"Culture shock"

Can “CULTURE SHOCK”, that we hear about from loved ones who travel to different countries from time to time, from friends around us, hinder our travel plans?

Many of us love to travel and make special plans for this, allocating part of our budget for it. Although we know in advance pleasant details of the trip planned, we leave our houses completely unaware of potential problems. The road is long, and the travel is short... Of course, during such a short recreation, different cultures, nature's caprices are able to make our travel “unforgettable”. Although we are helpless against the nature's caprices, the “Culture shock” caused by different cultures should not frighten the travel lovers. The “Culture shock” is natural psychological process that every person encounters, experiences deeply or superficially in his/ her life. New environment, new language, new people, new place, new nature, roads that we have not seen or known before can cause certain tension and anxiety.

Long-term experience shows that the culture shock is more often observed among the people travelling primarily for educational purposes or as part of individual travel. Language, religion, social conditions lead the tourists to emotional disorders in different forms till the end of the adaptation period. Considering that even small changes in our lives are able to make huge difference, facing completely different culture is able to contribute to moral distress. What awaits us in this shock and crisis period?

"Feeling lonely
Acute sensory changes
Loss of appetite
Feeling bored
Unreasonable anxiety and sadness
Anxiety and desire to cry
Asociality
Attachment, hope, desire for help in relation to others
Irritability towards new culture
Discontent, objections of rebellious nature"

Of course, the above mentioned features may not be observed in the same way in everyone; they are able to appear superficially or deeply, at different levels.

Starting from the moment when initial signs of the culture shock started to make themselves felt, 4-stage period awaits us:

"Observation
Anxiety, worry
Resignation
Return"

Throughout the travel, each stage, along with its characteristic emotions, moving into another stage, becomes part of the travel with us. What makes our guests think the most is the question: “What can we do in order to ensure that our travel is not overshadowed by these negative emotions?” If you are also concerned about this matter, let's take a look at the recommendations you may need:

"It's important to accept before travelling the possibility of potential stress and remind yourself that this is temporary problem.
You should not be shy to ask questions.
There is no need to be afraid of new contacts.
We are not to look for the people with the same culture as us and try to communicate with them.
It shall greatly help us in obtaining in advance sufficiently wide knowledge about local customs, traditions, rules and laws of the geography where we are going to travel. Be sure, if entering a local restaurant in Paris, you greet the staff by saying “Hello” or “Hi” instead of “Bonjour”, you are unlikely to be greeted hospitably. Or, knowing that all the restaurants in New Zealand offer plain water for free shall free you from both financial and physical “burden”. Try to stay away from preconceived thoughts and behaviour towards new culture you faced with."

We hope that the above information and recommendations shall help you to travel the way you want. Let's remind you that the learning with "ERATOUR" team is an advantage. Have a nice trip!