Rick Steves Cautions Travelers To Avoid One Of The Worst 'Ugly Tourist' Mistakes

When you travel for a living, like host and guidebook author Rick Steves, you have a chance to see what tourists are doing right — and what they're doing wrong. As far as mistakes go, it's less about visiting a tourist attraction on the wrong day or heading to the wrong airport for Steves, and more about the type of tourist you are. To that end, he's written a post on his website about "ugly tourist" mistakes to help people avoid them. Among the worst offenders is something we've all likely done at home as well as abroad, which is seeing the sights through the lens of a camera or phone, rather than simply experiencing them. 

Steves says, "The ugly tourist lets a camera rather than people become the focus. Many travelers tramp through Europe like they're visiting a cultural zoo: 'Ooh, that guy in lederhosen yodeled! Excuse me, could you do that again in the sunshine so I can get a good picture?'" In fact, he even calls selfie sticks "narcissi-sticks," and for good reason. While they may help you get the perfect shot for Instagram or the perfect video for TikTok, what they take away is the real experience that you could be having, just spending time in a different country, with people who grew up in a different way than you did.

No one is saying that you can't take pictures. Of course, travelers want to share their experience with family and friends and have something to look back on in the years after the trip. There is nothing wrong with that at all. However, the danger is that you're basically seeing the world the same way you would through a TV or phone screen rather than actually living in the moment.

You may be wondering why this makes you an ugly tourist rather than simply someone who isn't taking advantage of their vacation. It's because, as Rick Steves says, another country isn't a "cultural zoo." It's a real place with real people, places, food, and works of art. It's the difference between making sure to get your face in a selfie with the statue of David in Florence to show your friends, and taking time to appreciate the incredible amount of work, craftsmanship, study, and talent that went into sculpting it. If the pic is all you want to remember, you can just look it up online.

Turning your face away from the phone and actually experiencing the place you're visiting can help you avoid what Steves calls a "flat" experience in Europe, and replace it with real appreciation and memories to take home. If you take your time exploring, actually chat with people who live in the travel destination (use a live-translation app if you don't speak the language), and let the experience sink in, you may, as Steves says in a post, "see the world — and your place in it — a little differently."

On a more practical level, your selfie stick and pose may very well be blocking the view of others who have come to see the site you're visiting. Some tourists have even damaged landmarks or put themselves in danger while taking selfies. Finally, Steves cautions travelers to avoid the common itinerary mistake of only visiting major cities when traveling in Europe. Make sure to expand your experience and learn more about the country by seeing what life is like in smaller places, rather than just hitting the big-ticket items.