The saying new year, new you means that you have to stop your corrupt practices—that includes your bad travel habits! Whether you are guilty of these or not, it’s time to get to know these annoying travel habits and avoid them.

After all, bad habits may only create bad experiences for you and the people around you. So here are easy ways on how you can break bad Filipino travel habits this 2020.

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1. Stop being tardy

The concept of Filipino time is always negative. It means starting an event late or arriving for a meetup a few to too many minutes later. For other travelers and even nationalities, this habit can be extremely rude. Particularly in Japan, being late is frowned upon as you are showing that you have no respect for other people’s valuable time.

Practice being on time, especially when you’re on tour. Show your respect for other people by being in the meeting place at least 5 to 11 minutes early. In this way, you also wouldn’t miss great traveling opportunities like making new friends!

2. No prior research

Some Filipino travelers fail to research their destination before going there. Others don’t read about the societal norms and practices of the country, or even bother learning the basics of the country’s language. Some may also act like the locals should be grateful that they are visiting.

Be a smart and responsible traveler and do a travel destination research before leaving the country. It takes a lot of effort to learn the brief history, practices, or the proper greetings, but trust us; it will all be worth it. After all, this shows you know your boundaries and responsibilities as a tourist.

3. Being too stingy

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It’s not wrong to find ways on how to book cheap flights. This is a good practice because you are being responsible by having and even sticking to a budget. However, if you only eat sandwiches or biscuits on your tour, then it’s not a good idea.

For an excellent travel experience, go to places that you can afford. Allot enough money to buy local food and souvenirs and experience amazing tours. Also, don’t forget to set aside money for emergencies like unexpected cab or additional baggage fares.

4. Turning into a social climber

With all the exciting travel trends in 2020, millennials, in particular, will be hyped to book a flight. Not all people can afford traveling, yet some would want to insist on spending a considerable amount of money to travel. Some Filipinos would want to show off the places they’ve visited on their social media accounts, regardless of the costs.

If you want to travel somewhere, save up for it. Don’t resort to extreme measures like borrowing money to go. Or better, stop following people who may make you feel like an inferior traveler—because you're not!

5. Too quick to judge

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When you experience something bad in another country, your go-to reaction might be to compare the situation to what you experience back home. Some Filipinos are quick to voice out how certain things can be better in their country, compared to the ones abroad.

You might hear some Filipino travelers say, “The beaches are more beautiful in the Philippines” or “The food is better in the Philippines!” Have some sense of maturity and take the experience as something new. Always visit a country or place without any preconceived notions or judgment based on your previous traveling experiences.

6. Taking an excessive amount of selfies

Commonly seen among millennials, they take too many pictures out of everything! This is especially true for millennial Filipino travelers, whose top priority is to post photos of their activities on social media. Although you are just capturing the moment, this could be seen as very rude by the locals and even by other travelers.

Focus on the experiences rather than documenting it through photos. Also, set up your camera for quick bursts of photos, then take them out again later if you want to capture more memorable moments.

7. Subjecting others to discrimination

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Some Filipinos complain of discrimination in other countries, yet are so quick to subject others as well. Commenting on the smell of a particular food, how dirty the place is, or making inappropriate jokes about other nationalities are some of the things Filipinos do often. This could be hurtful, not to mention rude.

Avoid making rude comments or insulting jokes, especially when you are traveling in another country. As a traveler, you must understand that their food and their practices are something you must respect.

8. No respect for laws

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Whether you are aware of the country’s laws or not, you should follow them. Any tourist or traveler should be sensitive enough to be familiar with the country’s laws. Also, it’s a huge travel risk to pay fees or get reprimanded by authorities abroad for breaking the law.

Take for example Singapore strict laws regarding everything, even the littlest of things. Did you know that you can get arrested by just chewing gum? Or did you know that you not flushing the toilet can leave you with a hefty fine? Again, do your research. Then, keep those laws in mind when you go to your travel destination.

9. Voicing out bad things about our country

Some Filipinos who get to travel abroad will say how great other countries’ social infrastructure and lifestyle are. For example, the country has better transportation, government, health services, and just better everything. Then, other Filipinos would follow these praises with complaints of how bad life in the Philippines is.

While it’s true that our country has its flaws, we must not always speak badly about it. Whether you are a frequent traveler in and outside of the country, you know that good things also happen in the Philippines. Think about the other good things you enjoy in our country. Speak of those instead, and take pride in them.

10. Transacting currency exchange at airports

Let’s face it; airport currency exchange isn’t the smartest and cheapest option for travelers. Aside from service charges, currency exchange rates in airports are more expensive than standard bank rates.

Don’t get sucked into the convenience of going to an airport currency exchange stall. Whether you forgot or you were too busy, always make time to exchange local currencies in reputable stores or banks.

11. Overpacking your bag

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Filipinos are always prepared—maybe even too prepared. Ever seen an airport situation where a passenger is forced to open his/her bag and unpack just fit the scale? Yup, we’ve all seen that. Avoid this embarrassing situation by only packing what you need.

Find the right balance between necessities and extra things like things for emergencies. Always make sure your bags are within check-in limit and that your carry-on will fit the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.

There you have it, some bad Filipino travel habits you can break this 2020. It’s not always too late to try. If you’ve ever done any of these annoying travel habits, today is the perfect moment to break them. Practice being a responsible and respectful Filipino traveler, and influence others to be one, too!

11 Bad Filipino Traveler Habits You Need to Break for 2020