While many people see vacations as a time for relaxation and fun, some surprisingly take liberties that cross the line.

This year alone, tourists were reported for vandalizing historic Roman villas with graffiti, discarding a bag of rotten Cheetos in a national park cave, and bothering geishas in Kyoto, Japan.

A survey conducted in October by Radical Storage, a luggage storage service, questioned 1,231 American adults and revealed that 56.5% admitted to experiencing “tourist syndrome”—engaging in behavior that is uncharacteristic for them while on holiday. About half of those surveyed confessed to breaking laws during their travels that they would never dream of doing at home.

“The results of this survey are unfortunately not surprising,” stated Giacomo Piva, co-founder of Radical Storage, in a comment to YSL News. “Although the tourism sector is recovering from COVID-19’s aftermath, undesirable behavior continues to jeopardize the future of travel, leading to anti-tourist protests across Europe.

“The fact that 56.5% claimed to have acted inappropriately and entertain ‘tourist syndrome’ during their trips indicates that this isn’t just a matter of a few bad apples ruining travel for the majority; rather, it’s a widespread issue affecting all travelers,” Piva added.

Among the worst offenders are Gen Z travelers, with 72% in this group admitting to being more likely to misbehave on trips.

Many travelers feel entitled to act recklessly during their vacations, with nearly half blaming social media for encouraging such conduct. Four in ten believe that vacations are meant for unwinding and trying new things, while about a third think that being somewhere unfamiliar lets them act differently.

According to the survey, the most frequent misdemeanors committed by travelers included:

• Claiming pool loungers by placing towels on them
• Taking inappropriate photos with statues
• Picking plants without consent, even in protected areas

This past summer, officials in Italy sought a woman, thought to be a tourist, seen on video posing inappropriately next to a statue of Bacchus in Florence. The city has strict regulations against mistreating its cultural heritage, potentially leading to fines and lifetime bans.

On a positive note, 61% of survey participants believe that stricter penalties should be enforced on tourists who misbehave. Moreover, nearly two-thirds expressed embarrassment over their companions’ unruly conduct. This suggests there may be room for improvement.