Before traveling to a new country, an experienced traveler will definitely study information about a particular area, customs and mores of its population. This knowledge will be very useful for any tourist. Even if you are not going to leave the hotel and the beach, it may be necessary to contact a resident of those places. And while walking in an unfamiliar city or village, ignorance of local customs can turn into serious troubles.
The best option for any tourist is to take care of an experienced guide in advance for individual walks and group excursions. Modern travel organizations place higher demands on the representatives of this profession, which require versatile knowledge. Ask the guide for a professional certificate confirming his eligibility for this job.
The absence of a language barrier will allow you to easily communicate with the local population. A good guide speaks not only foreign languages, but also different dialects and specific knowledge of the cultural and ethnic characteristics of the country. They will be useful to you, even if you are a polyglot or have visited the state of a language group close to you.
While you are on the territory of a large tourist area, when talking with a local resident, you can not be afraid of anything: the employees of the restaurant, hotel, beach and nearby outlets will be extremely kind to you. In addition, it has its own security service.
However, outside the hotel, ordinary people can be very aggressive - especially in the villages that live only at the expense of serving visitors. For them, you are "rich" and "lazy". According to travelers, there is a tendency: the further you move away from the "serving" territories, the more hospitable the surrounding becomes. But traveling as a “savage” is very risky, even in the most friendly country.
If for any reason you find yourself outside the resort without a guide, follow these simple rules when contacting the locals.
Behave with modesty and restraint, try not to use active gestures. Each country has its own system of gestures. Your seemingly harmless movements may seem extremely indecent and defiant to others.
Try to contact a representative of the same gender and age. The question of a girl to a man (regardless of its content) can be misinterpreted. A conversation between a man and a local woman (especially in a patriarchal country) can lead to serious trouble.
Avoid local temples if they are not part of the official tourist excursion program. Due to ignorance of local customs, it is easy to make a mistake in behavior and even commit sacrilege. Don't try to talk to worshipers.
Look for neutral topics in your conversation. Certain conversations in the country may be taboo or tacitly taboo for political, religious or ethical reasons. In no case speak negatively about the local life and order.
Do not communicate with drunk people and do not look for an interlocutor yourself, being drunk. This rule exists beyond time and spatial boundaries. In a drunken company, you run the risk of running into trouble no matter where you are - in an exotic Asian country, a civilized European city or in Russia, at the time of the celebration of the day of the airborne troops.
The culture of communication in a foreign country is a complex system of traditions and rituals. If you did not have time to master its specifics, observe the universal rules of dialogue - behave as simply, courteously and emphatically benevolently. You have a chance to learn a lot of amazing things about the state and its inhabitants, which cannot be read in any historical books and travel booklets.
