Navigating unfamiliar norms and cultures can be very difficult, especially if you don’t want to offend anyone or ruin your trip. For example, in some Asian countries it is considered impolite to point with the index finger.
In order for your trip to go smoothly, it’s important that you understand a list of cultural mistakes to avoid.
Reporting from Brightside, here are 10 cultural mistakes you should avoid when traveling abroad.
1. Showing collarbone and shoulders in South Korea
In South Korea, exposing the collarbone and shoulders in public is considered too revealing. This is due to their cultural belief that showing a lot of skin is inappropriate and disrespectful. However, wearing short skirts is socially acceptable.
2. Tipping in Japan
In some countries, it has become commonplace to tip waiters in restaurants. But in Japanese culture, service is an integral part of the job, and tipping is not required to show appreciation.
In fact, this can be seen as a sign of disrespect, as it implies that the person providing the service expects extra money rather than doing their job proudly.
