Rick Steves Says There's One Simple Cure To Being An 'Ugly' Tourist

Travel expert Rick Steves is famously mild-mannered, but he knows an "ugly" tourist when he sees one. Loud voices in quiet spaces, dawdling in busy thoroughfares, posing with selfie sticks, and wearing flashy clothing at religious sites are all the typical behaviors that cause travelers to stand out for all the wrong, ugly reasons.

Steves has identified subtler forms of the ugly tourist, too. These are the "obsessives" — travelers with packed itineraries and gratuitous accessories who rush around and never find an authentic experience because they are too stressed, antsy, and risk-averse. Steves recommends a simple antidote to "ugly tourists," and it won't cost them a cent. All one needs to do, Rick says, is look in the mirror once in a while. This could help raise some necessary questions. Should I wear that? Do I need all this stuff? Is that selfie worth it? Why are the locals scowling at me?

Don't feel too judged if you think you meet Steves' definition of an "ugly tourist." Realizing is the hard part. Now, all you have to do is respect local customs, memorize a phrase or three, and embrace the world rather than shying away from it in tour buses, tourist restaurants, and other familiarities. No reasonable person will hold the occasional faux pas or home comfort against you, but travel should always feature the new and the different.

Rick Steves' attitude is that Americans who want an American experience should stay in America. It's easy to plan a meaningful staycation, after all. But if you do visit Europe and yearn for pancakes and streaky bacon, do what Steves does and beat the urge to death with a hard roll. Such drastic, zero-tolerance measures will help you branch out and sample the many delicacies across the continent, from huge Scandinavian buffets to hearty English fry-ups. Openness to experience is undoubtedly crucial, but it needs to be put into perspective. Avoiding familiar food is a personal element and is less important than a tourist's public conduct.

The first rule to not being an "ugly tourist" is a matter of sartorial elegance. Steves shakes his head at the spectacle of American tourists nervously waddling through Moroccan markets with day bags on their stomachs en route to their arranged tour bus experience. Large theft-proof bags and fanny packs serve a purpose, but they often adorn those who stroll around foreign locales like they're theme parks. Consider a slimline bag that protects you from pickpocketers and slides under your clothing so you can feel free, look good, and not be paranoid about theft. 

The best way to avoid ugly tourism is to adjust one's attitude. Be mindful of your customs and values and how they interact with others; patience, empathy, and curiosity will open the world and its inhabitants to you. And please, drop the selfie stick.