Traveling the world is one of the most popular hobbies of modern people. However, not all tourists, going on vacation, behave with dignity, which leads to the introduction of many rules and prohibitions.
The travel publication Fodor mentioned the six worst acts of tourists in 2023, which are better never to be repeated.
1. Tourists who overturned a gondola in Venice. In early December 2023, while passing under a low bridge near St. Mark’s Square, a gondolier asked passengers to stay in their seats and stop taking pictures, but these requests were ignored. As a result, the boat capsized along with everyone on board – standing up from their seats while the gondola was moving, unruly passengers caused the center of gravity to become unbalanced.
2. Tourists who painted the Colosseum. Rome is another popular destination in Italy that suffers from over-tourism and silly tourist antics. This summer, local authorities at least three times caught guests who decided to paint one of the most iconic sights of the city – the 2,000-year-old arena of the Coliseum. First, the 27-year-old guy carved the names of himself and his girlfriend on its walls. He was later tracked down in England and apologized for the vandalism. Literally in a month, a girl from Switzerland, and then a 17-year-old boy from Germany, decided to put their initials on the walls of the Coliseum. In Italy, damage to cultural heritage carries a hefty fine of approximately $19,000 and up to five years in prison.
3. Tourists exposed in Bali. Bali has become another breeding ground for bad tourists. So much so that the island is already deporting people for disrespecting local customs and plans to start charging a tourist tax, thus banning mass tourism. Residents are especially upset by the desire of foreigners to expose themselves to sacred locations. For example, this summer, first a German tourist stripped naked in a local temple, and later a Russian was deported from the island for taking a nude picture with a 700-year-old sacred tree. Another Russian was expelled from the country for a half-naked photo in a sacred place.
4. Tourists who spent the night on the Eiffel Tower. In August, two drunk Americans were found on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They bought tickets to the tower on Sunday at 10:40 p.m. but jumped the security barriers on their way down and were discovered by security guards in the morning. This delayed the opening of the attraction for an hour. Another tourist decided to jump off the Eiffel Tower with a parachute, later landing safely at a nearby stadium. He sneaked into the tower at 5 a.m. before it opened to the public. Although he was immediately noticed by security, he managed to reach the top and jump off with a backpack containing his parachute.
5. A tourist who desecrated an ancient temple in Japan. A 17-year-old boy from Canada carved his name on a wooden column of the 8th-century Tosedaiji Kondo temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Japan, damage to cultural property can result in a fine of up to $2,000 or up to 5 years in prison.
6. The passenger who opened the emergency door in flight. A passenger on an Asiana Airlines flight managed to open an emergency door minutes before landing. The plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported. Similar incidents were also registered in the USA, where passengers tried to open emergency exits. For example, in March, a Delta passenger opened a door, activated an inflatable evacuation slide, and exited the plane while it was on the runway. The man was arrested.
As reported by the DIP, as early as spring 2024, Venice will introduce an entrance fee to the city, hoping to reduce the number of tourists one day. In addition, from June, the city will introduce restrictions on the number of people in tourist groups and ban loudspeakers.