12+ Disrespectful Tourists Who Probably Won’t Be Welcomed Back

If you have the opportunity, there’s something amazing about seeing other parts of world.

Not only will you experience beautiful sights you legitimately can’t find anywhere else, but you might find yourself getting hooked on a part of the local culture.

After all, fond memories of a taste or a song are just as important to the experience as anything you can capture on camera.

Unfortunately, one thing you can definitely capture on camera are the disappointing acts of your fellow visitors. And while I’m sure you’ll be very respectful on the next trip you embark on, the sad reality is that this attitude isn’t always universal.

And we’re sorry to say we have proof.

This Byzantine wall painting has stood in this remote monastery for over 1,000 years, but that didn’t matter to somebody.

Apparently, they saw this irreplaceable piece as the perfect place to scratch this message into.

Although I can’t tell what it says, it seems unlikely that it was worth defacing this for.

Considering where they’re walking from, it seems like all of these people saw this sign and chose to ignore it.

It’s hard for someone to write a caption about how much they appreciate a country when they disrespected its indigenous people enough to take the clifftop photo that goes with it.

It should be, anyway.

There’s already an element of risk in committing crimes, so why heighten that risk by doing it in another country?

Personally, I don’t find that desperately trying to reach my embassy is a good way to end a trip, but that didn’t stop this tourist from France when he stole a phone in Pattaya, Thailand.

As you can see, that didn’t end well for him.

There are several reasons to visit the former Auschwitz concentration camp, but goofing off really shouldn’t be one of them.

Anyone who’s been there will tell you that the eerily quiet atmosphere definitely reflects the fact that over a million people died there, so there is no excuse for this type of behavior.

See also: inappropriate photo filters.

I’m not sure there could ever be an appropriate filter for a concentration camp, but something about the angel filter makes it particularly infuriating.

Wading through this fountain in Rome might not be the best of ideas.

On one hand, I understand how desperate we can become when the weather gets intolerably hot, but don’t be surprised if you catch a fine for doing this.

It’s hard to tell what the plan was here, but this could have been a tragic situation for everyone involved.

This man climbed into the animal enclosure at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark and started sitting around.

Before long, the elephants became agitated and he was warned to get out before they considered him a threat. He did so with his arms outstretched, but it’s unclear why any of this happened.

Without recognizing these ruins, I don’t know whether you’re allowed to walk among them, but this guy’s behavior was definitely unacceptable.

What makes me so sure? Well, the problem is that he’s standing up and pulling up his pants after taking a crap on the ruins.

In other words, he literally did the one act that we use as a metaphor to explain how someone disrespected us. Come on, man.

The etiquette for visiting a temple in Japan is taken understandably seriously, but it’s hard to think of a worse way to abuse it than this.

Although those in charge of keeping the temples would likely take offense to blatant disrespect, we can only imagine how saddened they would be to see people use their temple to wish death on others’ families.

The Morning Glory pool in Yellowstone Park was known for its brilliant blue glow, but it doesn’t look like that anymore.

This new blue-green color is the result of people throwing trash in it and clogging up its natural vents, which creates conditions for algae to thrive.

And so, its name has been changed from Morning Glory to Fading Glory.

This person may have had better intentions than the people riding the turtle, but their idea isn’t much better.

And once the seagulls swarm the guy trying to feed them, he’ll probably find out why.

Even if he doesn’t, that doesn’t bode well for anyone else who tries to eat on this beach only for an aggressive gull or two to turn up.

It’s true that air travel can be exhausting enough to make this an understandable reaction, but this man picked the worst possible location.

You may have noticed that these are priority seats intended for disabled, pregnant, and elderly passengers and this guy is taking up three of them.

Not only that, he’s doing this in Thailand, where those seats are also reserved for Buddhist monks. So that’s another level of yikes.

Unsurprisingly, this business owner in Greece doesn’t appreciate the tourists’ novel approach to plant watering.

I have to express my love for the way they ended this message, though. That’s one way to politely call out disrespectful behavior, I suppose.

Not only is walking on this arch a really disappointing thing to do, but it’s actually dangerous.

For one thing, the uploader explained that this arch is made of sandstone, which is fairly delicate, especially after it rains.

For another, there’s a cliff very close to one of the arch’s edges. So they’re not only risking damage to it, but their own lives.

And for what?

Not only is this harmful for the cacti, but it’s hard to argue that it improves anyone else’s experience either.

As beautiful as it is to be young and in love, there are ways to express that without harming the natural beauty these people have immersed themselves in.

Besides, one commenter only looked back and cringed when they remembered doing this. It’s not worth it.

We complain all the time about how brazen seagulls are. They steal food right out of people’s hands!

But whose fault is that? Ours. It’s scenes like this that have taught the dang birds that humans are just as trashy as they are.

Speaking of treating beaches like trashcans, if you have a child in diapers with you, it’s on you to dispose of them properly.

But this woman was caught on video burying a dirty diaper in the famous white sand of Boracay.

I know it’s exciting to see wild animals at National Parks, but it’s not a petting zoo.

Take photos from afar and enjoy the view, but leave them alone! At best, you’ll look like a trashy tourist. At worst, you could get injured or the animal might.

These people literally killed a baby dolphin for selfies.

The baby dolphin was spotted in the water after being separated from its parent. Instead of leaving it alone and calling experts to help it return home, beach-goers rushed to get pictures with the baby. It died before the experts could arrive.

Really, this is just poor public transit etiquette everywhere.

But when you’re in another country, you’re representing your home and this is why so many people around the world think Americans are dicks.

Even if you don’t follow a specific belief system, you usually do your best not to actively offend those who do.

Unless you’re this couple in Bali that thought it would be funny if they used holy water from a sacred site to splash their butts.

Chant it with me: the world is not your trash can!

This was taken in Venice and while I understand the commenters noting that the sign is just more trash, I think that’s missing the point.

I feel like the people who do this are the same people who would complain when a tourist attraction is “dirty.”

“Love locks” are a troublesome trend no matter where people leave them, but this is particularly egregious.

You see, the shoe in the photo is part of a memorial on the Danube Bank in Budapest. It was there that thousands of people were executed during WWII, killed after being told to remove their shoes.

Why is there always that one person that thinks the rules don’t apply to them?

The selfie isn’t even worth the damage caused to the flowers, because is your great aunt going to be able to tell the difference? Just (carefully) stand at the edge of the field and take the photo with the flowers behind you. Done. Beautiful.

When places have barriers and signs telling you not to touch, they aren’t just being mean.

You know how the “You Are Here” maps in malls, theme parks, etc. always seem to be worn out right at the location you are at? That’s the damage countless fingers make touching the map.

Since we can’t just print a new Alhambra when it wears out, don’t touch it!

Begpacking is a thing that’s becoming far more common and really, really shouldn’t be.

It’s especially egregious when the tourists are visiting poor communities and begging for the locals to give them some of their hard-earned money.

Most tourists buses make frequent pit stops or have a toilet available on board.

So why did this woman think it was okay to just squat in the aisle to take a poop?

Because, yes, that is what she was caught doing.

There are three people taking up at least 12 seats in this crowded terminal.

I can’t decide whether it’s better or worse that they bothered to remove their shoes before putting their feet up on the chairs.

It’s super cool if you get to see a marine animal in real life, away from a zoo.

But when it’s actively warning you to stay away and stop invading its space, don’t laugh and keep trying to get closer. I’m surprised the video of this didn’t end in it attacking. They aren’t called sea lions for nothing.

It can take thousands of years for stalactites to form, but only a few moments for a tourist to ruin it.

At these caves in Spain you can see how many of the formations have been broken off by people being thoughtless or even looking for souvenirs.

When the signs say not to feed the wildlife, don’t feed the wildlife!

There’s a saying that “a fed bear is a dead bear” and it applies to most wild animals. By feeding them you’re teaching them to trust humans and approach them for food.

But they may no longer be able to fend for themselves, or worse, approach the wrong human and get killed for “attacking” them.

I feel like I want to just tell countries to shut down their historical landmarks entirely from tourists.

At the same time, not only do I understand that tourism often contributes a lot to a country’s economy, but by not letting people see these incredible ruins in person, culture may become less and less respectful of them.

I know, I know, you want that perfectly symmetrical shot for your Instagram feed.

But if that shot requires you to stand in the middle of a busy metropolitan street, then too bad. Your Insta doesn’t trump basic safety.

A few terrible people have literally ruined a destination for everyone.

Longqiao Cultural and Ecological Park is known for its 62 acres of fields, which bloom with lotus flowers every summer.

But this year, the park decided not to open to the public because since the first bloom began, hundreds of people have broken through the security fences and stolen most of the flowers.

Like, if you’re so annoyed by people that can’t speak English perfectly, why do you travel to countries where it isn’t the native language?

You don’t need to learn an entire language to visit a country, but you should at least learn some common decency.

No matter how exotic or endangered an animal is, there’s always someone who will do something irresponsible to it.

It’s hard to tell how this sea turtle got on this ferry, but it’s sad to see that some tourists’ first response was to step on it and try to ride it like a horse.

I just can’t with these people anymore.

What sense of entitlement must you need in order to think it’s okay to take part of an ancient ruin? Especially one that’s in ruins because everyone died there.

Show some class, lady.

The Royal Guard may be an attraction for tourists, but they are doing a job first.

Part of that job is to not react to anything those tourists are doing, so when this woman decided to just aimlessly stand on the wrong side of the rope, the guard simply walked right into her.

No matter how many languages they use to warn people away, some will still do whatever they want.

Usually, they put these signs up because the monuments are too fragile to sustain tourists wandering around.

This means it’s not out of the question for them to block off the area so nobody can get a good look thanks to behavior like this.

Thanks, guys.