A recent survey of American travelers found that the majority act out of character while on vacation.

Radical Storage, a global luggage storage network, released a survey of 1,231 U.S. travelers in October. The results found that 56.5% experience “tourist syndrome,” which was described as “the greater inclination to misbehave or be rude on vacation.”

The survey’s other findings detailed the types of bad and questionable behavior displayed while vacationing. Surprisingly, 42.5% admitted to breaking the law while on a trip. Moreover, nearly one-third (32.3%) say they’ve inappropriately posed with a statue while away. Additionally, 59.6% of Americans said they tip their standard amount or less while on vacation.

Arguably, one of the more sketchy admissions was that nearly half (49.7%) said they would “play the tourist card” to get themselves out of trouble while away from home.

Another revelation was that 41.3% admitted to cheating on their partner while on vacation.

The survey results claimed men were more likely to break the law on vacation and cheat on their partners than women. Younger generations generally showed more affinity for acting out on a trip than others. Most (72%) of Gen-Z travelers admitted to switching up their behavior on a vacay. For millennials, it was 56.1%.

Interestingly, Baby Boomers came in at 49.1%, while the generation just after them, Gen X, was at 48.6%.

What Else Is There To Know About The Survey On Tourist Syndrome?

Notably, 50% of everyone surveyed said they had been embarrassed by their tourist syndrome behavior. Four in 10, a notable 40.6%, justified their switch up by arguing a vacay “is time to let your hair down and have some fun.”

“Unfortunately, the findings of this survey confirm what we already know,” said Radical Storage Co-founder Giacomo Piva, according to USA TODAY. “The tourism industry may have recovered from the impact of COVID-19, but sadly, the epidemic of bad behavior continues to threaten the future freedom of travel, with anti-tourist protests sweeping Europe.”

“The fact that 56.5% of people admitted to behaving badly and experiencing ‘tourist syndrome’ on vacation shows us that this issue isn’t about the few ruining travel for the many — but the many ruining travel for us all,” Piva highlighted.

What Should I Know About The Survey’s Methodology?

The gender and age of the subjects’ demographics weren’t equally divided. See the breakdown of Radical Storage’s survey subject group below.

Gender

Male (41.6%)
Female (57.5%)
Non-binary (0.7%)

Age

18-27 (14.5%)
28-43 (63.1%)
44-59 (17.2%)
60+ (5.1%)

worst-behaved tourists