One tourist had a close call on Train Street this week. Screenshot photo

AF Reeves - @afreeves23

First they came for the tourists… oh, wait, nobody has ever said that. Tourists are, or rather, can be annoying. I should know, I was one, here, and still am in a variety of other countries where the local populace has to tolerate me for a couple of days or weeks. Other than my first trip to Thailand back in 2014, when I overindulged, got completely lost and emotional, and had to be guided back to my hostel in the early hours by a friendly monk, I don't think I've embarrassed myself too badly. Though my friends may recall different versions of events.

Outside of the usual hostel-dwelling Wonderwall warblers or opioid-buzzed tubing tour operators in Vang Vieng, I don't recall offending too many people either. More selective memory perhaps, but I've certainly tried my best to be a 'good tourist', whatever that means. I would like to think there was some universal understanding that when you're abroad, you're representing your country and culture as much as yourself. Then I remember the term 'Brits Abroad' and shudder at recollections of my fellow countrymen urinating publicly or raising their voices as though the language barrier is actually composed of decibels rather than vocabulary. Ergh.

I'm hesitant to paint any particular group with any particularly broad strokes as I'm a strong believer in the fact that we make our own choices every day in how we treat others, holiday or not. Yet there do seem to be some nations that travel better than others. It could well be due to some more nationalistic or insular nations preaching the politics of exceptionalism, or it could just be a mismatch in cultural values. Either way, it should be equally as important to treat individuals, tourists included, with respect and dignity as it is for tourists to respect the culture of the country they're visiting and conduct themselves in a proper fashion.

So, whether it be rowdy Brits, loud Americans, impatient Indians or a young Chinese woman nearly getting her head taken off by a moving train, I think we can agree that it's almost always the rudest and daftest of folk that gains the most attention and contributes most heavily to unwanted stereotypes. They don't represent the average person and our countries shouldn't be judged on the behaviour of an embarrassing minority. This is something we should all keep in mind the next time we're tempted by prejudice.

Now, whether you or I particularly like tourists from here, there or anywhere is beside the point. One thing Việt Nam, or at least its government, believes is that there is a tourism problem. Research from 2019 and as recent as 2024 shows Việt Nam as having an international tourist return rate of less than 10 per cent, which, when compared to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia at over 80 per cent respectively, seems pretty dismal. While we 'expats' bemoan and avoid tourists even more so than the local population, tourism is hugely important to Việt Nam's economy and the government has clear targets on the issue.

As for our visitors, personally I find nothing more insufferable than people overly embracing the Bourdainism of 'be a traveller, not a tourist'. It's absolutely fine to be a tourist, just don't be a bad one. VNS