Summertime and the living is easy, says the song. School is out, and fun is in – sums up summer. Every break in our routine existence is always a welcome break – be it just a long weekend. Christmas, Spring and most especially the long Summer break is something we all look forward to. To prod us along, there is the call to balance work and play. It is reasonable, therefore, if one can afford it, to travel and experience what other places can offer.
There is, however, a vexing phenomenon. Visitors and tourists from other countries sully, vandalize and even destroy objects and places they have had their fun in. What makes tourists behave badly once they are out of their home ground? Why have tourists left their sense of propriety and decorum once they are out on vacation? What is the mystery behind these phenomena?
Truth be said, many developing countries rely heavily on tourist revenue: Hong Kong, Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and so on. As we are all proud of our country, we extend our hospitality to all peoples of the world. Especially worth visiting are historical sites worldwide. In North America, sought-after destinations are Washington, D.C., Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, Niagara Falls, Hawaii, and so on. It is, however, a mixed blessing. Tourists’ presence also takes so much more from the places they visit because of unreasonably bad behavior. A phenomenon that is experienced everywhere, from Italian cities rich in historical arts, sculptures, and structures, down to a more natural setting like Hawaii where the clear blue ocean, beautiful weather, and white sands are the draw.
Understandably, when one is on vacation, there is a tendency to relax, why not, it is after all a vacation from the routine we all know. Letting your hair down, however, doesn’t mean you seek fun by destroying the historical and beautiful places you visit. Do you have to leave your good self-home, and replace it with your bad self when you are on vacation? Personally, I have witnessed a middle-aged male Canadian, after enjoying the Friday night fireworks along Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, casually toss his soda can onto the green, well-manicured grass, of the hotel vicinity, as if that was his right for being there!
In Italy, irreverent tourists, Americans, Australian, Middle Easterners, and Canadians have not only been disrespecting the rich culture of the Italians, but have outrightly defaced, vandalized, and destroyed centuries old cultural works of art!
A Saudi national drove his rented Maserati down the historical Spanish Steps, destroying two steps in the process. An American couple drove and then threw their rented scooters down the same historical steps, likewise, damaging a couple. Both British and Australians have swum naked in the Venetian canals which is the water source for most Italians in the area. The Venetians cook and clean with these waters! A few of the same nationals have stolen gondolas, water taxis, all for unrestrained and uncivilized fun!
There are three types of freedom: the first kind of freedom is “freedom from,” a freedom from the constraints of society. Second is “freedom to,” a freedom to do what we want to do. And thirdly, there is “freedom to be,” a freedom, not just to do what we want, but a freedom to be who we are meant to be. ≈
What most tourists have led themselves to believe is that when they are on vacation and no one knows them there, they can misuse and abuse the first two freedoms. Surely, they didn’t mean to do those horrible deeds if consciously, they meant to define who they are? Is this who we really want to be? Destructive vexations, like pests?
Freedom and having fun totally different in believing one, as a visitor or a tourist entitles one to deface, destroy, and disrespect another’s culture and its peoples. Dare we call ourselves civilized if we abuse freedom?
Springtime in Washington, D.C., when carefully laid out tulips beds of varied colors abound, many tourists simply cannot and will not resist picking them despite signs of “Do not Pick Flowers!” They have to break the rules to have fun! Alongside with littering the beautiful sites, they also cannot resist vandalizing monuments along the tidal basin, such as the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and so on. At the famed National Mall, the Smithsonian to the locals, where museums are lined (and there is no entrance fee), culminating at the Capitol building, tourists come with their hidden snacks and sodas, and eat them inside the museums! Indeed, there is a proper cafeteria in every museum, but where’s the fun in that! Do you not feel American when you visit these historical sites that you have to violate rules to preserve them?
In Hawaii, where marine life abounds in close proximity to the beach, tourists from supposedly developed countries ignore cautionary signs to leave wildlife a wide berth of peace and quiet. They approach wildlife at their peril, a few have even killed newborn sea lions! All for fun, of course! One tourist was attacked by a mother seal with a young calf and had to be saved by the lifeguard. The former had the audacity to report the incident to the police as having been in danger! That they need to make the ocean safer for the tourists! Seriously?
After a day at the beach, the pristine Hawaiian beaches are left littered with soda, beer cans, paper, even soiled diapers every evening! All thanks to the presence of tourists who enjoyed themselves at the expense of the local community who have to struggle with the meager budget to clean it all up! Whatever tourist revenue were made actually creates a negative gain because of the clean up costs! Rather, it often costs the State of Hawaii more because many of these violators use up local resources meant for the locals, sanitation and clean-up crews, lifeguards, law enforcers, small medical facilities, hospitals, and even jails! Reckless motorists who rent cars, motorbikes, scooters, and bicycles are likewise uncaring of their safety and the safety of others. The same with pedestrians who take no responsibility of their own safety by simply crossing streets without looking. Is it more fun to be hospitalized, or even die while on vacation? As such, tourists have caused many sad and unfortunate but preventable accidents because of their uncaring and irresponsible attitudes.
An elderly single friend rents her condo along Waikiki Beach, is constantly aghast at the tourists’ antics. Reports her cleaner who shakes her head at many seemingly primitive actions by their guests – such as leaving soiled diapers tucked under sofa and mattresses. Not to say of feces smeared on the walls, not just in the restroom. The whole place looking like a tornado ripped into it, pillows on the floor. That is aside from the empty soda cans, wrappers of all sorts, and most importantly, furniture all askew, dragged around recklessly, causing deep gashes on the floor! Who does these things? Tourists! That is why her cleaner charges double because it is a huge job to get the unit cleaned up and orderly enough to again be habitable.
At some restaurants in Hawaii, signs are posted with: “We reserve the right to deny service to rude patrons,” and/or “Only customers with shirts and shoes will be served.” This is because there are many tourists who are loud, rude, and obnoxiously demanding. Likewise, there are many tourists who come in shirtless, shoeless, and bikini clad!
Why does all decency leave people while they are on vacation? Why does their wild and mean side mysteriously surface when they are not in their hometown? And their responsible, decent self are left back home? Perhaps it is the anonymity to the new place that makes tourists throw all cares to the wind when they are on vacation? That recklessness and not observing any rules and regulations are part of the fun and the thrill of not being caught at it. Drinking and heavy drinking while on vacation also takes care of our decency filters. It makes us feel invincible, entitled, and reckless. If we cannot be decent human beings when intoxicated, maybe we need to drastically curtail our consumption.
Many years ago, during one of my annual vacations in Manila, I recall reading on the front-page corner of a local newspaper the Chinese president’s injunction to his compatriots who were now able and travelling outside the country: When overseas, refrain from spitting and blowing your nose in the air anywhere and urinating any place you feel like. What you do at home is NOT acceptable overseas.
The reverse is, however, what we are talking about here, because most tourists do not observe proper decorum when not at home, is the issue.
So next time, you go on vacation, do not forget to take along the customary good manners and right conduct you practice and teach your children back home. I promise you; it will not only make you a more decent human being, greatly help the environment and the people whom you have come across with in that brief moment in time. More importantly, it will guide you on helping make this world a better place. Your wild side isn’t your best angle so keep it hidden in your closet, back home.
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NB: Ms. Buenaobra, is a free-lance writer, worked at the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines, and is a retiree from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ms. Buenaobra was also a professor of Tagalog at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USA.
