saw any bears. Please train your bears to be where guests can see them. This was an expensive trip to not get to see bears.”
Image credits: 3rdIQ
Tourism is a huge industry on a truly massive scale. It’s incredibly profitable, too. According to Statista, the contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP amounted to a jaw-dropping $9.9 trillion in 2023.
It’s estimated that this number should have reached around $11.1 trillion in 2024. This figure is predicted to rise further to $16 trillion in a decade, by the year 2034.
#4 What I Don’t Like About A Weak Yen Is That It Brings In More Stupid, Noisy, Low-Life Tourists
Image credits: ahoy_cubism
#5 These People Used Books To “Reserve” Their Seats At The Resort And Then Just Never Showed Up
Image credits: charmcitycuddles
#6 These People Really Think Their Backpacks And Bags Give Them The Right To Keep The Seats Forever
Image credits: Caraxes130
The United States, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan are the leading travel markets based on the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP.
In 2023, France was the top destination globally for tourists. The country had the highest number of international tourist arrivals on planet Earth, with 100 million visitors.
#7 Tourists At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada, USA
They were caught on video toppling natural rock formations. The sandstone formations on the redstone trail were shaped over time by geological forces from 140 million-year-old dunes. These tourists will face six months in jail and $5,000 fines at a minimum.
Image credits: DisruptSQ
#8 When You Try To Break The Glass That’s Shielding The Magna Carta
Image credits: reddit.com
#9 Japan Is Probably One Of The Cleanest Countries In The World Because Japanese People Take Care Of It. Ignorant Tourists Just Don’t Give A D**n
Image credits: ifckedupagain
Statista states that in 2024, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide stood at 1.4 billion.
Europe is the most attractive global region for international tourists, with around 750 million visitors that year, nearly half of which (300 million) visited the Southern and Mediterranean regions.
#10 Farang Tourists In Thailand Caught Sunbathing In Sanam Luang (A Historic And Significant Public Square In Bangkok), In Front Of The Grand Palace
Image credits: DisruptSQ
#11 Tourists Engraved Their Names Into Corals
Image credits: OK Divers
#12 Idiot Tourists
Tourists have started putting “love locks” on the shoes on the Danube bank, a memorial in Budapest to the thousands of people who were ex****ed on the banks of the Danube in WW2 after being told to remove their shoes.
Image credits: Twohandedfap
Bad, thoughtless, offensive, and dangerous tourist behavior seems to be on the rise globally.
“There are many factors that could influence this [kind of] behavior. There could be individual factors, there could be contextual factors [and] there could be group factors, if the person is traveling with a group. So, I think that the first question that we need to ask to ourselves is, okay, is this person someone that would do this type of behavior when he or she is at home?” licensed clinical psychotherapist and traveler Javier Labourt told the BBC.
He adds that some individuals may simply not be ready for the different emotional positions required for connecting to new destinations and cultures.
#13 Some Trashy Tourists Painted Theories On The Pantheon In Rome
Image credits: reddit.com
#14 Stalactites That Took Thousands Of Years To Form Broken By Tourists
Image credits: LUFOplayer
#15 When Tourists Get Illegally Too Close To National Park Wildlife
Image credits: doodlesnickers
According to Dr. Alana Dillette, Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University, in some cases, tourists may be unaware of social norms and what is (un)acceptable in different destinations.
“I think a lot of it is lack of knowledge and understanding of your impacts on the place that you’re visiting. I think so many people travel and they’re thinking about how it’s going to be an experience for them, but they don’t think about how their [actions are] impacting the place that they’re in, because they just don’t have the knowledge,” she shared with the BBC.
#16 He Removed A Divider And Let His Kids Lie Under An Art Piece. Light Art Museum Budapest
Image credits: Orcasareglorious
#17 Infuriating
Image credits: neoduen
#18 Irish Tourists In Bologna, Italy Fined €500 Each After They Stripped Down To Their Underwear And Mounted The Neptune Fountain
Image credits: DisruptSQ
Meanwhile, Dr. Kirst Sedgman, from the University of Bristol, told the BBC that some bad tourist behavior comes down to so-called ‘main character energy.’
Some people become rude and demanding when traveling abroad because they assume that other people—from the locals to the service professionals—are there to serve them.
“It’s not just that people are getting more badly behaved. It’s that often when they’re called out on those bad behaviors… it’s much more likely now that people will [get angry]. That sense of ‘don’t tell me what to do’ it’s really strong.”
#19 Belgian Tourist In Italy Posted A Picture Of Himself Lounging On Top Of An Ancient Column Amid The Ruins Of Pompeii, The Historical Site Where It Is Forbidden To Sit
Image credits: DisruptSQ
#20 This Is What You Don’t Do Folks
Image credits: My Kailua
#21 Typical Tourist Behaviour In Malaysia
Image credits: Reddit_Account2025
There are a few potential ways to curb awful, damaging traveler behavior. For example, some governments are embracing harsher laws, introducing larger fines, and creating official guidelines for what kind of behavior is acceptable or not. That being said, this entire problem is a two-way street.
#22 Dear Tourists, Please Don’t Do This
Image credits: 8bitaficionado
#23 I Raise You A Tourist In A Rental Hyundai
Image credits: Enaud01
#24 2 Days Ago With Crazy Wind At Godafoss. Told Them “Go Down, You Will Die If You Fall”, Got A Side-Eye, Wind Was Strong But I Guess Instagram Is More Important
Image credits: EnjoyTheCold
On the other side of the coin, problematic tourists have to realize that they are the issue, and they need to change their antisocial behavior. There needs to be a shift in their mindset where they recognize that traveling is a privilege, where they are essentially guests in someone else’s home.
Naturally, this requires a bit of humility, introspection, and self-awareness, all of which can be emotionally uncomfortable. But there’s no room for personal growth without them.
#25 Literally Saw Hundreds Of Tourists Like This Guy, Either Climbing Over A Gate Or Trespassing For A Picture. Don’t Be This Person
Image credits: whodoesntlovedogs
#26 Taking Photos In A Sensitive Habitat
Image credits: Fathom-k
#27 Tourists Being Tourists
Image credits: reddit.com
Which of the photos that we’ve featured here shocked you the most? What is the very worst, most disrespectful, downright entitled, and rudest tourist behavior that you’ve ever witnessed with your own eyes, dear Pandas? Have you ever called any travelers out for their antisocial behavior? What do you personally think could be done to make travelers more respectful?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Grab a snack or a drink and feel free to share your take in the comments, at the very bottom of this post.
#28 Tourist Chasing Geisha To Take Photos Of Her
Image credits: zozalajail
#29 A Boy At A Museum In Haifa Today Broke A 3500 Years Old Jar
Image credits: nitayp02
#30 Quality Tourists From Abroad
Image credits: KyleManUSMC
#31 Why Are They Not Protecting Some Of The Ancient Statues In Louvre So People Won’t Touch Them?
Image credits: Avacado-panda
#32 Tourists Climbing/Destroying Cataract Falls Just To Take Selfies Despite All The Signs Saying To Stay Off Of It
Image credits: Bunnysteww
#33 Tourist In Estes Park, Colorado, USA Gets Too Close To A Bull Elk During Rutting Season; Had Been Making A Noise To Get A Response From The Animal
Image credits: DisruptSQ
#34 Disgusting Behavior From South American Tourists On The Tokaido Shinkansen
Image credits: Wongstah
#35 People Visiting Bgc
Image credits: Saltybobbinsky
#36 Tourists Complete Disrespect For The Place They Save All Year To Visit
Image credits: chief-kief710
#37 American Tourist Complains Restaurant In Tokyo Gave Her The Menu Item She Ordered. Doubles Down By Blaming The Restaurant For Not Having English Menus
Image credits: Reddituser0346
#38 Donate Your Used Clothes By Leaving Them To Hotel/Cruise Employees
Image credits: K**lashard
#39 Some Tourists Who Visited The Mcleod Plantation In Charleston, South Carolina, USA Leave Bad Reviews Online, Saying Their Guided Tour Focused Too Heavily On Sl**ery
Image credits: DisruptSQ
#40 North Rim, Bright Angel Trail
In the 1st pic, a woman was directing the kids to move left. We thought they were going over any minute. The people at the bottom are there for perspective. It was about a 15 foot drop. I hid their faces as they weren’t with the idiots above.
Image credits: ClareinPreskit
#41 Some People Drinking And Eating Sitting On The Floor Of The Train. They Left A Mess After That
Image credits: Parking_Attitude_519
#42 Kyoto Is Overrun By Tourists
Image credits: wraplan
#43 This American Complaining On A Portuguese Hostel Review That Their Clothes Were Shrunk In The Laundry
Image credits: PM_ME_UR_BANTER
#44 Holding Drink And A Suitcase In Hands, With No Helmet In Sight
Image credits: balilivin
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