The daily news which regularly provide information about conflicts and acts of violence in the Middle East as well as certain stereotypes and clichés often generate a distorted impression and a wrong image of the foreign culture which may constitute a barrier for intercultural communication. The assumption that travelling, as an opportunity to get in touch with a for-eign culture, is a succesful way to enhance intercultural understanding is a highly controver-sial topic in the study of tourism. Based on empirical research on how the foreign culture is perceived, this topic shall be discussed. It shall be illustrated how tourists perceive the foreign culture, where they focus on and further which benefit they draw from such a journey.