Webster added 630 words to its dictionary in 2023. We would like to suggest one more: “Touron.”
Idiot tourists have become an unfortunate fact of life in the digital age – you might even say they’re part of the zeitgeist.
From Yellowstone to Bali, not a week goes by without a Turon earning scorn for harassing wildlife or damaging a sacred site. Of course, idiot tourists are nothing new: in 1930, even the Prince of Wales was among the hordes of tourists climbing the Egyptian pyramids.
But then you could avoid it. Today that kind of no-no will put you in jail. Here’s what you need to know to keep your vacation from going viral.
Yokels in Yellowstone
With 4.5 million annual tourists, Yellowstone is the fourth most visited national park. Because of their bad behavior the “Torons of Yellowstone” Instagram account now has nearly 550,000 followers.
Last August, a visitor, carrying a baby, thought it would be wise to run after a mother bear and her two cubs. Then in April, a drunken Idaho man decided it would be fun to drunkenly kick the butt of a bison, North America’s largest land mammal. Not to be shocked, another tourist made headlines in June for relaxing on a ranch with a herd of bison – which have been known to maul and even kill humans for whatever it’s worth May or may not.
“For herbivores like moose, elk, deer, bison, etc., you should stay at least 25 yards away,” Yellowstone guide Bo Welden told The Post. “Stay 100 yards away from bears and wolves.”
They also have no patience for cars that stop for darshan in the middle of the road.
“All four tires must be off the road to keep traffic moving.”
And packing bear spray? This is not a suggestion, it is a sign of respect. This not only keeps you safe, but also keeps the bears safe.
“I can’t tell you how many people I see on trails without bear spray,” Weldon said.
Another tip: bear spray in a backpack is useless. You have to keep it on your hip. With bears capable of reaching up to 40 mph, not even Usain Bolt is safe.
“I can’t tell you the number of people I see on the trails without bear spray.”
Yellowstone Guide Bo Welden
Finally, keep your hands, feet, and all parts of your body out of Yellowstone’s more than 10,000 hydrothermal features.
In September, a 60-year-old New Hampshire woman was airlifted out of Yellowstone — a cheap way to get a bird’s-eye view of the park — for treatment of third-degree burns resulting from breaking rules and wandering off. trail.
And in 2016, a 23-year-old Oregon man dissolved in an acidic pool while trying to find a suitable place to soak.
Soaking, swimming, and boiling eggs in Yellowstone’s hot springs (which one Turan actually tried to do) are all prohibited.
Idiot in Italy
In 2023, Italy welcomed 60 million tourists, including many immigrants who might regret coming. Last summer, in two separate incidents, a 27-year-old Bulgarian fitness instructor and a Swiss teenager were caught on camera carving their names into the Colosseum.
The Trevi Fountain also did not skate by without damage. In July, a baby boomer had to be spoken to sternly after visiting the world’s most famous fountain to fill up his water bottle.
Last month, two nitwits – a Dutch kid with a Sharpie and a Kazakh who was embracing his inner Michelangelo – were detained after defacing Herculaneum and Pompeii, both UNESCO World Heritage sites.
But Daniel Toniolo, an Italian tour guide with Jave Travel, said you don’t need to damage an ancient site to warrant a serious look.
“Outrageous attire, noisy and unruly behavior and an overall lack of respect may be viewed by locals as equally disruptive,” he told The Post.
To avoid participating in tours, Toniolo recommends opting for periodic tours.
Bozos in Bali
All you need to visit Bali is a valid visa. But soon, “Island of the Gods” may add “having two brain cells” to its list of admission requirements.
This paradoxical paradise attracts 5.2 million annual tourists, many of whom arrive bewildered and leave bewildered. Things have gotten so bad that last summer, the government issued a list of dos and don’ts for tourists — including not riding a scooter like you’re on a suicide mission.
In April, an Australian on the Bintang bender made headlines when he was detained in a mini-mart during a citizen’s arrest. A video of a British tourist baptizing himself in a decorative bowl of flowers at a five-star hotel in June has already been viewed nearly 70 million times. As of September, more than 150 tourists have been deported so far this year and nearly 200 more remain in detention awaiting deportation, according to a government report.
Bali expat Dennis Baron says becoming a respectable tourist in Bali is no rocket science.
“Don’t go to a temple in a bikini, wear a crash helmet on a motorcycle and don’t even think about drugs,” she told The Post.
In July, a 49-year-old tourist narrowly escaped the mandatory death penalty in Bali for drug trafficking. Acting on a tip, officers raided his hotel room, finding 3.15 grams of meth in his toothpaste tube. Instead of facing the firing squad, the father of two will be given an extended leave of 4 months in Indonesian rehabilitation.
