Experts on how ‘tourist syndrome’ causes travellers to break the law

After a summer that saw protests against overtourism spread across Europe, a survey has confirmed that people really do behave differently on holiday – and not for the better.

From the British tourist caught carving his name into Rome’s Colosseum to the German woman who stripped naked and interrupted a ritual at a Bali temple, tourists have repeatedly made headlines for shocking behaviour. 

While the extreme stories that make the news are exceptional cases, a new poll appears to show that other types of bad behaviour abroad are more common than we might think.

From cheating on a partner to breaking the law, a recent survey of 1,231 American adults, found that one in two people (56.5 per cent) experience so-called ‘tourist syndrome’, where they act in ways they wouldn’t dare to in their home country. The survey was carried out by travel analysts at Radical Storage, a luggage storage company.

Meanwhile, a separate survey of UK holidaymakers by language learning platform Babbel shows that unruly behaviour can have consequences, with one in five people saying they have ended a friendship because of an argument on holiday and a similar proportion reporting having broken up with a partner over it.

‘A vacation mindset’: What the experts say

Psychotherapist Tina Chummun says that tourist syndrome can be partly explained by people taking on a “vacation mindset” in which hedonism is prioritised for a short period of time. 

Being in a new environment “can create a sense of freedom from societal norms and personal responsibilities,” Chummum, a UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) accredited psychotherapist who is a member of Counselling Directory, says. “This ‘vacation mindset’ often promotes risk-taking behaviours, as individuals perceive fewer consequences for their actions.”

Alcohol and overexcitement is also likely to play a role in tourists letting loose in ways they might not back home, she adds. 

“The anticipation of pleasure … can lead to a focus on short-term gratification, sometimes at the expense of considerate or socially appropriate behaviour.” Crucially, many people drink more alcohol on holiday – which adds to this by “impairing judgement and self-control​”.

Gen Z most likely to behave differently on holiday

Perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘tourist syndrome’ appears to have a generational component, with younger people more likely to admit that they act differently when on holiday than their elders. According to Radical Storage, Gen Z topped the poll with seven in ten 18- 27-year-olds saying they are likely to do so.

Almost half of holidaymakers break the law abroad

A staggering four in ten Americans polled admit to committing a crime on holiday, according to the poll. Of this proportion, a further four in ten claim they wouldn’t have done so in their home country, showing how being abroad appears to affect some tourists’ perception of acceptable behaviour.

Men were most likely to admit to breaking the law while vacationing, with 50.2 per cent saying they had done so compared with 37 per cent of women.

Stealing from hotels and cheating on partners

The overwhelming majority of Americans polled for the survey also admit to taking items from hotels while on a break, with almost nine in ten pocketing items. Most were likely to take food from the breakfast buffet, toiletries, tea and coffee packets, and stationary.

Others see a holiday as a chance for romance – but four in ten admit to doing so despite already being in a relationship, with 46.5 per cent of men and 37.9 per cent of women saying they had cheated on a partner whilst on vacation.