Recently, an Italian friend told me, “Arabs blessed us with their presence in Europe for 700 years. We have been so lucky!” Although this is a sentiment that not many Europeans might be inclined to share, many of them do not deny the scientific, philosophical, archeological and even musical contributions that were made, not only by Arabs, but by Muslims and non-Muslims who lived in Andalusia and in the Islamic Empire during that period. This conversation coincided with a surge of news on Arab social media websites on how Austrians are fed up with the "transgressions" of Arab tourists in Austria and with rumors about decreasing the numbers of visas issued for Saudis and Kuwaitis as a result of local protests against them, specifically in the Austrian city of Zell am See. Although there has been no official statement issued by the Austrian, Saudi Arabian or Kuwaiti governments regarding reducing the number of visas, a video has surfaced featuring Arab tourists and interviews with Austrians who do not seem pleased with their Arab visitors. Moreover, the Austrian city of Zell am See has produced an eight-page "etiquette guide" for Middle Eastern tourists called "Where Cultures Meet", featuring "cultural advice" on how to behave in Austria and how to “adopt the Austrian mentality”, which includes advice regarding price bargaining and littering along with a dress code for women. The guide is sugarcoated at some points and blunt at others, but if our way of dressing offends their sense of aesthetics and they cannot take it anymore, then the guide was a subtle way of saying "please stop coming to our country". The sad thing is that Arabs do not seem to have taken the hint and continue to visit Austria. However, not all Austrians agree with this guide and some find it extremely offensive, including some business and hotel owners. They argue that it is intolerant and constitutes "tourism apartheid" as one hotel owner put it, which will damage their business as some hotels depend almost completely on Arabs. According to the Tourist Board of the Middle East in Dubai, “Arab tourists account for the third largest group of overseas tourists, after Americans and Japanese. Most of them come from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait.” In addition, “Arab tourists spend about double the amount that the average tourist spends on hotel stays in Austria, with 70 percent of them staying in four-or five-star hotels only.” According to the latest statistics, in 2013, Arab guests accounted for 275,000 overnight stays in the city of Zell am See, which is about 25 percent of city's total visitors. The influx of Arab tourists to Austria and specifically to the city of Zell am See started in 2004, which was partly the result of an Austrian marketing campaign in the Middle East to promote tourism in Austria. However, in 2012, the Austrian Times reported that the region's tourism officials cancelled all advertising for the Middle East apparently after realizing that their campaign might have worked a bit too well. The general reaction of Arabs to this situation has been mixed. Most Arabs on social media websites are mad at their fellow Arabs who they feel misrepresented them through their misbehavior and lack of respect for other people's traditions and cultures, as well as their own for that matter. Others are angry about the overall situation and are calling for a boycott of Austria altogether as a result of the biased treatment and negative attitudes of some Austrians toward Arabs. From pictures and videos, it seems that some Arabs have truly wronged Austrians and need to make amends or to stop going to the country. Had Austrians actually reduced the number of visas for Arab visitors, it would have been their right to do so. However, granting visas to Arab tourists and making money from their visit while insulting them outright with a "guide" that implies how "savage" they are, is outrageous. It is not a question of boycotting or of spreading hatred, but one should have enough dignity to stop traveling to a place where one is not welcome. When people travel to another country, they should realize that for better or worse they represent their own countries and cultures. Accordingly, they should attempt to understand the culture of the country they are visiting and they should show respect for the way of life and values of the people who live there in order not to offend or insult them. In return, visitors expect their own rights and dignities to be preserved. "Cultures meet" when there is acceptance, respect and understanding. Unfortunately, in this case, none of these things are present on either side and the so-called "etiquette guide" has only resulted in adding insult to injury. — The writer can be reached at [email protected]
