Are You Guilty of These Common American Tourist Mistakes?

Are you an American traveler eager to explore the world without falling into tourist traps and stereotypes? In this episode of No Tourists Allowed, we share essential tips on blending in, connecting with locals, and avoiding common faux pas while abroad.

Discover practical do's and don'ts like dressing to fit in, keeping your voice down, leaving assumptions at home, and approaching other cultures with respect and curiosity. You'll also get valuable insights on how your travel choices impact local communities, as the discussion dives into the challenges of over-tourism in some popular European destinations.

As seasoned travel industry insiders, we offer expert guidance on embracing responsible and culturally aware travel habits that will transform you from tourist to global citizen. Tune in now for eye-opening advice that will reshape your perspective on exploring our diverse world!

Introduction and All-Inclusive Giveaway

Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast where two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 71 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Here are your hosts, Mike Putman and James Ferrara.

Mike Putman: Hello, everyone. I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed. Welcome back, hopefully.

Mike Putman: That's right. We're in our third season and we really appreciate all you guys who have been loyal listeners and have been with us since the beginning. We also appreciate all those who have just joined. Please tell your friends to sign up at No Tourists Allowed or subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Apple or Spotify or Google, wherever.

James Ferrara: Right up top here, Mike, I guess we should remind everyone that we are closing in on the end of our all-inclusive vacation giveaway for two. When you go to the website—your friends go to the website to sign up—they'll see a tab they can hit to register for the giveaways. If you haven't done it for some reason by now, we want you to do it too. That'll tell you various things you can do to get multiple entries in the drawing for a four-day, three-night, all-inclusive stay in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Who doesn't want that? We'll be drawing for the winner in the next couple of weeks.

Mike Putman: That's true. When we come back, we're going to take a short break for three weeks. When we come back, we will be drawing for that fantastic vacation giveaway. Make sure you go to the website, sign up, and stay tuned for more of the podcast.

Avoiding the "Stupid American" Stereotype

James Ferrara: So Mike, so much of what we talk about on No Tourists Allowed—well, it's in the title—is that we don't want people to be stereotypical tourists. We try to help our listeners travel better and in a more authentic way, as you like to say. We want to create more lasting memories, have a real experience of places, and get a real sense of place, rather than just staying in a comfort zone. Recently, there was a great article, and I have to give credit to CNN for this. It was titled "How to avoid being the ‘stupid American’ stereotype while traveling abroad."

Mike Putman: That's what I said. Well, in so many words, yeah. This was written and published by Kim Davis at CNN on July 1st, if you guys want to go read the article yourself.

James Ferrara: I thought it had some really great concepts in it. Many of them we covered when we did our manifesto last season. We've covered them in one way or another, but I just like the way Kim put it. Mike and I thought we'd share them with you. We're going to go through Kim's ideas for how to avoid the stupid American stereotype while you're traveling abroad. Her first one was the one that got me; I thought it was the most entertaining. It was: do not treat a monument in another country like a urinal. Evidently, like Jeff Foxworthy used to say, some redneck somewhere did this. Some stupid American used a monument for a urinal, and that's an easy way to get tagged as a stupid American.

Reading Social Cues and Culture

Mike Putman: I think she was talking about that movie with Emily Blunt, wasn't she? Emily in Paris, that movie where things like that happened. But the interesting thing in that movie was that everyone thinks, "Oh, she's cute, oh, she's charming." Well, that isn't always the response. Sometimes people think, "Oh, boorish Americans."

James Ferrara: Another really good general idea she had was to read social cues. I thought that was really important to try to feel the difference between maybe who you are or the culture that we come from and the one you're visiting. Where this was really stark to me was when I was in Japan. In Japan, people speak very softly. They are very, very polite. They really don't look you in the eye. In different cultures, that means different things. To an American, when someone's not looking you in the eye, that could be standoffish or disrespectful. It's the exact opposite in Japan. You really have to read and understand the culture. There, if you speak loudly, people are fearful and even take offense. If you look them directly in the eye and you don't know them, same thing. So reading the cues and the cultural behaviors where you are is really important.

The Importance of Controlling Volume

Mike Putman: Also, in fairness, Americans are typically loud. One of our other points is just really don't shout. A lot of people, especially in Europe, think that Americans are loud and boisterous, and at times we are. Just keep the volume turned down a little bit when you're in public.

James Ferrara: And read the language. If you're going on about something, telling a story, and you notice that people are not nodding or not asking follow-up questions, it might be that you've strayed into an area that makes them uncomfortable. Again, it is a cultural difference. It's just reading the room, guys. This is a skill that we talk about a lot in sales and in lots of businesses: being able to read the room. She said keep the volume down. Also, be aware of your surroundings if you're in a house of worship, a private space of some kind, or a tony hotel. That's a cue to use your "inside voice," as my mother used to say.

Blending In with Local Fashion

Mike Putman: And blend in. Really try to blend in and look like a local. One of the things that I see people doing, especially in India and also in Europe to some degree, is wearing shorts. In India, men just don't wear shorts unless they are playing a sporting event. You kind of stand out like a sore thumb. That's true for a lot of places in Europe, too. In most places in Europe, you don't really wear shorts unless you're playing in a sporting event, playing golf, or doing something like that. It's always good to try to blend in because otherwise, you'll be a target for pickpockets.

James Ferrara: I love the way Kim turned it to that's another reason to keep your voice down, because of your accent. But she also had signposts for things that give you away as American. Apparently, it is our fashion. We wear khakis, golf shirts, sneakers, baseball hats, and white socks. But I'll tell you now, the trend is coming back from Europe—everybody wears sneakers nowadays.

Mike Putman: Men are wearing suits in London. They'll have a $3,000 suit on and they're wearing tennis shoes now. I see it everywhere.

Being a Curious and Respectful Traveler

James Ferrara: Budweiser tank top—that's typically a giveaway too. No Budweiser tank tops when you're going overseas. I see I have a crop top. Is that okay? "Be Curious" was a great piece of advice. It helps to win people over not to be a show-off about your knowledge, but instead be a sponge and absorb as much as you can. Ask questions and be genuinely interested in a country, its people, and its culture. It's very flattering to people if they sense that from you. So I liked that a lot too.

Listening and Avoiding Financial Scams

Mike Putman: And listen. We've given this advice before also. Remember, God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you speak. That's still very good advice. One other thing, and this is something my grandfather actually taught me: no matter where you are or how much money you have, if the cost is not posted, ask what it costs. If you're at a bar that doesn't have their drinks posted, ask. James might not agree with me on this, but especially in taxis, it's going to be apparent that you probably don't speak their language and you most likely won't have their dialect. People can really take you for a ride. They may charge you an extreme amount of money for a ride that is a very short distance, which is a good reason to use Uber, by the way. Always ask how much it's going to cost. If the price seems unreasonable, get out of the taxi or don't have a drink at that particular place. Unfortunately, sometimes people do take advantage of tourists.

Safety and Awareness Abroad

James Ferrara: I loved a phrase she recommended, which is, "I don't know about this, please tell me more." With a phrase like that, you are respecting other people's wisdom and asking them to share it with you. I think they will in turn respond with kindness and appreciation and believe that you are very wise for taking that attitude. She also suggested we be street smart. That means doing a little bit of research before you go. Read up on things like the most common scams or the risks in areas that you're visiting before you travel. Mike's example of an overly long taxi ride is a really good one. That's probably very common. Gosh, when you walk out of some airports around the world, you get attacked almost by people trying to give you unofficial, unauthorized rides. You're asking for trouble if you're not careful.

Mike Putman: Especially in LaGuardia, right here in New York. James and I often talk about London, and it's certainly one of our favorite cities. I was over last month with someone at a conference. They went outside to make a phone call on their mobile phone—it was at night—and someone came by on a bicycle, grabbed the phone, and took off. In a million years, I never would have believed that would have happened in London. I feel very safe when I'm traveling there and I tend to let my guard down, but it sounds like even in the safest places in the world, there's an element of crime against tourists. You need to have your mind turned on and not think you're at home.

Cultural Research and Basic Phrases

James Ferrara: Some of that research can be done ahead of time by reading the news in that country, or when you get there, scan the newspapers. Make a little effort. It's obvious to people that you made an effort and you don't get left out of conversations. You know who the president of the country is or what the major issues are of the day. You don't have to know everything, but just familiarize yourself. We also always recommend trying to speak the language. You don't need to be fluent, but hello, thank you, please. Maybe, "I'm sorry I don't speak the language." On the basics like that, not only will it help you, but people will appreciate you for trying. You're not being that typically boorish American who expects everyone to speak their language.

Mike Putman: Also, before you leave, learn how to say beer and bathroom. Those two things will get you very far in your travels.

Being an Ambassador and Packing Smart

James Ferrara: I like this idea of being an ambassador. When you go to other countries, think of yourself as representing where you're from—all Americans, New Yorkers, whatever.

Mike Putman: You want to be a good steward of your own country. If you're from the South, you want to show off how friendly you can be compared to our friends up north who are not quite as friendly. What about her story about the underwear?

James Ferrara: I did not read that.

Mike Putman: One of her tenets was: don't pack a lot of underwear. She tells a story about a friend who's a Swedish trumpet player who roomed with an American while on tour. The man opened his luggage and exposed over fifty pairs of underwear. The trumpet player asked, "Why have you packed so many pairs of underwear for a two-week tour?" The musician replied, "I wasn't sure if you had washing machines in Europe." You're probably not leaving civilization when you're traveling. Don't have these disrespectful thoughts. In fact, America is an amazing place, but there are countries around the world who do certain things better than we do. When I travel, I tend to travel a little bit lighter. If I'm going on a trip that's more than a week long, I'll take a week's worth of clothes and find a place to do the washing for me rather than just paying hotel rates. These places are called "fluff and fold." If you Google fluff and fold, there are lots of places where you can drop your laundry off. They'll launder it, you can come back and pick it up, or they'll deliver it to your hotel room at a reasonable cost.

Appreciating International Innovation

James Ferrara: During the pandemic, when we started to go to contactless payment in the United States, it was kind of a new idea here. But it wasn't a new idea in the UK or Europe. They've been doing it for a long time. We've talked about high-speed trains. There are high-speed trains all over Europe—in Spain, in France, in the UK. You can go on a 200-mile-per-hour train connecting London to Paris. For thirty years, that's been there. Yet America still doesn't have a high-speed train network of our own. Get your head in the right place. We're part of a global community. We play our role and we're certainly a leader in many things, but the rest of the world has great accomplishments also. You should never look down on these other cultures or assume that the United States is ahead of everyone else.

High Demand and Planning Early

Mike Putman: This was just such an interesting article. One thing I wanted to talk about too is that this summer specifically, the demand for travel has been so high. We're seeing lots of destinations be full—not just a hotel, but the entire destination. One tip for anyone trying to plan a summer getaway or early fall getaway: I would suggest you get to it and plan as soon as you can. This has been a tremendous year for travel in a positive way. Demand has been high and we're seeing lots of sold-out properties. I always say book early when you can, but now, book if you want to go. Otherwise, you're probably not going to go where you want to go.

Addressing Over-Tourism and Travel Pressures

James Ferrara: That kind of travel boom adds pressures around the world. Another story Mike and I were looking at recently had to do with Airbnb hosts in Barcelona and the backlash against them by locals who resent the tourism. It became violent. That doesn't happen everywhere. But what does happen with regularity these days are minor flare-ups. You see it on planes a lot, where people lose patience with each other or the airline crew and get into shouting matches. Everyone is a bit on edge. Mike and I think it's because planes are so full and so uncomfortable. They've done that to pack an extra row or two on every airplane. Now you're charged for luggage if you don't carry it on, so carry-on space is at a premium. People get really pissed off if you don't put in your luggage there the right way. It is like a cauldron when you get on a plane because people are already stressed. Service might not be so great on US carriers. Your legs are jammed in there, you're trying to find space, and you've got people going the wrong way on the airplane.

Mike Putman: These airlines have got to understand that. While I don't think there's any excuse for anyone getting violent or overly upset, it does make the quality of the experience much lower. There's a cost to trying to earn additional monies for extra seats or ancillary revenues. I think the airlines have been spending a lot of time on customer service lately, trying to make their teams more service-oriented. What they can spend some time on now is training their crew to diffuse situations. As an ultra-frequent traveler, I see the attitude of the crew or the mishandling by the crew actually inflaming these situations.

James Ferrara: It's not their fault. They haven't been trained in this and they're under a lot of pressure, too, but it's an area where the airlines could do more. Part of the problem—the backlash we see in Barcelona, Venice, or Greece—is that people feel over-tourism is costing them their local environment or local culture. There have been isolated demonstrations and pushback. Our role as travel professionals is to be more creative and thoughtful about where we send people. In the old days, it was the same thirty locations—Rome, Venice, Paris—but now the world is so much bigger. TV programs and internet postings have made it clear that there are beautiful places all over the world, many of which you've never even heard of. We need to work to spread people out a bit more and not overcrowd these big famous destinations.

The Economic Impact of Tourism

Mike Putman: I'll go back to the story about Barcelona. It was a group of unhappy people that live in Barcelona, and I bet half of those people probably were not born in Barcelona. They were upset about real estate prices going up because people were buying properties to rent them out as Airbnb type accommodations. I can appreciate that, and they were concerned about overcrowding. The way they went about their protest was going to popular tourist restaurants and bars and squirting people with water pistols. Imagine: a couple is sitting there having a nice dinner and somebody comes up and just soaks the girl's hair. Then they were standing out there brazenly like, "Come out and do something." It really left a bad taste in my mouth, especially spray painting signs saying "Go home tourist." Tourism represents 10% of the European GDP. In Barcelona, I would bet it's probably sixty or seventy percent. Those people do not want to turn the tourism switch off. If they do, they're going to be in really bad shape.

James Ferrara: There has to be a balance. There was a time when many locations in the world begged for this kind of tourism success, and now some of them are victims of their own success. They did not take the regulatory trouble to protect their own. We see this in the Caribbean with a couple of governments now. There's a backlash against the cruise industry because they never thought it would get this big. Yet without tourism, those countries would have been in a lot of trouble.

Mike Putman: And would be today. The Hurricane just came through Saint Vincent. It destroyed a lot of their infrastructure. It's going to take them years to build back. It'll be months before they could expect any tourism, and tourism is ninety percent of their GDP. There are plenty of people in that market talking to James and myself about bringing more tourists to them.

Travel in Pop Culture and Recommendations

James Ferrara: Just to give it perspective, I was telling Mike about an archaeological dig years ago of a Roman ruin. They uncovered a wall with graffiti on it that translated to essentially, "Tourist go home." That was two thousand years ago. This has always been part of the dynamic. We have to work together in partnerships towards the best outcome for everyone.

Mike Putman: Are you suggesting that the word "Yankee" was around two thousand years ago? I think that would have been before the US was.

James Ferrara: You Southerners have been around a long time. One final thing I wanted to mention: TV has had such an effect on the travel industry. The advent of cooking shows and travel shows—people like the late Anthony Bourdain and now Stanley Tucci—have opened our minds and eyes to the possibilities of the world. You can trace a bar chart of the expansion of tourism against popular culture. I'm always on the lookout for a good travel-related show. Over the last holiday week, I found one that I've been binge-watching. It's a British program called The Hotel Inspector. It's very much like Bar Rescue or Kitchen Nightmares. This hotel professional, a tough Scottish woman, goes into small hotels around the UK and tells them what's wrong and how to fix it. It's a particularly great show for its behind-the-scenes look at running a hotel. If you get a chance, seek it out. It's on Prime Video. Let us know if you find it as amusing as I do.

Closing Remarks and Future Updates

Mike Putman: I will check that out. I think I've seen one episode a while back. Well, excellent. I think this is going to bring our podcast for this week to a close. Thank you very much for listening in and sharing our podcast. We've got a nice growth in subscribers this week. Hopefully that will continue through the summer. We look forward to being back with you in three weeks. We're going to take a little break over the hot summer months, but we will be back with more guests and content. We'll also have the winner of our giveaway to announce.

James Ferrara: That's right. Our all-inclusive vacation for two. While we're on hiatus for a couple of weeks, if you're looking for something to listen to, go back on our prior episodes. There's a lot of really good stuff there. Go to notouristsallowed.com and you can scroll through and maybe listen to one you missed.

Mike Putman: Well great. Thanks so much for your time everyone. Have a great next few weeks and look forward to talking to you soon.

James Ferrara: Thank you.