I’d also like it if they had more public bathrooms. 😀

Yes, some very important aspects of travel for sure.

You bring up some really good and valid points!

One thing I find disrespectful are travelers who are “takers” or a drain on the local community.

I recognize that experiencing hospitality in a place with different cultures and customs is one of the main reasons that people travel. So there is definitely a fine line between experiencing and taking advantage of people who are gracious hosts. And there is a fine line between a genuine sharing of meals and conversation and being a ‘tourist’ of the home life/social structure of people who are different from you.

I get frustrated when I see people who are overly reliant on the generosity of others as part of their travel experience – either by design or poor planning. This is particularly offensive to me when the traveler has resources (or opportunities if they weren’t choosing a life of travel) and the hosts don’t. It also chafes when the reason the traveler needs to be more of a taker is that they are making a choice to travel in a way that makes them more “needy,” such as due to mode of transportation (e.g., motorbike or bicycle touring).

I would hope that anyone traveling asks themselves whether they are a net giver or taker in how they interact with other people and other environments across the world.

I’m so glad you had such a great response to what I wrote, and I completely agree with your points. It really isn’t hard to simply be respectful, and most of us want visitors to our home to do the very same thing.

Very true! In some areas popular tourist activities are killing the ecology.

Really sets my teeth on edge when I observe that behavior. It really isn’t difficult to be respectful!