The worst-behaved travelers of 2024

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN

(CNN) — Sometimes it’s ignorance. Sometimes it’s hitting the airport bar too hard. Sometimes it’s being far from home and seemingly far from consequences.

In the post-Covid era, more people are traveling than ever before. Record-breaking numbers of tourists also mean there was no shortage of unruly traveler incidents in 2024.

To remedy this, CNN Travel has put together this list of New Year resolutions for all you globetrotter and gadabouts out there. In 2025, let’s do better.

1. When on a plane, I won’t bite, punch or sling insults

The US Federal Aviation Administration investigated more than 2,000 unruly passenger incidents in 2024. That’s a big drop from a record high of 5,973 in 2021, but still nearly twice as many reports as in the pre-Covid era.

A couple were banned by Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific after an argument over seat-reclining etiquette on a flight from Hong Kong to London in September descended into xenophobic insults and physical violence.

There was a ferocious unprovoked attack by a passenger on another sleeping passenger on a United Airlines flight in October, but usually it was flight attendants who were at the receiving end of criminal behavior.

In January, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) plane bound for Seattle was forced to turn around after a male passenger bit a female flight attendant, the airline said.

That same month, an American Airlines flight bound for Montana was diverted to Texas after a passenger punched a flight attendant multiple times.

A California man faced charges in September after allegedly trying to choke a Frontier Airlines flight attendant and threatening to “kill everybody” on board a flight to San Francisco that had to be diverted.

In February, an American Airlines flight was forced to return to Albuquerque after a man tried to open the emergency exit, passengers said. On another American Airlines flight in November, this time bound for Dallas, a passenger was duct-taped after trying to do the same thing, authorities said.

A flight in China was delayed four hours after a passenger threw coins into the engine, apparently a gesture for “good luck.”

Finally, an Australian passenger whose disruptive behavior caused his Sydney-bound flight to turn around and go back to Perth was ordered to pay more than $5,000 back to the airline to cover the fuel costs.

2. I won’t pack animals, drugs or firearms in my luggage

As is the case every year, airport staff around the world intercepted people trying to smuggle a whole menagerie of animals through security.

There was the man with 100 live snakes down his pants, another with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body, the 90 giant African snails discovered in Detroit and the endangered red panda found in Bangkok alongside 86 other animals.

Smugglers found some inventive ways to (unsuccessfully) conceal methamphetamine.

A California man was arrested Los Angeles International Airport after he allegedly tried to check two suitcases packed with meth-caked clothing, including a cow pajama onesie.

Earlier this month. a Canadian woman was arrested after custom officials said they found more than 10 kilos of meth worth up to $2.2 million in her hand luggage, disguised as Christmas presents.

LAX was also where another female passenger was caught with enough materials to have ended 2024 with a bang. She was detained in December after 82 fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms and a canister of pepper spray were found inside her hand luggage.

3. I will remember that ‘hands-on’ immersion doesn’t mean groping or breaking stuff

Italy is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but not all of its visitors are respectful of its cultural treasures and millennia of history.

In July, Florence officials were on the hunt to identify a young woman seen mimicking sexual acts with a statue of Bacchus, the god of wine and sensuality, in photos that went viral on social media.

In the ancient city of Pompeii, frozen in time since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, a British tourist was caught in August carving initials into one of its 2,000-year-old homes.

In the UNESCO world heritage site of Matera, filled with precious historic buildings, damage was done in June by a group of parkour enthusiasts from London. The sport involves running, climbing and leaping over obstacles — or smashing straight into them, as was the case here.

Japan had a record number of visitors in 2024 — more than 33 million of them — attracted in part by a relatively weak Yen and an increase in direct flights.

This wasn’t without its problems. A Japanese town put up a barrier to block a popular view of Mount Fuji after being overrun by tourists leaving litter and causing traffic problems.

Kyoto, the former Japanese capital, cracked down on “geisha paparazzi” harassing the traditional female entertainers. Tourists were also arrested for such crimes as defacing the gate of a shrine and having sex inside a shrine.

4. For social media, I will think before I post

The 3,922-step Haiku Stairs in Hawaii were built by the US Navy during World War II and have been officially closed to the public since 1987 — but problems with illegal trespassing have multiplied in the age of social media.

Due to the number of YouTubers, TikTokers, thrill-seekers and other tourists sneaking on the picturesque yet off-limits beauty spot, authorities made the decision to dismantle the steps, at a cost of $2.5 million. This is why we can’t have nice things.

A much newer attraction, two public sculptures in New York and Dublin joined by a 24-7 video link, opened in May and immediately ran into problems.

It turned out that when people can see but not hear each other, some will turn to baser forms of communication — such as breast-flashing or holding up pornographic and offensive imagery. The “Portal,” as it was known, shut down permanently in September.

An influencer couple from Arizona were forced to defend their parenting after many of their online followers believed them to have left their children alone on a cruise, while a British TV presenter kicked up a storm after posting on X about allowing her 15-year-old son to travel around Europe without an adult.

Social media trends including inflight “raw-dogging” (isn’t language evolution a curious thing) and posting artful photos of airport trays got people in a tizzy.

Video even emerged apparently showing an airplane passenger posing inside an overhead bin. Here’s an explanation of why that’s really not a good idea.

5. I’ll protect our planet for future generations

What questionable or dangerous activities did people get up to in America’s national parks this year?

Well, two Nevada men were indicted in August for allegedly damaging ancient rock formations at the much-loved Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Yellowstone, the world’s first national park and one of America’s most visited, was the site of a couple of notable incidents.

In April, a man was accused of kicking a bison, which then injured him. Then in July, a car carrying five people ran off the road and into one of the park’s famous hot geysers — thankfully, all were able to escape the vehicle with non-life-threatening injuries.

Littering continued to be an issue. Even a dropped bag of Cheetos can have a “world-changing impact” on fragile ecosystems, as Carlsbad Caverns National Park explained in this video from September.

Over in Nepal, authorities also took steps to minimize pollution. Mount Everest climbers now have to take their poop away with them, as human excrement has become a big problem on the world’s highest peak.

6. I’ll respect rules and local customs

One of the most evocative new slurs of 2024 was “gate lice,” a derogatory term for people who cluster around their boarding gate before it’s their time to get on the plane.

In October, American Airlines introduced new technology to cut down on line-cutters. When when someone tries to board before their assigned group, an alert sounds and the transgressor has to do the walk of shame back to the waiting area.

In New Zealand, loitering in the car park drop-off zone was the concern, as one airport took the step of introducing a time limit on hugs. Describing airports as “hotbeds of emotion,” Dunedin Airport CEO Daniel De Bono said “our team have seen interesting things go on … over the years.”

A popular Australian nude beach north of Byron Bay had its clothing-optional policy revoked after reports of “offensive, obscene or antisocial behavior.”

For more on how to lose your clothes but not your manners, have a look at our perennial guide to nude beach etiquette.

After that, you might also be interested in learning what tourists get wrong when visiting France and how you can avoid the “stupid American” stereotype when traveling abroad.

7. I won’t ride an e-scooter to my Airbnb while shouting through a loudspeaker

Tourism is the main driver of many economies around the world, but 2024 is when the negative effects of mass tourism came to a head in protests across Europe and an increase in tourist taxes and visitor caps around the world.

Barcelona ended apartment rentals by foreign tourists, Italy banned Airbnb self-check-ins and Amsterdam banned construction of new hotels.

Melbourne banned electric scooter rentals, Florence banned tour guide loudspeakers, Prague banned bar crawls and Milan considered banning pizza and gelato sales after midnight.

However, having a lovely time while engaging respectfully with locals and supporting local businesses is still legal pretty much anywhere, so as the new year dawns, let’s give that a whirl.

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