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The story of an American tourist who experienced deep disappointment in France was published by the Independent server. Angela from San Francisco tearfully complained on TikTok that the French were very isolated. Although she described herself as a very sociable person who had no problem socializing with people of different nationalities, in six days in France she was unable to have even a friendly conversation with anyone.
She describes Lyon, where she shot the video, as a beautiful city with lots to see and do, but she definitely doesn’t recommend it to solo travelers. The main reason for this is the language barrier. “People here make you feel bad because you don’t know their culture and don’t speak their language,” she explained in the video of her disappointment, adding that she felt bad about even coming to France and spending money there.
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Most of the comments under the video go in a similar direction. The French are said to be friendly only to one another and do not like tourists, so the country is not an ideal location for individuals.
Even visitors to Paris often experience feelings of disillusionment and dissatisfaction. The city, which is said to be the Mecca of lovers, seems dirty, loud and crowded to some people upon arrival. The moment the disillusionment with reality becomes so pronounced that its symptoms become visible is called Paris Syndrome.
Japanese people are particularly affected
Paris syndrome is described as a condition of severe culture shock. There are also known cases in which failure to meet expectations of a visit to Paris has resulted in heart palpitations, nausea, anxiety, paranoia, dizziness or even hallucinations.
Paris syndrome was named by psychologist Hiroaki Ota in the 1980s and Japanese people suffer from it most often. Those who suffer a deep shock and sometimes even end up in the psychiatric hospital due to the language barrier and the disappointment of not getting the perfect Paris that Japanese popular culture promises.
Several dozen Japanese are affected by Paris syndrome every year, and the Japanese embassy in Paris is even said to have set up a 24-hour hotline to help its compatriots cope with travel trauma.
Other “risky” travel destinations
However, tourists may experience similar symptoms elsewhere. They occur primarily when visiting Jerusalem. The paranoia caused by the high concentration in places closely linked to religion can lead to very intense states in believers.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
Visitor syndrome can also affect tourists in Florence or elsewhere.
In Florence, some tourists suffer from Stendhal syndrome, also known as Florentine syndrome. It has similar symptoms to Paris syndrome, but is triggered by an intense experience viewing art or the beauty of nature. Stendhal syndrome can also lead to a high sex drive.
The negative consequences of disappointment when visiting dream places, regardless of whether they have a name or not, can in most cases be avoided by thoroughly researching the place visited and thinking realistically before departure.
Although there are undoubtedly beautiful places in Paris, it must be taken into account that it is a mass-visited metropolis that suffers from the same ills as other metropolises. Due to the Summer Olympics, it will be busier than ever this year.
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