Ugly Tourist

As the aviation industry makes traveling more convenient and readily accessible in the 21st century, more and more people will travel to the outreaches of the globe. When traveling, we cross the economic, cultural, and ethnic barriers, striving to unify humanity under one umbrella of internationalization. As we embrace the world with curiosity and wonder, we are also looked upon as minor ambassadors of our nations. To dispel the "ugly tourist" image is one essential task for success in building a harmonious world in which we live.

The term "ugly" was first coined after a U.S. ambassador who displayed ignorance and incompetence while serving in an Asian country in the 1963 movie titled "Ugly American." Nowadays, the word "ugly" applies to any person who shows ignorance, arrogance, and disrespect for another culture while traveling or living abroad. An ugly tourist can come from any part of the world, crossing all nationality, class, age or gender. In fact, the ugly tourist often happens to be an ordinary person who is generally nice at home but transforms into a complaining, intolerant traveler on the road.

The principle reason for this aberrant behavior comes from a simple case of cultural shock. It's quite normal for one to experience cultural shock when stepping out of one's own environment into an unfamiliar territory. The common reaction is rejection to anything different due to the fear of the unknown or of jeopardizing one's own values or beliefs. Often in this state, the fear overwhelms one's true nature, bringing out the worst of a person. Knowing how to handle the cultural shock marks the difference between a seasoned traveler and an inexperienced tourist.

Many tourists on tours traveling to foreign countries behave as though they are visiting a museum, viewing everything as inanimate objects on display. The travel industry endorses a "museum-scope" perspective by promoting traveling mainly as entertainment, not as an enriching experience of cultural exchanges. It presents a tight schedule of sightseeing and show performances but neglects to provide an exchange program for tourists to interact actively in the local environment with the people. Therefore, the tourists expect to absorb all they can without giving up any part of themselves (set of beliefs or values) in the learning part of international exchange.

And some tourists have such high expectations of services and facilities wherever they go without taking into account the actual economic conditions of the country in which they visit. Worse still, they tend to judge something that is different as inferior. As a result, they unjustly belittle the culture, the people and the nation as a whole. Thus, the ugly tourists have made themselves unwelcome guests. To minimize cultural shock, the most important thing to do is to be well prepared for the country one's going to visit by learning about its culture, customs and history before embarking on a trip. Many seasoned travelers recommend the following list for visiting a foreign country:

As a visitor, one ought to be open-minded to any cultural or economic differences in a host country.

One should be flexible in a foreign culture with its set of distinctive rules.

As a guest, one shouldn't impose one's own values on the local people.

Patience is a golden virtue for traveling because each culture regards time and handles situations in diverse ways.

As a part of the adventure, one ought to expect the unexpected to happen, like getting lost or missing a train, etc.

One shouldn't be too serious when things go wrong whether encountering a bad experience or enduring unpleasant conditions.

As a universal language, a smile can bring the best result.

In conclusion, to shed the "ugly tourist" image not only enhances internationalization but also fulfills one's enjoyment in the ultimate experience of cultural immersion. To become a true citizen of the world, a traveler must try to knock down his confining walls and extend his good will to humanity. After all, our planet is shared by many civilizations of one human race.

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Published on 5/29/03