How to Avoid Dressing Like a Tourist

American pride is a wonderful thing, but it’s not always a great idea to show it when you’re overseas. In fact, marking yourself as a tourist is a common way to become a target of thieves. Don’t dress like one.

American flags should be avoided at all costs. They don’t belong on your hat, your shirt, your purse, your jeans or anywhere visible on your body. Nothing screams “ROB ME” like a walking American billboard waltzing through a foreign country. Don’t be that guy.

You should also plan on ditching the fanny pack. Yeah, they’re convenient if not silly looking, but there are better alternatives. For instance, you could wear a money belt or pouch that’s small enough to fit under your shirt instead of a big hulking pack around your waist.

That camera around your neck is also a liability. If possible, place it in your backpack or purse if you’ve brought either of those along.

It’s also a good idea to avoid sporting a sombrero, or any other cliché form of dress from whichever country you might be in. Foreigners don’t tend to actually wear those stereotypical pieces of clothing Americans seem to love to wear. You’re standing out, and for all the wrong reasons.