Saturday, July 26, 2025
While in many parts of the world tattoos have become a popular form of self-expression, some traditions attach deep and diverse meanings to tattoos, particularly for traditional ones. To indigenous cultures such as Maori, moko mataora (tattoos on the face) are part of a sacred tradition and bind the wearer to his own history and the history of the tribe. But with travel becoming increasingly global, these tattoos, ones that are often deeply personal and cultural in nature, are also starting to worry travelers from tattooed communities. Some travellers, particularly those from cultures with long tattooing traditions, are finding themselves thinking twice about visiting certain places because of concerns surrounding scrutiny, misapprehension or even discrimination while going through customs and border controls.
Maori and Facial Tattoos: Te Rawhitiroa Bosch and Ihirangi Heke’s Case
The worries of Maori travellers are not unique. Te Rawhitiroa Bosch, a Maori from New Zealand, scrapped his visit to the United States for fear that his moko mataora would result in being detained or questioned at the border. Ihirangi Heke, a fellow New Zealander, encountered similar challenges when his face tattoos caused confusion and concern at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii. It’s a growing problem that tattooed people are treated with suspicion or confusion at their tattoos that are of another culture.
But it’s not just the Maori travelers dealing with this. There are various other (native and non-native) communities who face similar issues when trying to travel abroad while wearing tattoos, especially on the face and other visible areas. Here’s a summary of the broader landscape.
Other Tattooed Travelers Facing Issues
The Maori have gone to the forefront to express their issues, but it is not limited to them. Some of the experiences of other visitors from indigenous communities or cultures where tattoos are seen as marking identity would also be familiar to those elsewhere in the world. For instance:
Samoan Travelers: Their Tattoos at Odds With Border Security Sensitivities
Samoan travelers also, like the Maori, have traditional tattooing of importance to their cultural. The tatau — Samoa’s tattoo — frequently runs over the body, even the face, and signifies social standing and heritage. But Samoans who travel to countries where tattoo culture isn’t as well understood occasionally have issues with the tattoos on their bodies. This is especially the case in countries like Japan where tattoos have long been linked with yakuza members, and where bared ink could be met with judgment or suspicion. Like Maori tattoos, Samoan tattoos can be misinterpreted, so these travelers don’t want to take the risk of entering countries or even just the inconvenience of hours spent at the customs screenings of border posts.
Island Traveler: Polynesian and Hawaiian Tattoos
The non-Hawaiian Polynesian visitors are also challenged in the same way as are those with traditional Hawaiian tattoos. Hawaiian based tattoos, such as kākau (traditional Hawaiian tattoos), also have spiritual and cultural significance, have meaning, and are rooted in the ancestral history of the person wearing them. But in areas where tattoo cultures are less embraced, like in more conservative countries, these tattoos may be stigmatized. Curiously enough, Hawaii is one of the places that often causes the most trouble for native travelers with facial tattoos, given the state’s links to tattooing in the context of Polynesian culture. South Korea, where tattoos remain controversial, also complicates travel for Pacific Islanders with facial tattoos.
Maori-Inspired Tattoos and Non-Indigenous Travelers
Such a challenge is faced by a non‐indigenous person who acquires a Maori‐motif tattoo: frequently done as an art piece or a homage, these tattoos can be large and/or facial. Although the cultural meaning of them might not be known in some places or there can be tourists there who have no idea about them, that doesn’t instantly give you a break at a border or immigration area. Those who have tattoos, particularly in the Middle East, can feel uncomfortable or discriminated as they are known for their tighter customs in comparison to ours and according to Reed, having tattoos visible in the likes of Dubai and the UAE is widely considered socially rebellious. Likewise, travelers with Maori-style tattoos could find themselves looked over at airports and possibly not even allowed into places that are conservative when it comes to appearance and identity.
Native North American Travellers: Tribal Tattoos and Cultural Miscues
For North American indigenous regional groups, including Native Americans, tattoos can represent an array of cultural meanings, such as columns in the tight of a ledger book. Though tribal tattoos stand for identity, heritage and culture but are misinterprated by people who do not belong to the tribes. In China and Japan, where tattoos are often still considered taboo or indicative of criminal activity, indigenous travelers can have tattoos examined by customs and be asked about their significance. The problem is exacerbated by how little is known about the importance of these tattoos in indigenous peoples.
Other Tattooed Communities: Style and the Design of Modern Identity
When tattoos are a part of traditional or cultural identity, challenges are even greater, but even people who are wearing tattoos for personal or fashion reasons may face stigmatization in some countries. “In some destinations such as in South Korea, where tattoos still conjure up specific images of rebellion, that traveler with a visibly tattooed body—cultural or personal—might end up feeling a bit uncomfortable.” In China as well, tattoos can occasionally have a counterculture connection, and those with extensive tattoos on their bodies or faces could come under intensified scrutiny. It means that even today’s tattoo lovers are coming to the realisation that in the form of clan markings run amok tattoos could be a source of hesitation for your next holiday away.
Tattoo Sensitivity and Cultural Sensitivity: Time for a Change
Due to the increasing internationalisation of the tourism industry, culture education is becoming more and more apparent, not the least of all for customs and border control personnel. But for travelers with tattoos — especially travelers from indigenous and ethnically diverse communities — the impetus to encourage greater understanding and acceptance has never been more obvious. Such training could involve teaching airport staff and immigration officers about the cultural significance of tattoos (including moko mataora, tatau, and tribal tattoos) and how to judge the distinction between personal expression and cultural/spiritual identity.
Nations such as Japan, UAE, South Korea etc. can gain greasy advantages by promoting cultural education in order to make travelers feel more welcomed and minimize the risk of misunderstanding. Furthermore, educating the travel industry – including those in the hospitality sector – may enable tattooed travelers to be accepted and encouraged.
Conclusion: Moving Toward Inclusive Tourism
In a time when travel is more accessible and diverse, it’s imperative that the tourism industry adapts to support everybody’s travel needs. For Maori travelers and tourists from other tattooed cultures, the reluctance to fly based on fears of discrimination or misunderstanding is a major obstacle. So, that Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, the UAE and all of us other countries should come across with the culture is that tattoos being a part kultural and just tattoos are okay for you to know. It’s only then that tattooed travelers, who may be Maori or Samoan, Native American or just a dude or a chick saying something on the skin of their bodies, will be able to walk the world with pride and joy.
