You Are an Ambassador When You Travel

People are watching you.? They are forming opinions.? You might be in port for a day, but the impressions you leave behind last forever.? When you travel, you are an unofficial ambassador for your home country.

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One of our friends travelled to Europe regularly.? She explained this concept and laid out the logic.? Around the world, there are many people who have not met Americans firsthand.? Their opinions of America and its citizens are formed by what they hear on their news channels or the programs they see on television.? In some countries news reporting may be balanced while in others, it might be biased.? TV programs are an entirely different story.? Imagine if your opinion of Americans was formed by watching episodes of the Real Housewives series and its spinoffs!? If you watched the CBS series FBI, you might conclude all New York City streets are unsafe.

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When you walk off a cruise ship and make your way into town, you will encounter shopkeepers and restaurant personnel.? How you present yourself delivers a message about what real Americans are like.

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1.????? Dress well.? You are on vacation.? Naturally you will be relaxed.? It might be hot and humid.? Try to be presentable.? This pays dividends in unexpected ways.? The person at the host station at the restaurant will make decisions about where to sit you.? We have found if you dress well, you are often given a window table, helping create the image that this is a classy place.? If you need to interact with the police, being well dressed helps. Although plenty of TV programs showcase bad social behavior, classic TV series like “Hart to Hart” show the characters as always well dressed.

2.????? Tip well and tip often.? When traveling overseas we try to always leave money for the housekeeping person who cleans our hotel room.? We hand out additional tips in white envelopes on the ship too.? In restaurants onshore we try to tip in cash.? We tip, even if the culture does not require it.? This delivers the message Americans are generous.

3.????? Treat everyone as equals.? America has been described as a classless society for many years.? The image people in the country you are visiting might be different if they watch a lot of TV.? It might appear the US has two extremes: The very rich and the people who are just getting by.? In some cultures, people only associate with people just like them.? Engage with people when you meet them in everyday situations.? Our friend explained when traveling in France, when you enter a store, it is customary to say greet the owner upon arrival and say thank you or goodbye when you are leaving.? Making conversation can be seen as a sign of respect.

4.????? Do not be pushy.? I grew up in New York City.? You learn how to work your way through a crowd or manage to get onto a packed subway train.? When traveling in another country, it makes sense to be gracious.? If someone arrives at the cash register at the exact same moment, I usually say: “You might have been first.? Would you like to go before me?”? They will often smile and say “No.? You were first.”? I do this at home too.? TV shows might portray us as rude and impatient, but you can be gracious.

5.????? Be open-minded.? Although you have heard “never discuss religion or politics,” you might find yourself in the situation where they ask questions about American politics.? My former boss traveled to England, visited a pub and had the same experience.? As I recall, he came back and observed “I think these British people think they are allowed to vote in our elections!”? Bear in mind in other countries, news might be skewed. If they have an opinion about something happening in the US, try to present both sides of the issue.? If they talk about an issue in their country, bear in mind some things might be acceptable in their culture that are not done in ours.? Recognize their system might work for them.? Be respectful.

6.????? Do not steal.? ??This might seem like a “no brainer” but it happens.? Some people take bathrobes or hotel towels.? (They have your credit card on file.)? Others might try to leave a restaurant without paying, figuring “I will never go back there again.”? This can create the impression “all Americans” behave that way.

7.????? Smile often.? Smiles are usually well accepted.? It can get other people to smile.? It has even been said if you are making a complaint, smiling softens the moment and relieves tension.? I have made this mistake myself and actually has someone walk up and say: “Why do you look so grumpy?” Smiling communicates you are happy.? You are on vacation!

We tend to form opinions about people based on scant information.? You have heard the expression “I don’t like the looks of that person.”? This can extend to nationalities too.? Try to send the right signals when you travel.? You are an unofficial ambassador for your home country.

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Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.? He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry.? His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.

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