As you set off on your travels, you will do endless hours of research. You look at what country to visit, research the tourist attractions, find great hotel deals, and so on.
When you’ve made up your mind, more effort goes into researching the best way to get to your chosen destination. Which flights are the cheapest? Will you need to get taxis or public transport to the airport?
All of this is part of good preparation for your trip, so nothing comes as a surprise. However, you might forget about one very important piece of research: the country’s culture. Doing some cultural research before traveling is essential, and here’s why:
Understand any unique laws
Some countries have laws centered around cultural beliefs. For instance, let’s say you are planning on visiting Saudi Arabia. You’ve been looking for Madinah cheap hotels near Haram, and you’re also interested in visiting the capital city, Riyadh. You spent loads of time researching this, but were you aware of some local laws? In this country, it’s illegal to photograph government buildings or palaces. Some ancient Mosques and places of worship are also only open to Muslims, meaning you could be kicked out if you wander inside. Many other countries have cultural laws like this, so always do some research to avoid a run-in with the local authorities.
Avoid offending the locals
It’s critical to understand a country’s culture if you want to be a good tourist. There are too many examples of people around the world offending local residents because they don’t know any better. It’s a big issue in countries like Japan, which have certain cultural rules. These aren’t laws, but they can be seen as offensive if you don’t follow them. For instance, if you don’t take your shoes off when entering certain restaurants or hotels, you will get some really bad looks from the locals. Think about gestures too; a kind gesture in one culture may be an obscene one in others. You may think you’re being nice by giving someone a thumbs up, but it could be extremely offensive.
Gain a new appreciation for the country
Aside from accidentally breaking laws or offending a nation, cultural research also helps you gain a new appreciation for the country you’re visiting. If you learn about different cultures, then the way people act or certain elements of a country may make more sense. You understand why people do specific things or follow principles because you’re read about it. This opens your eyes to a whole new experience and can turn a bad vacation into a good one. If you go in blind, you could miss little things and won’t truly appreciate the country as a whole.
In all honesty, cultural research should be done before you visit a new country. Especially if you are going somewhere that’s completely different from where you live. Traveling from the US to the UK won’t throw up huge cultural differences, so this isn’t as big of an issue. But if you wish to go further afield to other countries around the world, it helps to learn more about the people.
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