There’s something endlessly fascinating about seeing historic things.

Peering into the eyes of a painting or statue made hundreds of years ago, walking through ancient streets that our ancestors would have walked – it’s no surprise history evokes a sense of wonder in us.

But for all of the historical things that have survived the ages, many more have been lost. War, natural disasters, politics, neglect – all of these have caused the destruction, deliberate or not, of many historic sites and objects.

There’s another disturbing force that threatens the integrity of historical sites: the irresponsible tourist.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this article is legal advice and should not be interpreted as such.

The irresponsible tourist

There seems to have been a rise in tourists behaving badly lately. Incidents include spraying graffiti on a medieval church, stealing stones from a centuries old bridge, smashing statues, and carving names into the Colosseum.

All of these actions, and more, are acts of vandalism that ruin the integrity of a historic site – altering them forever.

Now, arguments could be made that this is just another chapter of a site or an object’s history. But the more this occurs, the greater the chance that these places and items no longer look like how they were meant to be seen or are destroyed completely. It’s a loss of the historic record.

I won’t speculate here why tourists are increasingly exhibiting bad behaviors. (Although if you’re interested in learning more, you can check out this study.)

The other extreme

Now, there is the option of not exposing historical sites and objects to tourism. For example, lots of historic places and artefacts survived centuries or even millennia thanks to their hidden nature.

The cave art of Lascaux in France, for example, survived thousands of years because it was forgotten. It was open to tourists only for a few short years before being closed to everyone except a handful of scientists due to the damage that tourism caused (mostly environmental, not mistreatment).

I don’t necessarily advocate closing a site off completely (although in the case of Lascaux, it is justified). If we all follow a few simple tips, we can enjoy these historic sites for years to come.

Here are some ways you can be part of the solution to help keep historic items safe:

Tips for being a responsible tourist

1. Respect

This one word can sum up the entirety of how to be a responsible tourist: RESPECT.

Respect isn’t just a catchy Aretha Franklin song.

Respect the history of the site you’re at or the object you’re seeing. Respect what that site or object might mean to others. Respect the people who probably worked hard to create it.

Respect it and you’ll treat it the way it deserves to be treated.

2. Don’t touch

It’s actually a very human compulsion to touch things; it’s part of how we gather information.

But did you know our hands naturally contain oils? It doesn’t matter how much you wash your hands; it’s a natural part of our physiology.

Have you ever seen a statue whose color looks like it might be out of place? Think of a part of a stone statue that’s darker than the rest of the statue, or a metal object that is shiny in one part while the rest of it is matte?

What caused that discoloration is the oil from the hands of people touching it. Over time, it not only changes the color, it can also cause corrosion.

Of course, some items are designed to be touched. But when in doubt, it’s best to take advice from our kindergarten teachers and keep our hands to ourselves.

And it’s not just touching something with our hands that can ruin it.

When I was at an ancient gravesite in Ireland, the guide pointed out a millennia-old burial mound that had collapsed because a group of tourists decided to stand on top of it for a group photo. The mound is now artificially propped up with metal jacks.

3. Leave things where they are

I get it; we all like souvenirs. Heck, I’m a souvenir hound myself.

I know we all want the perfect keepsake. The temptation is to take something from the actual site we’re visiting; it’s like owning a little piece of history.

But trust me, don’t do it. You may think “hey, taking a little stone from here won’t hurt,” but if everyone thought the same way, there wouldn’t be anything left.

And I’m not saying this is true (or not true), but when I was in Hawaii, we were warned not to take any rocks from the volcano or else we risked the wrath of the fire goddess Pele. The national park service reportedly has a lot of returned stones with notes from people apologizing to the fire goddess for taking her babies.

You don’t know what ancient curse you might awaken if you take something you’re not supposed to!

4. Don’t litter

Not only is it messy and unsightly, but you never know what chemicals garbage releases into the environment it’s thrown into or which animals (and destructive bacteria) it can attract.

Maybe bring a bag with you to put your garbage in, to dispose of properly when you get back to your hotel or find a designated trash can. But certainly don’t just throw your trash anywhere just because you’re done with it.

5. Report vandalism and looting

When I worked in retail, we were told never to confront a thief, even if we caught them in the act. The reason? Doing so could put us in danger.

Same goes if you see someone committing an act of vandalism or looting. Avoid confronting the perpetrator yourself. You never know if the person you’re confronting is just being ignorant or can actually be dangerous.

It’s best to alert the proper authorities if you see someone damaging a historic artefact in any way.

6. Remember it’s YOUR heritage too

You know that precious object a beloved grandparent left you? Or a treasured keepsake from your childhood that you just can’t part with?

Well, that’s what it’s like when you visit historic sites and look at historic artefacts. It doesn’t matter where in the world your ancestors came from. We’re all human. The heritage of the world belongs to all of us, regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, or anything else.

Treat every historical place and item like it’s your own happy place or cherished object.

Because it is.

Thanks for caring about historic items and our shared heritage! I know together we can preserve the things of the past so they can continue to be enjoyed in the future.

Did I miss any suggestions for being a responsible tourist? Let me know in the comments!