ETHICAL/ When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do

Traveling broadens the mind, especially when you travel responsibly and learn the basics of the travel etiquette. What to do and what not to do when visiting remote countries and communities?

ARTICLES

Travel Etiquette: How Do You Travel?

Gary Diskin

We travel to ski, dive, watch birds, visit galleries and museums, to enjoy the scenery or the sunshine, to hang out in someone else’s place. Travel is about choice, leisure, relaxation, escape and freedom. It is also about work, business and pilgrimage. We travel for many different reasons and few places are now beyond the reach of tourists and travellers. In some destinations tourists are so numerous that they determine the character of the place, the tourists dominate. A cathedral or ...

Chinese Etiquette for Travelers

Michael Trout

Know what to expect and what is expected of you when traveling to China. Being well-educated on the rules of etiquette and societal norms before you go to an unfamiliar place is always wise. It's an especially great idea when you're traveling somewhere like China, where very strict behavior rules exist. It is very easy to insult or offend someone in China simply by not knowing proper etiquette. Greetings If you're in a large Chinese city, it's a safe bet that most people speak some English. ...

Brush Up on Travel Etiquette

Kevin Eagan

We live in a wonderfully diverse world and one of the greatest benefits of travel is the opportunity to experience different cultures and lifestyles. No one likes to be stereotyped as a “Tacky Tourist” or an “Ugly American.” Yet, travelers who are polite, patient, and pleasant at home sometimes behave and dress in ways that are inappropriate and offensive in other cultures. 1. While you research where to stay, eat, and sightsee at your destination, include research on customs and cultural sen...

Responsible Travel Etiquette Creates Positive Impacts in Local Communities

Andrew J. Wein

Travel is about discovering new places and meeting new people. It is important to create awareness about the huge impact a traveler can have on a destination. Yes, it is important that the travel industry do its part implementing responsible travel principles, but it is also important to create knowledge among the travelers how to be a good tourist. Travel Etiquette and good behavior can reach long way. Following are some travel advices any traveler should be given before leaving their home coun...

Volunteering – Who Really Benefits?

Gary Diskin

Cusco, high in the Peruvian Andes, has long been a tourist hub as the gateway to Machu Picchu. Over the last twenty years or so, the whole area has boomed as a tourist destination, thanks to breathtaking mountain scenery, Inca heritage, and perhaps most of all, the chance to observe a way of life that seems to come from another time. Millions of Peruvians still live as subsistence farmers, raising cows, pigs, llamas and potatoes and living in stone or mud houses with no electricity or indoor ...