AMSTERDAM — Traveling might be exciting or terrifying, and whether we prefer it or not, all of us leave footprints. Of course, some tourists leave more of a mark than others, leaving locals cursing, open-mouthed, or simply shaking their heads.
To avoid looking like a tourist during this busy European travel season, tourism experts and locals need to share a couple of things with you.
Buy locally made items
“Don’t just buy cheap souvenirs,” advises Lony Scharenborg, managing director of a merchant association for Amsterdam’s Nine small streetsa picturesque shopping area within the canal district.
“Remember that the people who live here need their bakeries and grocery stores. Get something there.”
You are a guest, so behave like one
“A city is not just made up of monuments and marble; it is made up of people,” said Giovanni Andrea Martini, city councilor in Venice.
“Show respect and live together.”
Emma Martin of the Spanish tourism board Turisme de Barcelona also said that a bit consideration could go a great distance when visiting one other congested destination. She urged visitors to see themselves as “temporary but full” residents.
For large events, consider another venue
In Paris this summer, many locals fled the Olympics influx, while some travelers postponed their visit or made last-minute bargains.
Another example: Scotland's historic capital, Edinburgh, is even busier than usual throughout the Festival Fringe in August, but Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, points out that lesser-known parts of the country are also “full of hidden gems”. The moral of the story: get off the beaten track each time possible.
Think about sustainability, especially in the case of transport
“Choose the most sustainable options possible – come by train, use an electric vehicle, use public transport in the city, take the bike,” said Charel van Dam, marketing director of the Dutch Tourist Board. “Stay in the same place longer – less movement is always better.”
In every major city in Europe and likewise in lots of smaller towns, there are travel apps that help avoid traffic jams.
Be curious – and friendly
“I’m happy when people ask me about cheese – but I’m even happier when they ask me about other things, about life here!” says Spyros Chalikias, 39, who works in a tourist-oriented cheese shop in central Amsterdam.
When you realize that you just are a part of the issue…
“When you see that huge snake there, TikTok “When you choose a location, think about the impact on a tiny street and maybe move your business somewhere else,” Scharenborg said.
Try to support local causes
The German tourist Manuela Pietsch, 52, from Heidelberg, attended a concert in Amsterdam Westerkerka seventeenth century church, and her voluntary donation will go towards the restoration of the historic Duyschot organ. “It's a nice feeling to be part of this,” she said. “And it was a wonderful concert!”
In many European destinations, history is painful
“Yes, you can mention the war,” said Jan Katzmarczyk, who has been giving city tours in Berlin for 13 years, including many notorious Nazi sitesHe urges visitors to ask their questions directly, but to not be accusatory towards today's generation. “We take the blame, but not the shame,” said Katzmarczyk, declaring that virtually all German wartime leaders are long dead.
No, it's not like home
That's why you're travelling! So remember: not in every single place has air-con, especially in smaller and older European hotels. Bring change for public toilets (although in lots of cases you possibly can pay the small fee with a bank card).
Many restaurants expect you to order a bottle of water relatively than offering you a free glass of tap water. Ice might be hard to come back by. Brush up in your tipping etiquette, which varies from one European country to a different—though suggestions are almost all the time smaller than expected within the U.S.
Adapt! Bring a plug adapter to charge your devices
USB ports are rare, especially in older accommodations, and the likelihood that the hotel can have an adapter to borrow is slim.
“I can't tell you how often Americans ask for them,” said a receptionist at a mid-range Paris hotel who declined to present her name because her employer wouldn't approve it. “Sometimes I want to say, 'Oh yeah – let me just go to the back and pick one off the tree where they grow.'”
Don’t take your problems out on service staff
They try to do their job and assist you to. Try to work with them and find solutions for the canceled flight or overbooked hotel. Document what happened – keep texts, emails, and payment receipts. When it's throughout, write a relaxed note, and chances are high pretty good that the airline, cruise line, or tour operator will attempt to make it as much as you.
Leave the plain jokes alone
If a selected place name sounds funny to English speakers, you possibly can assume that the locals are bored with being identified by giggling visitors.
And don't pretend you have got a German accent, Katzmarczyk said – “It sounds terrible for the most part.”
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