4 Tips to Respectfully Navigate Cultural Differences and Customs While Travelling

Read up on basic laws beforehand, for example, what rules to follow when visiting places of religious significance or, if it's an Islamic country, avoid openly consuming alcohol. In order to truly experience the traditions and customs of a destination, it is important to remain respectful. Familiarise yourself with taboos, social norms, and basic etiquette. Being accepted into the community allows locals to genuinely be comfortable with you, which might result in a very unique experience for you in comparison to other visitors.

There are decades of history for every nationality out there, which includes body gestures and even tonality. Signing the ‘okay’ symbol might seem completely harmless to you, yet countries like Brazil, Greece and Spain consider this gesture offensive. Include research on gestures to avoid any uncomfortable situations overseas. Another tip would be to pick up the basic keywords of a language before your travels. Learn phrases that can help you order food, drinks, numbers from 1 to 10 and also how to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Having these friendly and polite gestures can go a long way when travelling abroad; it might even help you make some new friends.

Dressing appropriately can make you more approachable to the locals, depending on your destination. Some countries might even ban you from entering historical or religious places depending on how you dress or if you have any tattoos. The key takeaway is to blend in and show that you respect their culture; if approached by security, address the situation by asking if you could visit the same place after covering up, and remain as compliant as possible.

We are all hardwired to give out certain micro reactions in situations where we might feel awkward or uncomfortable. Be wary of these responses and try to hide them as best you can when experiencing other cultures. There might be certain ‘culture shock’ moments that are not in line with what you are used to seeing. The best approach to this is to accept things as they are and look at them from an educational perspective instead.