While cheap travel options such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages often provide the means to travel overseas, there are steps you can take at your destination to truly enjoy your trip.
People who reject the food when traveling abroad, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid interacting with the locals, would most likely have a better time just staying at home.
The following are tips on how to be a successful international tourist from Frommers Travel:
Dress to blend in (modestly) vs. trying to stand out. Dressing inappropriately in any foreign country will ensure that you stand out in a bad way. Americans tend to dress more casually than people from other cultures. Make certain you consider local customs in dressing.
If you are visiting a country with a different culture, make a point of studying the basics before departing. Even learning such simple things as the correct pronunciation of places or streets, and how to convert money, will help at your destination.
Be as ethical on the road as you are at home. Poor behavior can come back to haunt you when you return given that the world is much smaller these days with and advent of the Internet and social media. Do not keep comparing everything to how it is back home.
Eating local food is a great step to understanding a places culture and traditions. While you should not feel pressured to order the most exotic dishes or sample something that is repugnant, you should try a local noodle shop or kebab stand instead of a generic hotel restaurant or international fast food chain.
Try to speak the local language. Fluency is not expected, but most locals appreciate tourists who make the effort to speak simple common phrases so that basic communication is possible.
Interact with locals and thereby learn more about your destination and enrich your travel experience. The easiest way of striking up a conversation with locals is to ask questions. People tend to enjoy talking about their lives and day to day issues. Locals are a great resource to find out about favorite restaurants and shops. Remember listening is key to understanding.
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