Learning a few phrases is not going to help you with the language barrier. Suggestion to become fluent enough for conversation before visiting a foreign country is just absurd lol

It's clear that ppl in this thread have never attempted to learn a foreign language as an adult huh

I'm not saying you shouldn't try to learn language while you're there, I'm saying the requirement of learning before you travel is counterintuitive for wanting people to experience other cultures. I think it's detrimental to try to force or shame people into learning the language before travel, you'll end up discouraging people from traveling. They'll just stay in their own bubble and not experience other cultures.

Yeah but that doesn't really help if you're planning on going through Europe where if you drive for 7 hours you can interact with three different languages and 5 different cultures. If you're gracious, polite, and not a pain in the ass you should be able to move through a country without being spit on or treated as less than. Especially on a continent where the majority have some profencisy in English

Of course this article is specifically talking about English and German tourist. The most loud and obnoxious (English lads) and arrogant (considered the most arrogant in the EU) Germans

For shits and giggles I’m going to list the countries I’ve travelled to:

France, Spain, Greece, Austria, Italy, Finland, UAE, Dubai, Qatar, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Philippines, Palau, Malaysia, Indonesia - then Australia, US and Canada which don’t count for this I guess. I’m possibly missing one or two, I’m tired.

So, I’m supposed to have learned the language, and respective writing systems, of each of these places before going there?

I guess I should just quit my job and take up learning language full time…. Either that or just stay at home so that I don’t get ridiculed for being an ignorant tourist.