A few of my clients are asking if they’ll encounter negativity toward U.S. tourists abroad because of tariffs and other political conditions. Not only do I think well-behaved travelers (like yourselves) have nothing to worry about, I also think you’ll be surprised and delighted by just how nice people are in most countries. I have been welcomed abroad in several countries so far this year, including Honduras, Scotland, Croatia, Italy and Botswana. Now is actually an important time to be traveling and serving as an unofficial ambassador for our country, I believe. If people have misperceptions about the U.S., you can help rectify them. 

Over the past 100 days, I have not heard any feedback from my clients reporting any negativity toward U.S. citizens during their travels abroad. What I’ve heard instead from my traveling clients is how friendly the locals were. I had clients recently in Ireland – they loved the Irish welcomes they received. Same for clients celebrating a special anniversary in Mexico – they raved about the kindness of the staff at their resort. I had clients return from Paris and their stay was wonderful. The list goes on.

A bigger reason I’m not worried is this: I’ve spent three decades traveling the world, including during periods when, and in places where, there was great disapproval of U.S. policy. During the Persian Gulf War and the second Gulf War, for instance, friends told me to say I was Canadian and pin a maple-leaf flag on my bag. I never did, I was always upfront about being a U.S. citizen—and I never encountered any problem. Why? Because people distinguish between individuals and their governments. Most people around the world don’t like their own government’s actions. They want to make sure you don’t paint them with that brush, which is why they don’t paint you with that brush. If someone were visiting the U.S. from another country, would you blame them for their government’s actions? For example, I’ve recently met many Russians and Ukrainians in my travels throughout Europe and I would never hold them responsible for the actions of their Presidents. You see, people everywhere are the same. We all want happiness and health for ourselves and our families. 

Another reason I’ve always felt safe and stayed safe is that I’ve always traveled privately and inconspicuously. I wear no logos, political or otherwise. I show respect by using local greetings and etiquette. I avoid crowds and demonstrations. I never behave poorly in restaurants or stores – I treat the workers and servers like the humans that they are, showing compassion and a genuine interest in each of them.  

There are more reasons why well-behaved travelers should not be nervous. Most countries—and pretty much everybody in the hospitality business—hugely value U.S. tourism dollars. Americans are known to spend and tip a lot. Service providers want you to have a good time. Finally, I have strong relationships on the ground with tour operators, private drivers, hotel managers and more, that buffer and protect you from problems. They take pride in their country and work hard to ensure that our mutual clients have wonderful experiences when we work together designing your itineraries.

My final suggestions? Don’t put off that trip out of fear of something that is very unlikely to happen. Go and learn about the people, the cultures and the history of our vast Earth. Meet strangers and become friends. Share stories of your families, your homes, your interests and your hobbies. They are as interested to learn about you as you are to learn about them! The more we understand each other, the more barriers we will break across the world and the more compassionate we will become as humans.