Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Russian tourists' etiquette guide: Beware sweary Greeks, avoid talking royalty in Holland and don't be homophobic

The Russian government has produced cultural sensitivity guidelines for its citizens travelling abroad, including curbing homophobic behaviour

Simon Calder
Travel Correspondent
Monday 27 March 2017 11:11 BST
Comments
With cities like Barcelona (pictured) getting angry with tourist behaviour, Russia has produced a bizarre guide for its citizens abroad
With cities like Barcelona (pictured) getting angry with tourist behaviour, Russia has produced a bizarre guide for its citizens abroad (AFP/Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

What not to say to gay people in France, where to sit on a Swedish bus, and items not to be taken into a Mongolian yurt: Russian tourists now have an online briefing on cultural sensitivity abroad.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow has published some General Elements of Behaviour to help Russians avoid “undesirable incidents” abroad — as well as country-specific advice, which is particularly focused less-than-enlightened attitudes.

In France, Russians are advised “not to address representatives of the LGBT community” with offensive words or gestures.

Across the border in Spain: “Public expression of negative attitudes towards people of non-traditional sexual orientation will not meet with understanding, therefore, one should abstain from it.”

The UK Foreign Office tells British visitors to Russia: “In June 2013 a law banning the promotion of ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ entered into force.”

The Russian guide notes that in Canada, “gay marriage has been legalised for a long time and there is a serious fixation on gender equality”. Accordingly, visitors are advised not to tell off-colour jokes.

The tightrope of cultural sensitivity continues in the Netherlands, where “In conversation, it is better not to question the Dutch about the royal family”.

In Denmark,“it is recommended that you keep distance, avoiding personal matters, income level, work and religion”. And in on buses in Sweden, personal space should be respected: “It is not customary to take places directly next to passengers if there are vacant separate seats.”

Visitors of a sensitive nature might want to avoid Greece, where “Greeks in all walks of life abundantly sprinkle their speech with curses.

Travellers from the West can learn from the online guide. In North Korea, care needs to be taken when taking pictures in rooms where there are portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il: “It is necessary that they be completely placed in the frame.”

In Mongolia, “It is not appropriate to loudly shout and get drunk”. Crucially, though, for anyone visiting the locals in rural areas: “Earthmoving tools introduced into a yurt are a bad omen”.

In 2013, Chinese tourists were provided with a Guidebook to Civilised Tourism, instructing travellers not to pick their noses in public, to keep their nose-hair neatly trimmed and never to use their fingers to pick their teeth.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in