It’s wise to be wary when customs vary
Research the differences in social norms before visiting new countries and cultures
Canadian travellers are generally regarded as being polite, courteous and respectful of the customs of countries they visit.
While Canada’s multicultural heritage and proximity to a superpower may have something to do with it, we are not immune to saying or doing the wrong things when travelling abroad.
Attitudes about appearance, dress, religion, politics, gender and sexual orientation, and a variety of practices involving traditional customs and etiquette, from the culinary to personal hygiene, can differ from one country or region to another.
What may seem humorous or trivial in one part of the world can be taken as disrespectful, malicious and even criminal in another and that’s reason enough for us to be aware of the cultural differences in the places we visit.
With the help of legal experts from the law firm Cooney and Conway, a team of content and outreach members at Digital Third Coast, a Chicago-based digital-marketing agency, created a guide titled “11 Countries to Visit with Caution.”
The guide outlines the precautions travellers should take when they visit certain countries.
“It comes down to education and respect,” Kyle Olson, the agency’s senior content manager, says. “You can’t be fully respectful unless you know about the country you visit and the customs of its people.
“You want to be as equipped as possible if you’re travelling to an area for the first time, because you don’t know what to expect at the street level. You can do your research and still find yourself in a situation where you might unknowingly be disrespectful.”
Olson points out the guide doesn’t have all the answers, as it has been intended as a starting point to motivate people to learn about the places they’re planning to visit.
“I would urge people to consume this information, but also delve deeper to find more information because there are nuances and circumstances that can pop up,” he says. “You can do all the research, but you will learn more from people who live there, or before you go by speaking to someone from the area or someone who has been there before. It would be a failure on your part if you got into trouble because you didn’t realize you were being disrespectful.”
With the world at our fingertips via online searches, learning about the customs, attitudes and laws of the places we go to has never been easier.
The guide lists 11 countries travel- lers are urged to “visit with caution.”
Here are some examples of what you should be wary of doing:
You may be allowed to have marijuana with a prescription in parts of Canada and the U.S., but in most countries you could be thrown into jail for possessing it, and while alcohol is sold all over the world it is illegal in some Muslim states, as are same-sex relations.
Taking photographs at or near government and military sites, wearing camouflage clothing or a face covering in public or at demonstrations is illegal in some countries, as is criticizing some nations’ leaders, royalty or religions.
Public displays of affection, drunkenness, obscene and obnoxious behaviour can land you in hot water, as can hamming it up for pictures at sombre or sacred places and shrines, such as a war memorial or former concentration camp.
Singapore has strict rules regarding chewing gum and you can be fined up to $100,000 and face prison time for bringing it into the country or for selling it.
When you arrive at a destination and you’re unsure about local customs, asking a concierge, hotel staff, a local proprietor or a cab driver for clarification can spare you embarrassment, or worse.
The Travel Advice and Advisories section of the Government of Canada’s website lists the laws and cultural practices of countries and regions around the globe, as well as important information regarding security, climate and health conditions, as well as entry and exit requirements.
Things to be wary of include:
Attire: Wearing flip-flops, ball caps, cut-off jeans, halter or tank tops, or showing too much skin in restaurants, shops and other public places is considered disrespectful in many regions. Wearing shoes indoors may be a common practice in many places, but just as many frown upon it.
Eating: In some countries, eating outside of someone’s home or a dining establishment, and eating on public transit, is frowned on. The culinary pride of some regions can be denigrated by asking for ketchup or other condiments to certain dishes. Refusing the offer of food is a sign of disrespect in some Arab countries.
Tipping: While it’s customary here, it is considered an insult and demeaning in some Asian countries, such as Japan and Korea, where the great pride taken in preparing and serving food requires no more than a thank you, a smile or nod of approval. Tipping cab drivers and porters is a universally accepted practice.
Gestures: Hands in your pocket, flashing a thumbs-up sign and even using your left hand (considered the toilet hand in parts of the world) to eat or greet in some African, Middle Eastern and East Asian countries is considered vile and insulting. While a controlled grin or chuckle is acceptable, a wide open-mouth hee-haw is ill-mannered in some cultures.
Physical contact: We may hug when greeting friends here, but putting the big squeeze on some folks in China, Thailand, Korea and the Middle East puts them off. Handshakes are also not a popular universal greeting and in some societies just touching someone can be physically intimidating, ditto for kissing someone you are not intimate with or related to. Email Henry Stancu at hstancu@thestar.ca.