Travel is meant to broaden your mind and help you appreciate the world more. More than 1.5 billion international tourists traveled abroad in 2025. However, not everyone is a respectful sightseer. Some travelers are so entitled and obnoxious that they annoy both the locals and genuinely decent tourists. And they deserve to be (not so) gently shamed online.
Our team at Bored Panda has curated this list of photos taken by people who encountered ignorant and disrespectful tourists abroad. They’re painful to look at, but they’re a great reminder of how never to behave.
#1 Yet Another Disrespectful Tourist
Image source: Anonymous participant
#2 On Holocaust Memorial Day Let’s Remember To Teach The Next Generation To Respect Solemn Historical Sites And Not Every Photo Should Be A “Fun” Shot
Image source: travelswithshari
#3 Most Normal Tourist At The Art Institute
Image source: kurt_46
Travel, as an industry, is massive. It is one of the most competitive markets in the world.
The BBC reports that more than 1.5 billion international tourists traveled abroad last year.
Meanwhile, Statista puts this number at 1.47 billion.
With the number of tourists so mind-bogglingly big, no matter how many perfectly kind adventurers you spot, some individuals are inevitably bound to behave, err, less than decent.
#4 Disrespectful Tourists In DC-3 Plane Wreck
Today, my mates and I went to the DC-3 plane wreck, and it was amazing. However, there was a group of Chinese tourists standing on the plane’s structure. We told them that the rules were written at the entrance, but they intentionally ignored us. I don’t understand how hard it is to respect the environment. Hopefully not until penalties are introduced.
Image source: reddit.com
#5 Kerið Crater, Iceland. Don’t Walk On The Ice
Image source: Invicti8660
#6 This Kind Of Tourists
Image source: realhonestguide
According to Statista, travel and tourism contributed a jaw-dropping 10.9 trillion dollars to the global economy in 2024.
Furthermore, leisure tourism spending worldwide that year reached a whopping 5.7 trillion dollars.
#7 Today On: Tourists In Tokyo. These Tourists Left Their Actual Underwear On The Tables, I Pray They Were Drying Clean Laundry
Image source: Haxist27
#8 Usual Disrespectful Tourist
Image source: fBizk
#9 It’s A Tourist Attraction, But I Think It’s Disgusting. The Gum Wall In Seattle
Image source: be4u4get
In terms of the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP by country, the United States and China lead the travel markets worldwide.
However, France continues to be the destination with the highest number of inbound tourists worldwide. This was true both before the pandemic and after it.
For example, Paris, the capital of France, has one of the most visited museums around the globe, the Louvre. In 2024 alone, an impressive 9 million people visited the museum.
#10 Where Are You Manners?
Image source: FlipMensan
#11 Central Park, NYC
Image source: Gorgulax21
#12 U-S-A
Image source: rinnieangel
Meanwhile, the BBC stresses that Europe remains the world’s most visited region. In 2025, the continent welcomed nearly 800 million arrivals. That’s 6% more than the previous year.
However, trends are changing.
Other destinations have seen gigantic surges in popularity recently. For instance, Brazil saw arrivals grow by a massive 37% in 2025. Egypt boasted a surge of 20%, Ethiopia got 15% more arrivals, Bhutan recorded 30% growth, and the Seychelles saw a 13% increase.
#13 Personal Space
Image source: muffinlady90
#14 These Tourist Literally In The Middle Of The Road
For those who don’t know, this is a highway in Monument Valley, Arizona, and the reason it’s popular is because of the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, in which they filmed a scene here. However, there are so many people just walking and standing in the middle of the road, treating it like a sidewalk.
Image source: Dry-Sympathy-3182
#15 Peacock
Image source: mugsandcoveve
“These countries fall into a growing category of high-identity, emerging destinations that are no longer niche but not yet saturated.
“More travellers are now drawn to distinctive culture, landscapes and the possibilities of discovery, so countries with a strong identity and decent access are clear winners,” Steven Vigor, CEO of travel advisory firm Revigorate, explained to the BBC.
#16 Why Bother Innocent People?
Image source: poquitopochita
#17 Opened Her Purse And Tried To Stuffing Duck Into It
Image source: spencerjustsaid
#18 Driving On The Wrong Side Of The Road
Image source: Necessary_Eagle_3657
Most of the things that you should avoid doing as a tourist are simple to grasp, common-sense ideas. They revolve around treating other people the way that you want to be treated. Ideally, this means being respectful, kind, polite, empathetic, friendly, and humble.
And yet, some folks think that social rules and local laws don’t apply to them, so they end up behaving in shameful, even damaging ways that cause secondhand embarrassment.
#19 TikTok Dances
Image source: reddit.com
#20 Farang Doing Farang Things. Seriously?
Image source: Mikem1671
#21 Start Fights
Image source: Harmalin
Significant behavioral change won’t happen overnight. But it starts with more self-awareness. You have to be willing to think about how your behavior impacts the people around you.
In other words, you have to be willing to admit that you’re not as perfect as you might think, that the world doesn’t owe you anything, and that you may need to grow and improve as a human being.
#22 The World Would Be An Immensely Better Place With An Increase In Both Self-Awareness And Situational Awareness
Image source: sprknl
#23 Petting Zoo
Image source: AnybodySeeMyKeys
#24 She Owns Kyoto, It’s Her World And We Are Living In It
Image source: Lunarshine69
However, not every tourist can realize these things in a vacuum. They need friendly but firm feedback from their family and friends, locals, and fellow travellers about what they’re doing wrong and why it’s disrespectful.
The key when criticising someone is to judge the behavior, not the person themselves. If the horrendous tourist feels attacked or demeaned, they might get defensive and refuse to change.
That being said, there also need to be consequences for disruptive actions. If someone breaks the law or is culturally inappropriate, they need to understand that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
#25 French Speaking Tourists At Eilean Donan Yesterday Being Obtusely Disrespectful
Image source: Cramitinniceandtight
#26 For A Photo
Image source: littlemissemperor
#27 Thanksgiving In London
Image source: expectedBehaviour
Once you’ve looked through the entire list and upvoted the pics that you loved to hate the most, we’d like to turn the conversation over to you, Pandas.
What are the most annoying, obnoxious, and rude tourists that you’ve ever had the ‘pleasure’ of seeing abroad? How did you react to them?
What countries and cities have you recently visited as a tourist? What’s your next travel destination? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
#28 Peak Tourist Behaviour At London Bridge
Image source: Wise-Pig
#29 Selfie With A Black Man
Image source: gayscout
#30 Tourists In Iceland Ignoring Signs
Image source: RatzzDE
#31 There Is A Reason Why They Hide The Accurate Actual Artifacts/Relics/Evidence
Image source: yeerk_slayer
#32 This Tacky And Disrespectful Tourist We Saw At The Ancient Ruins Of Ephesus
Image source: westwithat
#33 A Tourist Of 17y Carved The Name ‘Julian’ Into A 1,200-Year-Old Unesco World Heritage Temple In Nara
Image source: odezza27
#34 Goofy
Image source: Far-Patient-2247
#35 Stealing
Image source: manbearnoodle
#36 Finds Out Euros Aren’t Optional
Image source: civilizer
#37 Vatican
Image source: starburst4243
#38 Australia Is A Fake
Image source: dogbolter4
#39 And I Will Do It Again
Image source: Baileymoon15
#40 Trashing
Image source: nutsandboltstimestwo
#41 Clip Toe Nails
Image source: Secret-Gap-5472
#42 Signs Weren’t In English In Paris
Image source: notonemyself
#43 Language
Image source: angryboy
#44 Photoshoot Studio
Image source: Clean_Drop2584
#45 In A Full Train (Europe), Some Americans Thinking Their Luggage Needs To Have A Seat Too
Image source: reddit.com
#46 Bus Seats
Image source: Green_fearless08
#47 Escalators
Image source: Anaptyso
#48 Dump Ashes
Image source: Cheese_and_krakens
#49 Tourists Tie Trash To The Brooklyn Bridge. It Looks Terrible And It Ends Up Falling Into The East River
It started with “love locks”, which are also bad for the bridge. In 2016, a cable snapped under the weight of the locks. Tourists started tying whatever they had with them to the fencing, including hair ties, tissues, receipts, napkins, plastic bags, panties, bracelets, hair clips, tampons, and more.
Image source: exc3113nt
#50 Get Into A Fountain
Image source: SingzJazz
#51 Be Safe Please
Image source: Fanfathor
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