Few things are more aggravating than people not respecting things that ought to be respected, like mother nature, sites of great significance, or stop signs, for that matter. And unfortunately, many of them are often disrespected by entitled tourists, who tend to feel like the world is their playground.
If you haven’t encountered any of them yet, first and foremost, consider yourself lucky, and secondly, brace yourself for some vexing images. We have found pictures of some of the most entitled and ignorant tourists out there, and put them on this list, which could be considered a manual on what not to do when traveling. Scroll down to find them below, but do it at your own risk, as you might get quite annoyed before even reaching the end of the list.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with the team of Arctic Adventures, a tour operator in Iceland, who were kind enough to answer a few of our questions about entitled tourists.
#1 Bamboo That Grew Up During The Pandemic Without The Effect Of Tourists' Touch
Image credits: watercatte
#2 The Employee Knew English And Was Trying His Best To Get His Message Across
Image credits: 0xLynkos
#3 All Of The Tourists Who, Collectively, Have Not Preserved Mount Everest The Way They Should. We Need To Do Better
Image credits: EverestToday
It goes without saying that entitled tourists can be seriously annoying; their selective vision focused on the best spot for taking a picture and ignoring everything outside of that—be it people or signs—is just one of the many reasons why.
But it’s not only about being annoying. Safety is a big issue, too, as failing to see certain signs can be dangerous to both the tourist themselves and those around them.
“Tourists who disregard established rules not only jeopardize their own safety but also pose risks to others and the environment,” representatives of Arctic Adventures—an Iceland-based tour operator offering a variety of activity tours across the country—told Bored Panda in a recent interview.
#4 Taking Selfies With Filters On Outside Auschwitz
Image credits: IVSwarm
#5 There Are Several Reasons To Visit The Former Auschwitz Concentration Camp, But Goofing Off Really Shouldn't Be One Of Them
Image credits: reddit.com
“While incidents involving entitled tourists are relatively not frequent, their impact can be significant,” the team of Arctic Adventures added, also pointing out that in Iceland, incidents caused by ignorant tourists unfortunately do occur, which only emphasizes the importance of proactive safety measures.
“Preventive measures such as fines can serve as deterrents, but we believe that education and awareness are equally essential in fostering responsible behavior among tourists,” the tour operator noted.
#6 Tourist Climbed On Ancient Egyptian Antiquities
Image credits: AloofNerd
#7 Found This Review For My Local Laundromat In A Beach Town, Looks Like The Owner Has Had Enough Of The Entitled Tourists
Image credits: reddit.com
#8 What Rules. I'm Special
Image credits: justsomedude1144
Despite being one of the safest countries in the world for both citizens and visitors, Iceland can be quite dangerous for those willing to ignore warning signs or safety measures. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few stories of tourists getting themselves into trouble for failing to follow warnings—those regarding certain natural occurrences, for instance, which become great reminders of how powerful and awe-inspiring mother nature can be.
Take water, for example. A TikTok video went viral in November last year, showing tourists getting caught by a so-called “sneaker wave” on Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland. While the tourists luckily managed to escape the unexpected grip of the wave, the netizens in the comments didn’t hold back from sharing what they thought of such behavior and couldn’t emphasize the importance of paying attention to the warning signs enough.
#9 This Beautiful Flower Field Got Trampled By Tourist
Image credits: vinnaznable
#10 In A Very Working Class Neighborhood That Has Been Especially Hard Hit By The Typhoon. How You Have The Nerve To Beg For Money To Fund Your Travels Around Asia Is Completely Beyond Me
Begging for money in a wet market as people around you try to rebuild their shops and lives. I've always hated begpackers, but this is especially infuriating.
Image credits: peteryuill
#11 How On Earth Can You Smile In That Place?
Image credits: MariaRMGBNews
But Iceland is far from the only beautiful place where some tourists can show off their least appealing traits; and they don’t always have to be hazardous to be seriously troublesome. Some visitors are exceptionally aggravating because of how disrespectful they are, especially regarding sites of great cultural or religious significance.
In places like that, it’s especially important to keep in mind that while the site might have no special place in your heart, it does to other people. (Hence the sign saying not to climb it, step on it, or touch it, in most cases.) But unfortunately, some visitors seemingly fail to understand it.
#12 Tourist Unleashed A Confetti Gun Onto The Ephemeral Pools And Petrified Lands Of Snow Canyon State Park
Image credits: snowcanyonstatepark
#13 Tourist Season On
Image credits: desala24
#14 People Who Break Stalactites To Use It As A Souvenir
Image credits: LUFOplayer
Some sites of great significance—be it an historical location, a building, or a natural wonder of some sorts—have earned the title of a World Heritage Site, provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (or UNESCO in short), which entails protection by an international convention administered by the organization.
As of January 2024, we are one heritage site shy of 2000, with the majority of them located in Italy, China, and Germany respectively (based on data from 2021).
#15 Tourist Engraves The Name Of His Girlfriend With Keys On The Colosseum, Rome. He Faces A Fine Of 18,000 Euros. As A Roman, I Wish They Would Ban Him From Rome Forever
Image credits: thoxo
#16 Tourists Disrespect Wild Sea Lion And Invade Its Space. Even When It Tries To Scare Them Off, They Laugh
Image credits: notentirelysane_
#17 Everyone Is Standing In A Semicircle Because Everyone Can Enjoy The Piece Unobstructed? No, They Are Just Making Space For Me
Image credits: Krzyszkot
Despite holding the title of the country with the most World Heritage Sites, Italy is not home to the most popular tourist destination city-wise. According to Euromonitor’s Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, it was Paris in France that attracted the most visitors over the last year, followed by Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Madrid (Spain), Tokyo (Japan), and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) respectively.
#18 Do Not Cross The Line
Image credits: Erythromycin500
#19 "Please Do Not Climb"
Image credits: outdatedopinion
#20 How To Suck At Being A Tourist In Thailand
Image credits: SirMuttley
While tourists flock to cities all over the world, not all of them are equally excited to greet them. According to The Independent, some places, such as Barcelona in Spain, Santorini in Greece, Koh Khai islands in Thailand, and Cinque Terre in Italy, just to name a few, seem to resent tourists for one reason or another. Needless to say, visitors such as the ones on this list do not make their reputation any better; and neither do the ones on this list.
#21 Signs Are Not For Me
Image credits: Luzipher
#22 It's Ridiculous That Someone In Another Country Would Not Learn My Language
Image credits: cienfuegos__
#23 Went To The Beach At Margate And Wish I Hadn't. Is It Because The Council Is Not Putting Bins On The Beach, Or Is It The Visitors' Fault? Either Way, It's A Shame
Image credits: frank_leppard
#24 Naples, FL. Major Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Site. Memorial Day Vacationers Left Their Trash On The Beach For The Turtles To Crawl Through
Image credits: RealisticWoodpecker3
#25 Karen Goes To A Plantation But Doesn't Want To Learn About Slavery
Image credits: Available_Cup_9588
#26 Tourists In Rome Using The Famous Fountain As A Pool And Then Complain When Police Fine Them
Image credits: kardamomo
#27 These Wonderful Tourists In Canyonlands National Park
Image credits: notaexpert
#28 Come On, Mr. Tourist
Image credits: KokoSabreScruffy
#29 These Tourists Thought It Would Be A Good Time To Chase Native Wildlife
Image credits: susantananda3
#30 Putting Your Child Next To Fragile LEGO Buildings Despite Numerous Signs Saying Not To
Image credits: Winterspear
#31 Tourist Told To Stop Being Disrespectful To The Queen's Guard By Armed Police
Image credits: busk1976
#32 Tourists Trampling The Garden For The Perfect Selfie
Image credits: HotAbrocoma
#33 I Want To Speak To The Manager Of France
Image credits: Yadynnus
#34 Jam-Packed Heathrow Airport During Christmas Time. It Gets Worse When You Realize That It’s Disability Priority Seating
Image credits: sharp-scratch-poem
#35 A Transportation History Museum With Carefully Preserved Cars Is Not Your Instagram Photo Stage
Image credits: Left4DayZ1
#36 These Kinds Of People
Image credits: Nosliw05
#37 Entitled Tourists
They had a picnic in front of a geological outcropping, refused to move for geology students trying to survey the region, let their kid deface the cliff, swam on a red flag beach (where swimming is banned), and left their food wrappers and plastic plates on the beach.
Image credits: MadocAbOwain
#38 It Angers Me To No End When You Come To A Beautiful Place And Other Tourists Feel The Need To Leave Their Deliberate Mark On The Local Beauty
Image credits: voyagegourmand
#39 I Live In A Beautiful Place. Or At Least I Did Until My Little Farm Town Became A Tourist Destination. Sure Do Love All The New Campers
Image credits: Pigvalve
#40 This Is So Disrespectful. Don’t Mess With My Mexican People
Image credits: angelalopeze
#41 People On Top Of The Sand Dunes When There Are Multiple Signs Saying Not To Climb On Them. These People Are Pointlessly Destroying Nature
Image credits: bringbackoldreddit1
#42 3 People, 12 Seats
Image credits: zarosen19
#43 Tripadvisor Review Of A Maui Beach
Image credits: reddit.com
#44 No Matter How Many Languages They Use To Warn People Away, Some Will Still Do Whatever They Want
Image credits: will402
#45 Tourist Stealing From A Fountain Where The Money Goes To Upkeep Of The Place And Charity
Image credits: Mimi-Beanie
#46 When Tourists Can't Follow Instructions Near The DMZ
Image credits: translunarinjection
#47 All Of These Pool Chairs That Are "Claimed" But Have Been Empty For The Past Hour While Everyone Else Has To Sit On The Floor
Image credits: friendlyfable
#48 Tourists Climbing And Destroying Cataract Falls Just To Take Selfies Despite All The Signs Saying To Stay Off Of It
Image credits: Bunnysteww
#49 Is Getting The Photo Really That Important
Image credits: Sheri McKernan
#50 Greek And Roman Tourists Left Their Names And Bad Reviews Inside This Egyptian Tomb
Image credits: rayoboone
