Tourism: It Can be a Real Culture-shock!

Yippee, it’s holiday time again. Those two precious weeks we’ve been dreaming of and anticipating all year; fourteen days by the sea with the sun smiling down on us…sheer bliss. But as we read up on our chosen destination and begin to plan our holiday wardrobe, there’s something else we need to be prepared for… other holidaymakers!

You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family… or your neighbours on holiday. We have to admit that we all have our own little quirks that make us a tad difficult to live with sometimes, and holidaying alongside people from other cultures can throw up all kinds of differences that infuriate us and threaten to ruin our holiday. Here’s a quick guide on how to survive those cultures clashes we all love to hate ….

Scenario 1: You wake up on your first morning and plan for a busy day lounging by the side of the pool soaking up the holiday sun. But alas, as you head down to the pool, you find that all the sun loungers are reserved with towels. You have three choices; either set your alarm for ‘ridiculous o’clock’ tomorrow to nab some sun loungers of your own, before heading back to bed. Or, if you’re in Spain — where it’s not illegal to remove a towel from a sun lounger – replace the towel with yours. Or if you prefer the non-confrontational option, take a casual stroll or a bus to the beach and enjoy the day with your family, paddling in the sea, and working on your tan.

Scenario 2: You find yourself taking in some culture in a centuries old church. Suddenly another visiting tourist begins loudly telling their family the whole history of the church in the minutest of details, which breaks your peace — and giving you a headache into the bargain! What can you do? Do you: a) leave and do something else, and return when they’ve gone. Or b) pretend you’re one of the family and maybe even learn a little?

Scenario 3: You’re enjoying a guided tour of the historical old town but are constantly trying to avoid getting in the way of the coach load of camera-wielding tourists who are all happily snapping away with their respective cameras. Do you: move on and go and find a more peaceful spot, or, offer to take some pictures for them so that the camera owner can be in the shot with his or her friends and family? Or, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em — take as many pictures as your memory card allows and join in the fun! At least you’ll have lots of pictures to display on your digital photo frames and will have gained a few new friends into the bargain.
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Andrew Regan writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.