Travellers name the cities where they felt 'unwelcome' - including popular areas in Japan and France

Travellers are dishing out the cities where they felt 'unwelcome' as tourists - from 'rude' locals and 'unfriendly' workers to feeling 'hostility' in crowded areas. A heated discussion kicked off after a traveller asked the burning question: 'What city did you feel unwelcome in as a tourist?' One of the cities commonly mentioned was Barcelona. 'Barcelona. Open hostility, banners and graffiti,' one said, referring to the controversial 'tourists go home' signs.'Barcelona - they really don't want tourists,' another claimed.'I'd say it's kind of a mixed bag and depends on where you're going. But I think part of it is that a lot of locals were just straight up anti-social. In Barcelona, they're unfriendly to tourists, but seemingly, to each other as well,' one said.However, not everyone agreed, with one saying: 'I'm constantly in Barcelona and this feels a bit exaggerated. Sure, there have been protests against the overtourism but the city itself feels fine.''The 'tourists go home' signs are really disheartening but I've never had any issue with the people in Barcelona being anything but friendly and kind any time I've visited,' another added. Travellers are dishing out the cities where they felt 'unwelcome' as tourists - from 'rude' locals to feeling 'hostility' in crowded areas (stock image of Barcelona)Paris was another city that came up many times as an 'unwelcome' place.'Paris, horrible rude people - they're very arrogant. I tried to make an effort to speak French and be polite but still treated rude. Very dirty and smelly there also,' one said.'Paris for sure and I've travelled extensively since I was a young kid - I'm in my 50s now,' another shared.However, many revealed they had nothing negative to say about French people.'I've had nothing but great experiences in France outside of one rude person. But come on. That's almost like winning international travel bingo. Most French I've interacted with in Paris and elsewhere have been sweethearts,' one revealed.'All my life I've heard people say that the French are rude, but I've found the French to be incredibly happy, helpful, and sociable,' another shared.'Been to Paris several times with no issue. As long as you start off with a French sentence, people had no problem switching to English out of convenience,' one said. Paris was another city that came up many times as an 'unwelcome' place (stock image)Surprisingly, many named Kyoto as one of the 'unfriendliest' cities they visited.'In Kyoto, you may feel very unwelcome in contrast to the rest of Japan,' one said.'I speak Japanese and find that once people realise I'm going to be easy to deal with, I generally get amazing service. But people in Kyoto can be pretty frosty. It's okay, I do my thing and leave and it's rarely anything but nice anyway,' another shared.'Kyoto has a culture of being standoffish,' one pointed out.'Kyoto was the first city I experienced where you could feel the resentment from the locals. I witnessed multiple shoulder checks and cars driving aggressively through a tourist-filled street. I honestly don't blame them though,' another added.However, many regular visitors said the 'rude' tourists and crowds were to blame.'Unfortunately a lot of tourists treat Japan like s*** and are very disrespectful in Kyoto,' one pointed out.'I started going to Japan regularly around 2010 and back then it was incredible. People were incredibly warm, were as interested in me as I was in them, and there was still a real sense of discovery. I last went in 2023 and think that may be my last trip for a long time. They're so done with us and I don't blame them - there's too many of us. I'm Australian and it feels like every single person I know has gone this or last year,' another revealed.While many said they had nothing but incredible experiences in Kyoto.'When my partner and I went to Kyoto, we went to a local concert and befriended a family who took us out to dinner! We found the locals to be friendly and helpful, particularly in smaller restaurants where we were the only tourists,' one said.'My wife and I are in Kyoto right now visiting and have had a great time so far. I feel bad for others who have had less than positive experiences,' another added.'Weird. I'm literally here in Kyoto right now and we haven't experienced anything bad. People have been kind and welcoming at best and indifferent at worst,' one shared. Surprisingly, many named Kyoto as one of the 'unfriendliest' cities they visited (stock image)One person named Hawaii as a place they felt unwelcomed. 'Anywhere in Hawaii. I am half Asian so thought I would be welcomed there but OMG the death stares I got in the supermarket made me so uncomfortable. Beautiful beautiful island but felt incredibly unwelcome,' one shared.'Almost everyone I encountered in Philadelphia from restaurant workers and train station employees to police guarding historical buildings and artifacts was extremely rude. It is the most unwelcome I've ever felt out of the 30 US states and multiple countries abroad I have visited,' another revealed.Join the discussionWhat city made you feel most unwelcome as a tourist, and how did that experience change your view?What's your view?Meanwhile, many shared the cities they felt welcome in. 'The folks in Tokyo were beyond welcoming and polite. Love that place,' one said.'Greece is the place to go if you want to feel welcome, very kind people the Greeks,' another shared.'Honestly I don't think I've ever felt unwelcomed in a city. However I will say Salvador, Brasil was by far the most welcoming,' one revealed.