Dr Charlotte Russell, Clinical Psychologist and Founder
On a recent trip to Thailand, I took a guided group tour around an elephant sanctuary. The guide knew everything about the elephants; their names, ages, histories, personalities and importantly whether they were likely to make sudden and potentially dangerous movements, and under which circumstances.
I had total trust in her knowledge and judgement, particularly because I know little about elephants. Being an experienced cat owner, I understand the value of both general species knowledge and knowing the individual character. It never crossed my mind to question the judgement of our guide, and in my eyes I was in safe hands, and ready to follow instructions.
It was a surprise to realise there were members of our group that didn’t share my feelings on this. Perched against the fence and ready to climb it, a young woman audibly announced “I can’t believe all of these people following like sheep”. It was stark reminder that we all have different levels of willingness, and perhaps ability, to trust in other people.
This experience made me reflect on how travelling requires us to put our trust in others, in both small and big ways. This article aims to shed light on why we may differ in our levels of trust, and how to navigate challenges related to trust on our trips.
The psychology of trust while travelling
Why are some people more trusting than others?
Our willingness and ability to trust other people is likely to be due to a combination of our personality and experiences. Our relationships are key here; if we have grown up in an environment that is consistent and stable, we are much more likely to be easily able to trust others. On the other hand, growing up in unpredictable circumstances, experiencing parental absence or inconsistency is likely to impact our ability to trust.
Family attitudes towards trusting others are also very influential. Mr Travel Psychologist is not a police officer, but several of his family members are. I certainly notice the impact of this on his day-to-day behaviour; he has a natural vigilance both for safety and security, and when it comes to trusting others. I suspect this may be a combination of his inherited characteristics and his upbringing.
Psychological trauma can and often does impact our ability to trust other people, especially if it involves a relational aspect. Being assaulted or sexually assaulted can understandably have a profound effect on our ability to trust. It can take years or even decades to begin to trust other people in these circumstances.
Our level of experience is also important. As we get older, we have more experience and in some cases, this helps us to make more sound judgements about whether to trust. Not always though, as I’m sure you’ve heard of plenty of examples of older people being scammed online. As this generation have not grown up with the technology, many are unaware of the need for a healthy level of scepticism and mistrust when interacting online. Often lack of experience in the online world puts people at risk.
Is it better to be trusting or mistrustful?
The middle ground of being open to trusting others whilst using your judgement is the most adaptive and psychologically healthy stance. Of course, blindly trusting everyone is not helpful, as this comes with the very real risk that some people will take advantage of this.
Operating from a place of mistrust may minimise the risk of being scammed or taken advantage of. However, it’s often not a psychologically helpful stance to take, as there is a risk of overgeneralisation or the feeling that ‘everyone is trying to scam me’. This kind of position will trigger your threat system and really doesn’t make for a relaxing and restorative trip!
For me personally it’s more than this though; operating from a place of mistrust is not who I want to be as a person. I don’t think it’s fair that the actions of the minority would impact on my interactions (and potentially my relationships) with everyone. And so, I choose not to give this power to those around us who can’t be trusted.
Taking all this into account, it’s most helpful to take the stance that most people are trustworthy and that you can use your judgement of both the circumstances and the person to assess whether to trust someone.
Taking this back to my elephant sanctuary anecdote. This was really about trust in authority and expertise. It seemed that the young women who made the comment thought that those of us who were following instructions were doing so blindly or naively. In fact, this wasn’t the case. This was an active judgement that I’m sure many of us made about being in the capable hands of someone who guides these tours everyday.
How cultural differences can impact on our perception
Navigating new cities and countries inevitably requires us to put trust in other people. Whether it’s arranging a taxi from the airport, flagging down a tuk tuk, taking a guided tour, or following restaurant recommendations, we are trusting that other people will be honest, and treat us fairly and respectfully.
It is always the case whether we are at home or in another country that some people can be trusted, and others cannot. The difference is that when we are in our home country we are in a familiar environment and know the local customs and culture. That means that it is usually obvious to us if someone is acting strangely or if there is something ‘off’. On the other hand, when we are travelling we are in a new environment and so it is not always as easy to differentiate when someone’s behaviour is just ‘different’ culturally or whether something is ‘off’.
How scams can impact us
Travel scams don’t just cost us money, they can quietly reshape how we trust others when we’re away from home. In my article on the psychology of travel scams, I explored why even capable, intelligent travellers can be caught out. It’s not always about naivety. Scams work because they exploit very human tendencies, especially when we’re tired, overloaded, or navigating unfamiliar environments.
When we travel, we rely heavily on strangers: guides, drivers, ticket sellers, hotel staff, fellow travellers. This necessary openness creates opportunities for connection — but it also creates vulnerability. Scammers understand this dynamic well. They use psychological tactics such as urgency, social proof, perceived authority, and our desire to be polite to override our usual judgement.
What’s important is what happens after a scam, or even after witnessing one. A single negative experience can shift our internal settings from openness to caution, or from healthy scepticism to blanket distrust. We may start second‑guessing people who are genuinely trying to help, or feel embarrassed about having trusted the wrong person. For some travellers, this leads to hyper‑vigilance; for others, it creates a lingering sense of shame.
Understanding the psychology behind scams helps us see these reactions for what they are: normal human responses to feeling caught off guard. And recognising this can help us recalibrate; staying aware without becoming closed off, and rebuilding trust in a way that feels safe and grounded.
Trusting others with our safety: Finding the balance
There are moments in travel when we have to place our personal safety in someone else’s hands. In the elephant sanctuary, I made a quick but considered judgement: the guide knew these animals intimately, understood their behaviour, and had far more situational awareness than I did. In that context, following her instructions felt like the safest choice.
But this isn’t always straightforward. Trusting someone with your safety becomes more complex when you’re travelling in places where cultural attitudes to risk, regulation, and health and safety differ from your own. Vietnam is a good example. What feels “normal” or acceptable there, from traffic flow to adventure activities, can feel wildly unfamiliar to someone from a culture with stricter safety standards. It doesn’t mean one approach is right and the other wrong; it simply reflects different norms, expectations, and thresholds for acceptable risk.
This is where trust becomes less about blind faith and more about discernment. Being open to trusting others is essential; it allows us to experience things we couldn’t safely navigate alone. But trusting without question can put us in situations we’re not prepared for, especially when we don’t fully understand the local context.
A more helpful approach is the middle ground of staying open, observant, and willing to rely on others, while also checking in with your own instincts, knowledge, and comfort levels. It’s the balance between blanket mistrust and ‘following like a sheep’.
In practice, this might look like:
- noticing whether someone appears competent and confident in their environment
- observing how locals behave in the same situation
- asking questions when something feels unclear
- recognising when your discomfort is cultural unfamiliarity versus genuine risk
- giving yourself permission to step back if something doesn’t feel right
Travel often requires us to trust people we’ve only just met — guides, drivers, boat operators, instructors. Most of the time, this trust is well‑placed. But understanding that safety standards vary across cultures helps us stay grounded and make decisions that feel right for us, not just for the group.
Ultimately, trusting others while travelling isn’t about switching off your judgement. It’s about staying open enough to benefit from local expertise, while remaining connected to your own sense of safety and intuition.
Conclusion
Trust is one of the quiet threads running through every trip we take; shaping how we move through the world, how we connect with others, and how safe or unsettled we feel along the way. We all arrive with different histories, instincts, and thresholds, so it’s natural that our responses won’t look the same. But by understanding where our own patterns come from, staying curious about cultural differences, and practising that middle ground of open‑minded discernment, we give ourselves the best chance of travelling in a way that feels both enriching and safe. Trust doesn’t have to be blind, nor does it need to be withheld; it can be something thoughtful, flexible, and grounded, a skill we refine with every journey.
You can learn more about the wonderful work of Elephant Nature Park here.
