Tourfolio

More than 24,000,000 million Americans travel overseas each year to countries such as Mexico, Italy, Jamaica, Greece or Costa Rica. The problem is that a majority of us American’s are beyond easy spot! This can make locals treat us differently or even worse we increase the chances of endangering our safety.

Flickr.com (Photo taken by Ed Yourdon)

1. Americans love their sports and don’t mind expressing their favorite teams when traveling overseas. I cringe when spotting tourists wearing New York Yankee hats walking around famous landmarks such as the Roman Coliseum or the Arc de Triomphe. It’s probably best to leave sporting regalia at home and pack a bit more dressy clothing to fit in with the locals.
2. This is a tough one to for most Americans to avoid but research studies have shown that over 60% of American’s are obese (as defined by health specialists). Americans are constantly bombarded with highly processed foods, over sized portions and pounds of sugar. It’s a bit tough to hide if you are trying to fit in with the locals but your weight could be a big hint to your American ties.
3. I personally think that the easiest way to spot an American tourist is to look down at their shoes. If a tourist is wearing white athletic shoes then you probably spotted an American. Rarely will you see locals wearing white athletic shoes in public as their true purpose is for sports.
4. The most hideous fashion look for Americans (other than the fanny pack) is wearing shorts with socks that come up their calf. It’s just ugly. I can’t say much more about it. This can also be worsened by wearing Crocs or other sandals with any type of sock.
5. Chewing gum might help you ‘pop’ your ears when adjusting to the pressurization of air travel but you will not see many locals of a foreign country chewing gum in public. It can be perceived as being rude as you might just spit it out on the ground as this is common in America.
6. Don’t always speak English when traveling overseas. Try to use a few local words or phrases even if you can’t nail down the accent. If you are in Mexico say ‘Gracias’ instead of ‘Thanks’ or ‘Hej’ instead of ‘Hi’ when visiting Sweden. Americans are sometimes taken as being ignorant for not trying to speak other languages. I know we are patriot to our country but it doesn’t mean we should disrespect other countries by not trying even a little bit to speak their language.
7. The stereotypical ‘fanny pack’ just screams out “I’m an American!” If you want to help the global image of America, please do your part and leave your fanny pack at home. There are other options such as the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Deluxe Security Belt for carrying passports, wallets and other small items. This can also help lower your chances of being pickpocketed as thieves will not have easy access to it compared to the fanny pack.
8. Avoid making ‘charitable’ donations to beggars or gypsies that you spot throughout cities but mostly near popular tourist locations. Many will argue that the money given to these beggars goes straight to crime families and does not better the life of the person you are trying to help. It’s upsetting to see people in this situation but you will notice that not many locals will be helping out either.
9. I think it’s just hardwired but I feel like Americans are always asking strangers “How are you doing?“ during moments of interaction. Do we really care? Probably not so much. When traveling overseas try to refrain from always asking this type of question as it is not typical.
10. Many American appeal items can be purchased overseas due to their global reach but it doesn’t mean you will fit in with the locals. So that means there is a good chance a person is American if they are wearing Old Navy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Gap clothing. This also includes any clothing items that are tying you to a specific location like “New Jersey: Only the Strong Survive” or “Laid Back in Southern Cali”.

To our readers: What other traits do American’s have that make them easy to spot?