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What is ‘tourist syndrome’? Here are the top 3 offenses by travelers

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What is ‘tourist syndrome’? Here are the top 3 offenses by travelers

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  • Over half of American travelers admit to exhibiting “tourist syndrome” and engaging in out-of-character behavior on vacation.
  • Social media influence and a desire for carefree fun are cited as reasons for reckless behavior.
  • Despite this, a majority of respondents support stricter penalties for tourists’ misconduct.

Many travelers view their vacations as a time to let loose, but it seems like some take it too far.

Just this year, tourists have been caught defacing ancient Roman villas with graffiti, littering a bag of moldy Cheetos that stunk up a national park cave and harassing geishas in Kyoto.

An October survey of 1,231 American adults by travel analysts at Radical Storage, a luggage storage network, found that 56.5% of people experience “tourist syndrome” and do “something out of character” while traveling. Nearly half of travelers said they had broken a law on vacation that they wouldn’t have at home.

“Unfortunately, the findings of this survey confirm what we already know,” Giacomo Piva, co-founder at Radical Storage, told USA TODAY in a statement. “The tourism industry may have recovered from the impact of COVID-19, but sadly the epidemic of bad behavior continues to threaten the future freedom of travel, with anti-tourist protests sweeping Europe.”

“The fact that 56.5% of people admitted to behaving badly and experiencing ‘tourist syndrome’ on vacation shows us that this issue isn’t about the few ruining travel for the many – but the many ruining travel for us all,” Piva added.

Is this the fix to overtourism? Many destinations are raising tourist taxes

The worst offenders were found to be Gen Z, with 72% of the younger generation saying they’re more likely to act out on their trip.

If you’re wondering why so many travelers feel justified in being more reckless, nearly half of travelers blame social media for fueling such bad tourist behavior. Four in 10 travelers said their vacation “is a time to let your hair down and have some fun” and “to get out of my comfort zone and create some memories.” About one-third of respondents said “you can behave differently where no one knows you.”

The most common offenses travelers admitted to in the survey were being territorial by putting down towels to reserve your loungers by the pool, posing inappropriately with a statue and picking plants without permission, like a nature reserve or someone’s property.

This past summer, Italian officials were on the hunt for a woman, believed to be a tourist, who was caught on camera doing poses that “mimicked sex” with a statue of Bacchus in Florence. The city has an ordinance that prohibits any sort of abuse of cultural heritage, which could result in a fine and a lifelong ban.

On the other hand, 61% of respondents also added that there should be harsher punishments for travelers who act poorly. Nearly two-thirds also said they’ve been embarrassed by their travel companion’s bad behavior. So maybe there is some hope.

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