Travel News - Americans are world's worst tourists, says new survey

Ah, got to love stereotypes!

Americans are world's worst tourists, says new survey (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/03/06/americans-are-worlds-worst-tourists-says-new-survey/)

According to a new survey carried out by LivingSocial and Mandala Research we seem to be. And worse, it was predominately Americans ranking their fellow countrymen.

Released Friday, the survey polled 5,600 respondents from five countries-- 4,000 of whom were Americans, says USA Today. Other respondents were in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The survey also revealed that four in 10 U.S. survey-takers said they'd stolen something ? mostly towels (28%) and bathrobes (8%). Other popular items taken included pillows, remote controls, Bibles and sheets. So we're not just rude when we travel, we're thieves.

The most common vacation disasters, according to American respondents, were: lost luggage on an airline (21%); bad weather (21%); and getting lost (16%).

Yea....a survey that contains predominantly Americans and then only other English speaking countries. Super representative. :P

clearly everyone forgot about the french...

Ask a tour guide anywhere,and they all say the French are the worst.

The last time I was in London, it seemed to be full of French people. If I had wanted to be with the French, I would have gone to France! (There may not really have been that many, but they were conspicuous.)

But I would have said that Germans were the worst tourists. They're noticeable even in Austria.

Russians - OMG.

Ah, got to love ... SocialLiving and fox news


"According to the press release from SocialLiving, 78 percent of Americans have visited at least one foreign country, 61 percent have visited multiple countries, and 36 percent have traveled to four or more foreign destinations"

These statistics are utterly impossible, unless they are counting US states as other countries!! More than 1/3 have visited four or more foreign destinations? :confused:

61% have been to a furn country...21% lost luggage. only fox news. they don't even know how to run a simple survey. i don't think you get to 61% if you count orlando as forn.

Released Friday, the survey polled 5,600 respondents from five countries-- 4,000 of whom were Americans, says USA Today. Other respondents were in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

That's because Americans have been brainwashed for years - decades - by having it proclaimed as fact that they are the world's worst tourists.

No question that Canadians at least are pleased to back up that opinion and excited to plaster themselves with maple leaves to make sure the world knows they are not Americans. A tour guide recently told me he's had Canadians get angry with him for wrongly assuming they were Americans. :D

As a cross-section of citizens of other countries travel abroad, more similar to the American demographics of earlier years, we'll find there are lots of new contenders for the "world's worst tourists nationality" title.

61% have been to a furn country...21% lost luggage. only fox news. they don't even know how to run a simple survey. i don't think you get to 61% if you count orlando as forn.The actual stats in the article say 78% of Americans have been to a foreign country. It doesn't sound too implausible to me that 4 in 5 Americans have been to a foreign country. Texas and California (two very high population states) share borders with Mexico. New York shares a border with Canada. Florida is a short cheap hop to tons of Caribbean islands. That's 32% of the US population right there that have fairly trivial access to other countries. <shrug>

Then consider that SunCountry airlines opens up tons of cheap flights to the Caribbean and Mexico for midwesterners... I think you are underestimating the ease of cheap travel to beach/cruise destinations in North America.

As far as 4 foreign destinations... I think an average 7-day cruise would more than cover that number.

The last time I was in London, it seemed to be full of French people. If I had wanted to be with the French, I would have gone to France! (There may not really have been that many, but they were conspicuous.)

But I would have said that Germans were the worst tourists. They're noticeable even in Austria.

I'm assuming, like you, they were there (as tourists) to see London...happens all the time! :)

"According to the press release from SocialLiving, 78 percent of Americans have visited at least one foreign country, 61 percent have visited multiple countries, and 36 percent have traveled to four or more foreign destinations"

These statistics are utterly impossible, unless they are counting US states as other countries!! More than 1/3 have visited four or more foreign destinations? :confused:

Depends on how you define 'visit'.

I've met folks who collect passport stamps and consider it a 'visit' if they do a same-day airport turn and exit/re-enter customs just to get the passport stamp.

I've met folks who consider a day-trip across the Mexican or Canadian border a 'visit' (and so does CBP, for that matter).

Cruise ship passengers also drive the numbers up. I don't really consider a day trip from a cruise ship much of a 'visit', but many others do.

clearly everyone forgot about the french...
Ask a tour guide anywhere,and they all say the French are the worst.
why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc

Moi, je ne sais pas pourquoi. ;)

I do think any time there are enough tourists of a particular nationality or group the locals tend to make generalizations, whether fair or unfair.

We live near the Canadian border and US residents sometimes even write letters to the local papers or comment on blogs about the terrible driving and the nuisance of the Canadians.

For that matter, I've heard residents of Colorado complain about the Texans, and people in various states disparage "California drivers."

In contrast, has anybody heard wide-scale complaints about the behavior of Liechtensteiner tourists? No, I didn't think so. :D

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc

+1

I've encountered the good, the bad and the ugly from every nationality, but overall, the Americans seem more prone to trying to dominate everything - they want 'American' food (usually McD's, pizza and American-style Mexican), English translations on menus, good local command of the English language, and to export their views on tipping.

IME, Americans are much more likely to judge ("these brats aren't as good (in Germany) as the hotdogs we get back home because there's no onions", "I'm going to tip the way we do in America because we're not cheap in America") instead of observing differences ("wow - fresh tomatoes and cucumbers on the breakfast buffet", "what do locals consider a generous tip?").

And they judge LOUDLY, as though everyone else is stupid for not speaking American.

The actual stats in the article say 78% of Americans have been to a foreign country. It doesn't sound too implausible to me that 4 in 5 Americans have been to a foreign country. Texas and California (two very high population states) share borders with Mexico. New York shares a border with Canada. Florida is a short cheap hop to tons of Caribbean islands. That's 32% of the US population right there that have fairly trivial access to other countries. <shrug>
Especially as until recently they weren't really "furrin" as you didn't need a passport to go to them. Then again there could be people who have been to Canada / Mexico / etc and don't realise they've been to a foreign country.

And they judge LOUDLY, as though everyone else is stupid for not speaking American.
It's the huddling that gets me - even if you have ear plugs in and can't hear the cacophony you know that the group of people huddling in the middle of the pavement having a conversation & forcing everyone else onto the road are American even if they've tried to disguise themselves

clearly everyone forgot about the french...

and the obnoxious Brits with a superiority complex
and the drunken Russians...
and the loud Spanish...
and the obnoxious Israeli groups - ask anyone in the hotel business in Europe if they will ever rent a room to a group of Israeli tourists, especially younger ones.

Is any nationality worse than Americans when it comes to grumbling about showers and (gasp!) proper, free, sit down toilets (you know, like 'back home')?

+1

I've encountered the good, the bad and the ugly from every nationality, but overall, the Americans seem more prone to trying to dominate everything - they want 'American' food (usually McD's, pizza and American-style Mexican), English translations on menus, good local command of the English language, and to export their views on tipping.
................

I lol at this ..... let them come to Miami.


Let me put it this way: it's fortunate that I also speak spanish.


Which reminds me of the time I was in Germany. Lots of people spoke passable English. One guy I spoke with did not at all (nor I german) but we both spoke spanish, go figure.

Just something I always thought was funny...

Canadians, Mexicans, Hondurans, Brazilians, etc. are all technically Americans; any inhabitant of the Americas, North, Central or South.

It's the United States OF America. So if the Canadians want to say they aren't Americans... well, actually they're wrong.

Just something I always thought was funny...

Canadians, Mexicans, Hondurans, Brazilians, etc. are all technically Americans; any inhabitant of the Americas, North, Central or South.

It's the United States OF America. So if the Canadians want to say they aren't Americans... well, actually they're wrong.

True, although quite often when I'm asked where I am from and I answer 'the US', the response back is 'ah, America, yes!'.

Ah, got to love stereotypes!

Americans are world's worst tourists, says new survey (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/03/06/americans-are-worlds-worst-tourists-says-new-survey/)

That is one seriously white survey...

Ah, got to love stereotypes!

Americans are world's worst tourists, says new survey (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/03/06/americans-are-worlds-worst-tourists-says-new-survey/)

The text from the article says that, among other things, Americans "steal bibles".

Two thoughts on that. First were taught that the Gideon Bibles one sees in many hotel rooms are MEANT to be taken. Second if it is stealing, it is the height of irony for the American hyper Christian culture.

I'd say it's a safer bet to say that the worst tourists, regardless of country, are the amateur, first time traveler types.

That's because Americans have been brainwashed for years - decades - by having it proclaimed as fact that they are the world's worst tourists.

Agreed. I meet quite a lot of Americans on my travels, and many of them are sensitive, even hypersensitive, to the stereotype of the "ugly American", and really go out of their way to avoid any risk of appearing this way. The end result is that on average* Americans (at least those middle age and older) tend to be politer and less obnoxious than the average tourist.

* Though there are of course always exceptions.

The last time I was in London, it seemed to be full of French people. If I had wanted to be with the French, I would have gone to France! (There may not really have been that many, but they were conspicuous.)

You're not that far off. There's a huge community of French expats living in London.
Strictly in terms of number of French citizens living there, London would qualify as the sixth largest city in France!
With the recent French presidential elections, there's even been talk of that number possibly growing further.
Add to that the fact that it's only a couple hours by train from the continental Europe now, and that explains why, depending on where you are in London, it can almost feel at times like you're not really in the UK anymore.

...I'd say it's a safer bet to say that the worst tourists, regardless of country, are the amateur, first time traveler types.

I recently traveled to Germany with family members who had not been anywhere outside of the U.S. except Mexico before. They generally took the differences between the U.S. and Germany in stride, but one thing I could not persuade them to do was speak German. This puzzled me because our family ancestry is German, so they had been exposed to German growing up, and they had also studied German in high school and had been practicing German before the trip. I guess they were so overwhelmed by other aspects of the trip that they needed the comfort zone that speaking English provided.

You're not that far off. There's a huge community of French expats living in London.
Strictly in terms of number of French citizens living there, London would qualify as the sixth largest city in France!
With the recent French presidential elections, there's even been talk of that number possibly growing further.
Add to that the fact that it's only a couple hours by train from the continental Europe now, and that explains why, depending on where you are in London, it can almost feel at times like you're not really in the UK anymore.

Thanks for that info - new to me. ^ Now I know why we heard so much French being spoken as we made our way through the Diamond Jubilee crowds around Buckingham Palace last weekend.

I recently traveled to Germany with family members who had not been anywhere outside of the U.S. except Mexico before. They generally took the differences between the U.S. and Germany in stride, but one thing I could not persuade them to do was speak German. This puzzled me because our family ancestry is German, so they had been exposed to German growing up, and they had also studied German in high school and had been practicing German before the trip. I guess they were so overwhelmed by other aspects of the trip that they needed the comfort zone that speaking English provided.

Maybe some self-consciousness too... On a family trip in France years ago our three children, all of whom had studied French in school, were afraid to try. I, who had been a poor student of French decades earlier, blurted it out and gave it my best shot. Our teen-aged kids were actually impressed with their father for once.

I recently traveled to Germany with family members who had not been anywhere outside of the U.S. except Mexico before. They generally took the differences between the U.S. and Germany in stride, but one thing I could not persuade them to do was speak German. This puzzled me because our family ancestry is German, so they had been exposed to German growing up, and they had also studied German in high school and had been practicing German before the trip. I guess they were so overwhelmed by other aspects of the trip that they needed the comfort zone that speaking English provided.

One of my daughters is like that. Her mother is a Dane, she has heard the language since birth, she even understands the Danish Sign Language, etc... but when we go there, she almost completely refuses to speak Danish. I have no idea what makes her behave like that.

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc
It's not unsual for people to be surprised at or even shocked at how things are different from what they are used to. But the assumption that their way is right and the other wrong, is what set many Americans apart.
I have a few gems.

A friend of mine went to the Netherlands on company business and commented upon return, you could only get imported beer. :D

Another friend went on a cruise and docked in a Mexican port. They complained about fresh salsa not being authentic, didn't taste like the bottled type they were used to.
Students in my French class saying the word order in French was WRONG. Confusion with "Tu me manque" is a bit more understandable than something like with "je me lave". "Je vais me marrier" dumbfounded the students. They insisted that the word order was clearly wrong as it did not make any sense. "Je vous manque" or "je tu (not even te) manque" was claimed as the right way by all but none.
Disclaimer: I am not proficient in French. I have had only one semester of French, just enough to pass the foreign language requirement.
I know people from other countries bringing microwavable dishes with them on trips abroad.

Finding the right balance is terribly difficult, but what's needed is less mass screening of all those proverbial grandmothers. Racial and ethnic profiling is not only provocative, it is also ineffective, because it produces far too many "false positives" people subjected to secondary screening without cause. Rather, what we need is more screening and profiling based on intelligence to provide grounds for suspicion (which should have included the would-be Detroit bomber) or on suspicious behavior (like having no luggage or paying cash for the ticket).

I recently traveled to Germany with family members who had not been anywhere outside of the U.S. except Mexico before. They generally took the differences between the U.S. and Germany in stride, but one thing I could not persuade them to do was speak German. This puzzled me because our family ancestry is German, so they had been exposed to German growing up, and they had also studied German in high school and had been practicing German before the trip. I guess they were so overwhelmed by other aspects of the trip that they needed the comfort zone that speaking English provided.


Maybe some self-consciousness too... On a family trip in France years ago our three children, all of whom had studied French in school, were afraid to try. I, who had been a poor student of French decades earlier, blurted it out and gave it my best shot. Our teen-aged kids were actually impressed with their father for once.

One of my daughters is like that. Her mother is a Dane, she has heard the language since birth, she even understands the Danish Sign Language, etc... but when we go there, she almost completely refuses to speak Danish. I have no idea what makes her behave like that.
In my experience, it's quite common. Children are very self conscious about speaking the native language of one or both parents in school. Even when spoken to in the foreign (mother tongue of their parent) tongue, they understand, but would respond in English.
My children went to a French immersion school from kindergarten and were not taught English until 2nd grade. They are both fluent in French, but would rather not speak French at home, unless they wanted to keep their conversation private". They don't hesitate to speak French when abroad though. Probably because it's not their mother tongue, nor that of their parent(s).
What makes things difficult for Americans is that in many countries, being able to speak English is a matter of pride. With the exception of a few places in Europe, especially the young, are eager to speak
to tourists in English.

I admit, I'm an atheist, so perhaps that is why I cannot grasp the rationale of why someone would steal a bible. It seems to be inherently self-defeating to me.

It's the huddling that gets me - even if you have ear plugs in and can't hear the cacophony you know that the group of people huddling in the middle of the pavement having a conversation & forcing everyone else onto the road are American even if they've tried to disguise themselves
Funny, I have seen just this exact behavious this very week (I work in the West End) from groups of Greek, Chinese and Italian tourists, but not Americans.

But don't let your prejudice get in the way. ;)

Maybe some self-consciousness too... On a family trip in France years ago our three children, all of whom had studied French in school, were afraid to try. I, who had been a poor student of French decades earlier, blurted it out and gave it my best shot. Our teen-aged kids were actually impressed with their father for once.
I can't say I blame them for being afraid to try.

My French is not perfect, but it is passable. What makes me reluctant to bother trying is that it is quite rare to encounter a patient French person when you are trying to speak French. Most will either roll their eyes and make absolutely no effort to make it easier for you, or will automatically reply in (worse) English, as if it is beneath them to even attempt to acknowledge your attempt.

All this malarkey about them being grateful that you're trying to speak their language is, IM considerable E, a big lie.

It's not unsual for people to be surprised at or even shocked at how things are different from what they are used to. But the assumption that their way is right and the other wrong, is what set many Americans apart...

Ever spent a week in an extended-stay tourist hotel in Palma Mallorca (http://www.seemallorca.com/mallorca/palma-bay.html) trying to find Spanish food and culture in the British pubs that line the streets, complete with wet T-shirt contests, rugby matches advertised on big-screen TVs, all while surrounded by British tourists? We spent a painful hour in a pub there one night watching an Elvis impersonator with what sounded like a Cockney accent to us. I suppose you could call it multi-culturalism. :D

What makes things difficult for Americans is that in many countries, being able to speak English is a matter of pride. With the exception of a few places in Europe, especially the young, are eager to speak to tourists in English.

I've always been sensitive to trying to ask locals, preferably in their own language, if they speak English before I blurt out my question. Years ago I did that to a young woman in Amsterdam who was clearly offended that I would think she was so stupid and snapped back at me "Of course I speak English."

Funny, I have seen just this exact behavious this very week (I work in the West End) from groups of Greek, Chinese and Italian tourists, but not Americans.

Japanese tourists on bus tours would literally block the main street of our former town while standing in the middle and snapping photos of the park and the snow-capped mountains. IMHO there's a herd instinct that often seems to kick in whenever people travel in groups.

My French is not perfect, but it is passable. What makes me reluctant to bother trying is that it is quite rare to encounter a patient French person when you are trying to speak French. Most will either roll their eyes and make absolutely no effort to make it easier for you, or will automatically reply in (worse) English, as if it is beneath them to even attempt to acknowledge your attempt...

I've found that a couple of times in Paris, but so rarely that I can remember the exact circumstances. And if your French is "passable" it's far superior to mine. ;) In smaller centers French people have generally been kind and sympathetic. My fractured French often causes them to break into "a leetle" English, if only as a defense against the assault on their language. :D

IMHO there's a herd instinct that often seems to kick in whenever people travel in groups.
Indeed. Well put. And this is not specific to Americans.

Indeed. Well put. And this is not specific to Americans.

Nope, just look for the person with an elevated flag, umbrella, or other item...and the herd behind them. :)

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?


its purely personal experience. Most yanks that I've met abroad have been perfectly fine, whereas I routinely have come across rude, arrogant french tourists who push, cut lines, complain incessantly and seem miserable at all times.

I can't say I blame them for being afraid to try.

My French is not perfect, but it is passable. What makes me reluctant to bother trying is that it is quite rare to encounter a patient French person when you are trying to speak French. Most will either roll their eyes and make absolutely no effort to make it easier for you, or will automatically reply in (worse) English, as if it is beneath them to even attempt to acknowledge your attempt.

All this malarkey about them being grateful that you're trying to speak their language is, IM considerable E, a big lie.On my last French trip, I really struggled to be understood - now I speak school French, with a bad accent, but I have travelled enough to France that I can generally say/ask for simple things.

That said, I do find trying is enough to break through the barricade of French 'you must speak our language' attitude, and they'll speak english to me rather than try to understand my French. Or they'll understand that I understand more than I can say, and speak in French and I'll reply in English.

Possibly it's an accent thing however - it's quite clear from my accent that I'm neither English nor American. I'm not sure I'm got as Scottish - many outside the UK think I'm Irish, but it doesn't come with the negative connotations of being English or American.

It's the huddling that gets me - even if you have ear plugs in and can't hear the cacophony you know that the group of people huddling in the middle of the pavement having a conversation & forcing everyone else onto the road are American even if they've tried to disguise themselves

As a resident of NYC, I can actually say that American tourists do that here too. I work in Midtown a couple of blocks away from the Empire State Building, and the two groups of people that tend to obliviously block the whole sidewalk are either heartland Americans or French.

It's funny to see the world's tourist habits/stereotypes converge here. Speaking in grossly broad generalizations, the Americans often seem sort of frightened of everything going on around them - you'll see parents with two kids all holding hands and blocking the entire sidewalk, while looking intensely worried, as if at any moment a passerby might steal a kid and run away with it. The French just mill about having intensely deep conversations about nothing while apparently not noticing that there are 80 people trying to move around/through them to get to work. Interestingly, I find that Spanish tourists - while all over the place - are generally less disruptive than the French and much more likely to consult their maps in an inconspicuous location next to a building rather than in an 8-foot-diameter circle in the middle of the sidewalk.

Also, as far as I can tell American tourists tend to stay very much on the beaten path, while the Euros and others are much more adventurous and will go *everywhere*. Yesterday I was on a bus in City Island in the Bronx, and there were two young French women apparently heading to Orchard Beach. Impressive. I give them mad props for that - I haven't even ever been to Orchard Beach!!

In general, I find that certain American tourists (usually from the reddish states) have a maddening attitude that everything needs to be just like it is back home in Oklahoma. My favorite is when a big Southern family has a loud discussion on the subway during rush hour about how horrible it must be to live like that and take the subway all the time and have to be near other people and how do all these people here stand this.... having a discussion about me and everyone else in front of us as if we're zoo animals. Tact and context, people. :rolleyes:

Of course, my all-time favorite stupid tourist moment came courtesy of a Scottish guy. I was walking a few years ago north on Broadway through Times Square (bad idea, I know.) This guy about three feet in front of me suddenly stops dead in his tracks and drops to the ground in order to tie his shoe. I have to basically stop short and almost leapfrog over him in order to not trip over his head. He then looks up and curses me out for being rude (even though I didn't say anything to him at all). :confused::confused::confused:

I can't say I blame them for being afraid to try.

My French is not perfect, but it is passable. What makes me reluctant to bother trying is that it is quite rare to encounter a patient French person when you are trying to speak French. Most will either roll their eyes and make absolutely no effort to make it easier for you, or will automatically reply in (worse) English, as if it is beneath them to even attempt to acknowledge your attempt.

All this malarkey about them being grateful that you're trying to speak their language is, IM considerable E, a big lie.

I've had this reaction from some people in France (back in the days when my French was a total joke, as opposed to now when it's just a partial one :p), but then again I've also met people in France who were so encouraging and kind. Weirdly, given the stereotypes, I found that people in Paris tended to be far more supportive and friendly about my French than in other parts of the country.

In Quebec, on the other hand, people are almost uniformly appreciative of efforts to speak French, and you'll get lots and lots of compliments when you try!

As a resident of NYC, I can actually say that American tourists do that here too. I work in Midtown a couple of blocks away from the Empire State Building, and the two groups of people that tend to obliviously block the whole sidewalk are either heartland Americans or French.


Mobs I try to avoid when I'm in NYC... ;)

I recently traveled to Germany with family members who had not been anywhere outside of the U.S. except Mexico before. They generally took the differences between the U.S. and Germany in stride, but one thing I could not persuade them to do was speak German. This puzzled me because our family ancestry is German, so they had been exposed to German growing up, and they had also studied German in high school and had been practicing German before the trip. I guess they were so overwhelmed by other aspects of the trip that they needed the comfort zone that speaking English provided.

I speak passable German because of an excellent high school teacher who taught me over 36 years ago. Unfortunately, I have been told that my pronunciation is nearly perfect by native Germans, and that I have no noticeable accent. This has caused situations where Germans launch into high-speed dialog with me, assuming that I am one of them. I then have to stop them and tell them that I am an American with only Hochschule German training, so could they please talk slower.

However, they all seem to appreciate my efforts to communicate in their native language, especially, it seems, immigration and customs agents.

That's because Americans have been brainwashed for years - decades - by having it proclaimed as fact that they are the world's worst tourists.

No question that Canadians at least are pleased to back up that opinion and excited to plaster themselves with maple leaves to make sure the world knows they are not Americans. A tour guide recently told me he's had Canadians get angry with him for wrongly assuming they were Americans. :D

As a cross-section of citizens of other countries travel abroad, more similar to the American demographics of earlier years, we'll find there are lots of new contenders for the "world's worst tourists nationality" title.

I used to think proclaiming my Canadian citizen ship publically with a Maple Leaf on display was a good idea in some places but came to realize...it almost seems the world thinks we are a bunch of goodie goodie's ready to buy out or bail out any street vendor or pan handler and are a lost friend to everyone. I wouldn't say we're suckers but we're often viewed as soft and a mark so the Maple Leaf stays home.

Every country has rude travellers. Just about anyone on a tightly scheduled cruise, flight, or tour will run over you, or cut in line , or hog a picture spot....The Rude American Tourist sterotype died a long time ago in my books. What bothers me now is American tourist's apologizing to me about being an American tourist in the first 5 minutes of a conversation...give it a break please and let go of the misguided guilt trip.

From my limited International travels (Canada and 15 European Countries) I would have to say that all countries have some good, some bad and some rude tourist. While yes it is a sterotype that American Toruist's are rude it has gone down a lot IMO over the past five to ten years.

"According to the press release from SocialLiving, 78 percent of Americans have visited at least one foreign country, 61 percent have visited multiple countries, and 36 percent have traveled to four or more foreign destinations"

These statistics are utterly impossible, unless they are counting US states as other countries!! More than 1/3 have visited four or more foreign destinations? :confused:

How could you disregard Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland...?

Students in my French class saying the word order in French was WRONG. Confusion with "Tu me manque" is a bit more understandable than something like with "je me lave". "Je vais me marrier" dumbfounded the students. They insisted that the word order was clearly wrong as it did not make any sense. "Je vous manque" or "je tu (not even te) manque" was claimed as the right way by all but none.[/LIST]


I have to be on the side of the students' with this, I'm afraid. Whenever I'm in France I'm constantly forced to correct my Parisian friends' French - they might be native-born French but they seriously lack the skills to correctly speak their own language. They might become impatient with me, but I'm doing it for their own good.

I dont agree with this that American are the worst tourist.

Must be a destination thing, all of our American visitors to Colombia are without exception discerning, worldly international travellers and are nothing short of excellent people to play host to.

In Lima I have stumbled across a few objectionable Americans with an "I'm all that and a pack of potato chips" attitude, not that this makes them necessarily bad tourists. The Brits in Peru do are sometimes like that too, problem is more that they think they are travel pioneers.

London which is firmly on the mainstream tourism map, I have met a couple of Americans with objectionable attitudes, that's 2 in about 20 years, but in the main they just ask stupid questions which also doesn't make them bad tourists.

I must admit that my greatest annoyance tends to be with tourists who approach one and speak in English (often colloquial, or heavily accented), without even an attempt to try and greet one in local language or acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I see this often in Paris in shops, bakeries, etc and consider it to be rude of the tourist not to even say 'bonjour' or at least acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I even had one recently go off on me in English when I tried to assist him in French, because he was sick of people speaking to him in French apparently. :rolleyes: Imagine that, in France!

Then there are the ones who approach me (usually in the public bathroom) in Germany and launch into a one-sided conversation in English about some annoyance they have about Germans, as if I am their confidant and will somehow be onside with them. I can only assume that they think that I am a fellow tourist. The concept of chitchatting with strangers in the bathroom whilst attending to my business aside, I am always amazed that they don't consider that I may be one of the very people about which they are complaining. I know that they are just trying to be friendly, but complaining to me about my country/countrymen doesn't endear me to them.

Every country has its own poor quality exports; certainly there are badly behaved Germans around. But this phenonenum is one I have experienced really only with English speakers. (I cannot recall an Italian for instance approaching me in Germany to complain about Germans in Italian) I can only imagine what they say about the French and the Germans when they return home. And I will admit that every now and again I may contribute to the 'rude Frenchwoman' or 'rude German' stereotype when I answer back in French or in German... But by this point in the summer I tend to tire of it, and congratulate those who tirelessly deal with it on a daily basis as part of their jobs. Last night I most likely had a Dutchman who went home to complain about the 'rude French woman' in the airport who berating him for jumping the queue.

I'll have to agree with chollie about the volume issue (there are definitely LOUD Germans too, but more often in a different type of setting) I noticed it again last night on the bus; American voices talking so loudly that we could hear them at the front of the bus from the back of the bus, and it was just general conversations usually of personal nature, or chit chat. Lots of nationalities are known for being loud, but there are many loud English voices around Europe in the summertime which may contribute to the (mis?)perception.

I can only imagine what they say about the French and the Germans when they return home...

More than once, after returning home from one of my trips to France, I've questioned by a friend or colleague about by trip. They will tell me how dreadful the place is, mainly because of the rudeness of the French. A bit of investigation always reveals that the person expressing this opinion to me has never been to France.

My own feelings about the Germans is a little different. I enjoy Germany as well, but always felt like a schoolboy who was in trouble there. I was always getting yelled at for not having the correct change, or for joining a queue at the wrong end (it's not always clear where a line starts and finishes...) or for any number of things. My favourite memory though is of chatting with some very pleasant Germans in a small neighbourhood bar in Munich. A woman in the group was trying to tell me what she did for a living, proudly exclaiming that "I am the boss of Harry Potter!". Indeed she was, it turned out that she managed the childrens' section of a large bookstore. I wish that I could be as charming and descriptive in my second language (French) as she was in hers (English).

Good evening....

The off-topic (no matter how good-natured) grammar wars posts have been deleted. You are welcome to take such to PM, thanks.

cblaisd
Moderator, Travel News

More than once, after returning home from one of my trips to France, I've questioned by a friend or colleague about by trip. They will tell me how dreadful the place is, mainly because of the rudeness of the French. A bit of investigation always reveals that the person expressing this opinion to me has never been to France.

My own feelings about the Germans is a little different. I enjoy Germany as well, but always felt like a schoolboy who was in trouble there. I was always getting yelled at for not having the correct change, or for joining a queue at the wrong end (it's not always clear where a line starts and finishes...) or for any number of things.

I've always thought that most Germans were not the verbally/out loud correcting types towards strangers. Rather, we give you the evil eye, imprint you into our brains, and remember you for life. (I am the woman who dared to open a window in a sweltering train carriage in Bavaria more than 25 years ago without asking permission, and am certain that many people remember me) In Salzburg there always seems to be tourists who jump the queue at a certain brezl seller, and we generally all stand quietly until they leave, then share some 'tsk tsking' or eye rolling. Usually the stand owner apologies to US for the tourist's behaviour. Then again, the Austrians tend to be a little better at the famed hospitality at times.

(I've been corrected like a naughty child too, but assumed that it was because I am 'one of us'. Customer service concepts are a little different, and common sense and practicality often overrides warm and fuzziness. Complaning about something such as a broken air conditioner may result in 'well, then open the window!' for instance)

Then again, I am guilty of a few comments myself directed towards people who don't understand the way things work, but usually if they tend to be 'know it alls'. For instance, when the American tourists at my little airport insist on removing shoes after being told several times not to, and then hold us up even more by putting on their plastic booties, or just generally remarking how our security is 'bad' because we don't practice the shoe carnival and don't have MMW or BSX scanners, I do find the need to mutter something to myself in French or German. But I am guilty of the same at LHR in English.

'The French are rude' seems to be a universally held stereotype and is not unique to Americans. Here on FT I have seen people who have never been to France expressing the very same comment, or simply taking that comment at face value from other posters.

We had this very same discussion over dinner the other night (about tourists, and reactions of locals towards certain behaviours) And I will admit that I have been cringing for awhile now about the behaviour of a certain colleague towards the French, and that colleague certainly isn't American.

Just wanted to provide some insight from 'the other side' ie why some of us may leave the impression that we are rude, when in fact we are tired of others being 'rude' towards us. :(

I've always thought that most Germans were not the verbally/out loud correcting types towards strangers. Rather, we give you the evil eye, imprint you into our brains, and remember you for life. ...

...'The French are rude' seems to be a universally held stereotype and is not unique to Americans. Here on FT I have seen people who have never been to France expressing the very same comment, or simply taking that comment at face value from other posters....(

To clarify,
1. My memory of doing the wrong thing in Germany is probably clouded by the mists of time. I probably wasn't yelled at, but they certainly let me know that I was doing the wrong thing. I do believe that the shop assistant in Dortmund was perhaps doing the "if I speak to him slowly and loudly enough in German he will understand" thing that English-speaking people so often do. :D (I have many, many happy memories of Germany and German people. Just don't get me started on the Italians!).

2. My colleagues who are "experts" on the alleged rudeness of the French are not American. This bias seems to be common amongst anglophone people, and rife amongst them when they have never left their own shores.

Your post cracked me up, it's a great insight.

Well, to be fair, English is a somewhat common language to many of us. But it goes back to what chollie was saying about volume.

If you are going to insult people, do it quietly, and don't assume that they don't understand.

One last story in defense of my 'rudeness'... :D It was summer festival in Salzburg, and a few years ago I was at breakfast at a hotel familiar to Americans, about to cross the border for a day of enjoying the city. I was wearing 'modified Trachten' or what is often referred to as 'Landhausstil': black damask long skirt, white short sleeved 'peasant' top, silver heart chain belt, black cord necklace with pendant, and black ballet flats. It is a comfortable outfit perfect for summer concerts, but without the heaviness of the traditional Trachten of my childhood, and suitable for a city which tends to be rather smartly dressed much of the time.

At breakfast (and throughout the day) I heard tourists in English rather loudly mocking the choice of dress of locals, who wore anything from smart casual to Landhausstil to full summer Trachten. This from my American counterparts who were wearing usually what was for a long time the 'tourist uniform' for women my age of khaki cropped pants with elastic waist, white v-necked t-shirt, white socks, big white trainers, etc.

Not only do I believe that I was dressed more appropriately for the setting, but if it came to an episode of 'What Not to Wear' I believe that I would have been able to keep my wardrobe. ;)

The moral of the story is that if one is going to mock the locals, perhaps do so in a language other than English (or other than the local language), or keep your voice down!

I must admit that my greatest annoyance tends to be with tourists who approach one and speak in English (often colloquial, or heavily accented), without even an attempt to try and greet one in local language or acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I see this often in Paris in shops, bakeries, etc and consider it to be rude of the tourist not to even say 'bonjour' or at least acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I even had one recently go off on me in English when I tried to assist him in French, because he was sick of people speaking to him in French apparently. :rolleyes: Imagine that, in France!
I bet he couldn't find any domestic (American) beer there either. No American cheese either. Imported French cheese and wines.

Every country has its own poor quality exports; certainly there are badly behaved Germans around. But this phenonenum is one I have experienced really only with English speakers. (I cannot recall an Italian for instance approaching me in Germany to complain about Germans in Italian) I can only imagine what they say about the French and the Germans when they return home. And I will admit that every now and again I may contribute to the 'rude Frenchwoman' or 'rude German' stereotype when I answer back in French or in German... But by this point in the summer I tend to tire of it, and congratulate those who tirelessly deal with it on a daily basis as part of their jobs. Last night I most likely had a Dutchman who went home to complain about the 'rude French woman' in the airport who berating him for jumping the queue.
Right. There are people who complain about things being wrong, or difficult, when they are just different.
Complaints about the French can be traced to the British. Anglo counries inherited that attitude from the British. I have come across a few rude people in Paris and in CDG. I have spent more time in the country though. I never came across one rude person in the country.

[/QUOTE]I'll have to agree with chollie about the volume issue (there are definitely LOUD Germans too, but more often in a different type of setting) I noticed it again last night on the bus; American voices talking so loudly that we could hear them at the front of the bus from the back of the bus, and it was just general conversations usually of personal nature, or chit chat. Lots of nationalities are known for being loud, but there are many loud English voices around Europe in the summertime which may contribute to the (mis?)perception.[/QUOTE]
We get signals from the media too. For many people, movies and TV shoes is the primary means of learning, history and science included. When they travel, they "see" and "hear" but they already have their mind made up.

I have to agree with exbayern about the positive effects of at least trying to use the local language, no matter how badly you butcher it. It is the attempt that counts. This is one of the single best pieces of advice I ever got, and it has served me well around the world.

I don't pick up languages well (no 'ear'), and in many languages, I almost sound like I have a speech defect (I can't roll or trill my 'R's). But more often than not, just the fact that I tried is appreciated. It gets really fun if you ask someone to explain/clarify some small detail - like when it's appropriate to use 'vielen dank' versus 'danke'. The folks I've encountered really warm up when they realize you are trying to get it right - not just the language pronunciation and grammatical usage, but what is appropriate and respectful in that particular society.

or Texas? We seriously need to require VISAs from those in the lesser 49.:p

How could you disregard Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland...?

Two recent vignettes as we return from our most recent visit to Europe somewhat relevant to this thread...

A half dozen young Germans singing loudly and talking very rudely in their native language on a bus along the Amalfi Coast. When one of them said to his friends, "It's lucky nobody understands German," Mrs. Fredd was tempted to explain that she at least could and reprimand them (her retired teacher instincts) but refrained. They were quite young and more silly than awful.

We were waiting at a bus stop nearby St. Tropez. It was recommended by a waitress at the restaurant where we'd stopped for a beer after a long and hot hike on a sentier. I returned to the restaurant, said "bon jour," and asked the owner/manager in my few words of French if he could assist. When he answered in rapid French I asked "Parlez-vous anglais?" He replied to me in rapid and clearly rude French - all I could pick out was that he was an "immigrant." An English-speaking waiter standing next to him was a little nicer.

Sometimes you can't win for losing. ;)

Oh, and our experiences otherwise in a variety of countries were just great. ^

or Texas? We seriously need to require VISAs from those in the lesser 49.:p

Texas needs a 'phrase book' for visitors - even some of the American folks!

Two recent vignettes as we return from our most recent visit to Europe somewhat relevant to this thread...

A half dozen young Germans singing loudly and talking very rudely in their native language on a bus along the Amalfi Coast. When one of them said to his friends, "It's lucky nobody understands German," Mrs. Fredd was tempted to explain that she at least could and reprimand them (her retired teacher instincts) but refrained. They were quite young and more silly than awful.

We were waiting at a bus stop nearby St. Tropez. It was recommended by a waitress at the restaurant where we'd stopped for a beer after a long and hot hike on a sentier. I returned to the restaurant, said "bon jour," and asked the owner/manager in my few words of French if he could assist. When he answered in rapid French I asked "Parlez-vous anglais?" He replied to me in rapid and clearly rude French - all I could pick out was that he was an "immigrant." An English-speaking waiter standing next to him was a little nicer.

Sometimes you can't win for losing. ;)

Oh, and our experiences otherwise in a variety of countries were just great. ^

OT, but did/do you folks post a trip report?

I've come to the conclusion (especially after two sleepless nights) that almost any large group of young persons whatever nationality are generally uncaring and inconsiderate towards others. This time it was Mexicans on a Quinceañera holiday pushing people, running down hallways, shouting after 4am etc. But recently it was American teenagers building a cheerleading pyramid in one of the great cathedrals of the world, during service. I'm not Catholic, but was trying to worship, and left in tears after that episode of complete disregard for others.

Chollie, interesting what you said about nuances. I think that is why the French are sometimes seen a prickly. There is a ritual to the transaction which includes a greeting before the transaction begins. Approaching the counter and launching into 'Gimmie two of them' does not endear one to people expecting a greeting first. It is similar to the German habit of calling out a greeting when entering and exiting a shop. Americans look at me very oddly indeed when I do that out of habit (although I don't call out 'greet God!' in English ;) )

I do try and adapt as much as possible, but admit that sometimes I become confused. I've been in four countries in two days using four of my languages, and am frankly certain that somewhere along the way I offended someone unintentionally.

I've come to the conclusion (especially after two sleepless nights) that almost any large group of young persons whatever nationality are generally uncaring and inconsiderate towards others. This time it was Mexicans on a Quinceañera holiday pushing people, running down hallways, shouting after 4am etc. But recently it was American teenagers building a cheerleading pyramid in one of the great cathedrals of the world, during service. I'm not Catholic, but was trying to worship, and left in tears after that episode of complete disregard for others.

Chollie, interesting what you said about nuances. I think that is why the French are sometimes seen a prickly. There is a ritual to the transaction which includes a greeting before the transaction begins. Approaching the counter and launching into 'Gimmie two of them' does not endear one to people expecting a greeting first. It is similar to the German habit of calling out a greeting when entering and exiting a shop. Americans look at me very oddly indeed when I do that out of habit (although I don't call out 'greet God!' in English ;) )

I do try and adapt as much as possible, but admit that sometimes I become confused. I've been in four countries in two days using four of my languages, and am frankly certain that somewhere along the way I offended someone unintentionally.

What you witnessed during the church service appalls me, but I've seen it myself. The same type of tourist would be furious if the church started closing to outsiders during services, of course. In Sri Lanka we were told that tourists were almost permanently banned from a particular Buddhist site. Lots of statues of Buddha, including a main one of a sitting Buddha. A tourist got the clever idea to climb in the Buddha's lap to get her picture taken.

Some of these folks show less respect for worshipers than they would to fellow patrons at a movie theater.

I wonder how that same tourist would have reacted if, for example, someone climbed up on the altar in her church and put his/her arm around the crucifix?

I almost mentioned 'shop etiquette' in my post! Some of the most interesting and informative conversations I have had have been with shopkeepers! It's such a small thing, and requires such a small knowledge of the language: 'hello' when you walk in, 'thank you' or similar when you leave. Much more civil than acting like the shopkeeper is a piece of the furniture.

I've come to the conclusion (especially after two sleepless nights) that almost any large group of young persons whatever nationality are generally uncaring and inconsiderate towards others...

Oh indeed. Mrs. Fredd and I individually and collectively took young people on many field trips in a variety of places before retirement. We always prepared them in advance about behavior and etiquette. With very few exceptions, they lived up to our expectations, and we were always there to provide direction (as UA FAs say as part of the warning only to use the lavatories in one's ticketed cabin :D).

Our background as educators is why my assessment of the young Germans' behavior noted above as "silly" but not "awful" was a "professional" opinion. ;)

Once we were at one of the big geysers in Yellowstone and somebody asked a ranger, "Are they supposed to be over there?", pointing out some young French tourists not only off the boardwalks but literally standing at the edge of the geyser peering down into it.

The ranger yelled at them and directed them back. An outraged American went off over to them and said, "How would you like it if we stood on the Eiffel Tower?" :D

...There is a ritual to the transaction which includes a greeting before the transaction begins...

That's something I try to pass along to folks who are making their first trip abroad. How jarring it could be - and how rude it must seem - to have somebody start a conversation in a foreign language (e.g. English) without so much as a greeting or a polite "Do you speak English?" :td:

Fredd, I think you missed my earlier post.

Did/do you and Mrs. Fredd post trip reports? You dropped some tantalizing hints (bus travel, Amalfi Coast) about places on my 'list'.

Fredd, I think you missed my earlier post.

Did/do you and Mrs. Fredd post trip reports? You dropped some tantalizing hints (bus travel, Amalfi Coast) about places on my 'list'.

Yes I did. PM on the way. :)

That's something I try to pass along to folks who are making their first trip abroad. How jarring it could be - and how rude it must seem - to have somebody start a conversation in a foreign language (e.g. English) without so much as a greeting or a polite "Do you speak English?" :td:

I try and explain that to people as well; would they like it if I walked up to them on a street in America and demanded in German for directions, without even an attempt at 'hello' or 'excuse me, I don't speak English'? It's especially frustrating to read on Disney message boards people who get upset when others are 'talkin' furrin' ' on the bus at Disney parks in the US, but who refuse to think that they in turn should learn a few words of local language when they travel in Europe.

chollie, I once was in Thailand and in a temple with a tour guide, who explained why turning ones feet towards Buddha was offensive. She had to correct a man several times and was almost in tears after repeatedly asking him to sit in a different pose. I felt so bad for her.

And it isn't about MY faith; it is about respecting the faith of others, as you note. That is why I don't take photos inside places of worship, and dress appropriately, even if it isn't my particular faith.

I read so often that it is perfectly fine to wear shorts/tank tops even when requested not to do so in certain places of worship around the world. I'm pleased to see recently in Italy and Germany that people are being turned away, or asked to leave, for their attire and their behaviour. I've seen many people denied entry to the Kölner Dom in the past year, and in Padova I heard someone tell a group of tourists 'next photo - OUT!'

A Russian colleague says that the worst tourists are.... Russians. But she also pointed out the numbers impact our perceptions. There are a large number of Russians who are travelling in certain areas of Europe right now, but they are actually a tiny fraction of the overall population, and most of them cannot afford to travel, and not in that style. The same holds true for Americans, I believe. We read here that most do not travel outside the US, but they do tend to be in large numbers in certain areas of the world, and thus the chances of encountering badly behaved ones increases in those areas simply due to the numbers.

There are for instance badly behaved Norwegian tourists, but how often does one encounter a Norwegian tourist in the world compared to other nationalities?

It does not matter where they are from, but the retired crowd is the worst. Or the kettle crowd that does not want to pay more than $.50 a ticket yet still expect the service of the 60s and 70s. Does not matter where they are from, these groups are the worst.

It does not matter where they are from, but the retired crowd is the worst. Or the kettle crowd that does not want to pay more than $.50 a ticket yet still expect the service of the 60s and 70s. Does not matter where they are from, these groups are the worst.

Certainly there's a subset of older Americans who can be a pain - the ones who grew up/matured during the Cold War. The world was a much smaller place then and if you criticized something about the US, it was not uncommon to be told "Then why don't you go live in Russia?" or "So, it's not great. Would you rather live in Russia?' It was patently ridiculous - I remember thinking, even as a small child, 'what about all the other countries?' Many of that post-WWII generation grew up with a profound sense of American exceptionalism - and their limited experience and knowledge of other countries did nothing to educate them more thoroughly. Perhaps the most travelled people (middle/working class) at the time were servicemen - who came back with ugly stories about life in Japan or the Phillippines or Korea.

These folks do tend to go abroad almost like they go to a zoo - to get a taste of 'strange' ("The French women don't shave their armpits, you can't get a decent hamburger, nobody speaks English and OMG...the toilets!"). Because they grew up at a time when you almost imbibed a sense of 'American exceptionalism' with your mother's milk, they are inclined to be judgmental - they know before they ever leave the country that the US is indisputably the best at everything and it can be difficult to convince them otherwise.

I think (hope) going forward that the younger generation will be a bit better, just because society as a whole is getting more 'global'. When I was very young, once in a while you met someone with a penpal from overseas. The amount of readily available information just wasn't there.

When we were stationed in Germany back in the 60s, I learned at a young age how to behave and be treated with respect in other countries. We were visiting the city of Worms one afternoon and were in the city's museum. There was a loudmouthed American woman with a bad attitude just kept getting louder because the German at the museum information desk was not answering her rude request. My dad interceded, and using the German he had picked up so far from our neighbors and the language class he attended on base, asked the man what the lady had been asking. The German smiled and answered in English.

Dad then reprimanded the lady and told her that if she would converse in normal tones, she would find her time in Germany much more pleasant. He also recommended that she try and learn a little German.

Every country has their bad apples that act rude while they are abroad, or at home. As a resident of a state who's primary industry is tourism, I can confirm that.

Since we're stereotyping...

Russians, Israeli's, and Italians I have noticed to be the worst. If someone is pushing you to get off a plane first, they're most likely Russian. If people are arguing out loud yelling at each other in public, they're Israeli. If someone is cutting in line, they're Italian.

I've said before that I am not nationalistic and am not generally loyal to my country of origin so hope that the below does not offend those who are...

Posted (by an American) elsewhere on the interweb (profanity removed):

We went out last night to get something to eat and drink at a classy pub. Well there was a huge group of Americans there screaming and yelling "USA USA USA". One broke a chair and someone else threw up all over the ground. Finally the police came and removed them. Also, while walking around this morning, we saw a group of americans screaming "USA #1, everyone else .. sucks" right in front of kids. A few volunteers asked them to keep it down and they told them to "shut the up".

Every country has its version of football hooligans, but this brings to mind a story I was told over the weekend by a couple who were in Finland at a junior sporting match for a rather low key sport. People kept moving into their seating section during the day, and when asked what the issue was in the other section several said that they were tired of the 'USAUSAUSA' chanting and general boorish nationalistic behaviour demeaning other countries.

Unfortunately, it is something which I do hear and I rarely attend sporting events (that wouldn't be tolerated at equestrian events). I hear it on the streets, or in restaurants, or other public areas. I'm trying to think if I can remember any other nation chanting in that fashion in public areas other than sporting events on a regular basis, and I can't. (Not even the supposedly reprehensible Brasilian children at WDW seem to be that nationalistic, just excited)

While I don't agree with such behaviour even at sporting events, I find it really out of place outside the sports arena and imagine that if a group of us were to join forces and do the same in the US it too would be unpopular. Sure, 'USAUSAUSA' is catchy and easy to chant, but it isn't always appropriate. I think that it is great to take pride in your country if that is what you choose to do, but to do so whilst showing disrespect towards others does create a certain impression.

ExitRoworElse, I do believe that volume adds to perception of rudeness, regardless of the words spoken. Someone once told me that German sounds like a very angry language. I believe that it is because there are a lot of loud Germans when they get together in a group, and the loudness is what creates that impression.

Americans and the Japanese travel the most. At least, that's my perception. I always see Japanese tourists wherever I go.

Come on people..i have travelled for nearly 30 years and in general there are no better tippers than americans and many people are jealous of americans in general. Grow up and stop repeating the same comments about bad americans...most tour guides will tell you americans are the most polite and rewarding when it comes to tipping/order...many of you are jealous or act like sheep

And many of us don't see that as a good thing. I've seen many Americans force tips on people around the world where tips are not the norm. Their behaviour is frankly embarassing, and it also puts the person being forced to accept the tip in an awkward position.

Being 'big tippers' is not something of which to be proud, when one is ignoring the norms of the place where one is visiting.

Nor is America in a situation lately where most people are 'jealous' of Americans.

But your post certainly reinforces what many people find distasteful about tourists (not just Americans)

And many of us don't see that as a good thing. I've seen many Americans force tips on people around the world where tips are not the norm. Their behaviour is frankly embarassing, and it also puts the person being forced to accept the tip in an awkward position.

Being 'big tippers' is not something of which to be proud, when one is ignoring the norms of the place where one is visiting.

Nor is America in a situation lately where most people are 'jealous' of Americans.

But your post certainly reinforces what many people find distasteful about tourists (not just Americans)

^

By coincidence, I have French friends who have also been told by tour guides that they are "the most polite and rewarding ". Also Kiwi friends who have been told the same thing. And Canadian friends, British friends, German friends, all hearing these words. As an Australian, I've been told in the past by tour guides the same thing. Am I wrong, or is there a pattern developing here?

This was probably 20+ years ago, but I met the sales director for the Cumberland Hotel in London. She said that she could always tell when Americans were in the lobby. Europeans and Asians, upon seeing someone they knew, would walk across the lobby to greet. Americans would yell across the lobby.

The reverse situation is also true. My father used to manage a trade association and had meetings and conventions at a hotel down the street from the office. So, he got to be friends with the general manager, sales director, catering director, etc.

This hotel used to have flight crews from European and Asian carriers on layovers. The European crews seemed to be well versed on proper tips for maids, restaurant servers, and bellmen. But the crews from the Asian carriers, particularly the flight attendants weren't tipping. It got to the point where the general manager was contacting airline management to explain that his staff wasn't happy. He even went so far as to decline to renew one carrier's contract, because the crews just didn't understand that they were supposed to tip hotel employees in the U.S.

Come on people..i have travelled for nearly 30 years and in general there are no better tippers than americans and many people are jealous of americans in general. Grow up and stop repeating the same comments about bad americans...most tour guides will tell you americans are the most polite and rewarding when it comes to tipping/order...many of you are jealous or act like sheep

And WTH does tipping or how much $ you throw around have to do with how good an image you project?:confused:

I attended a US-centered conference in Quebec recently and quite a few attendees were grateful the hotel staff all spoke English & the tourist spots took greenbacks, so that the attendees "didn't have to bother learning French".

That's great FWIW, and they laughed at me for my "when in Rome" attitude and pidgin French (Desolee. je ne parle... aw hell. I'm sorry, I don't speak French), but I will tell you right now that their service wasn't as good as mine, the recommendations & tips from the locals were non-existent, and their overall experience was much blander.

I hate it when a certain ethnic group treats the USA like their home countr(ies), so why would I act like that when I'm traveling?

Further note: tour guides? you're basing an assessment of tourist politeness on tour guide comments? Seems like a conflict of interest to me.

Who would steal a Bible? (as noted in the article linked in the first post)

Wouldn't a Christian religious enough to want one have his/her own Bible, as well as know that it says not to steal? (And there is probably one in the next hotel anyway.)

Who would steal a Bible? (as noted in the article linked in the first post)


Gideon bibles meant to be taken, I think.

Weird, Americans tip more than MOST tourists

Weird, Americans tip more than MOST tourists

Tipping doesn't mean 'good' tourists. In many places around the world tipping isn't the norm, and may even be considered offensive. I've seen many examples of embarassing behaviour when Americans tried to force people to accept tips.

Assuming that handing out tips makes one a 'good tourist' is actually what can make one a 'bad' tourist.

Yes well the opposite is just as bad or worse - I've seen some really poorly tipping tourists in American!

It matters a lot for employees in tourist regions (e.g., Times Sq)

Again, tipping doesn't equate to 'good' tourist. Not following or respecting the norms and customs is certainly indicative of someone who is either ignorant or disrespectful.

I'm more likely to give someone a pass for not tipping 'enough' by the ever-increasing US standards (20-25% for a meal now is the 'norml' in the US according to many) rather than someone who chases after and tries to stuff money into hands or pockets, embarassing themselves as well as the recipient.

Fox News is a joke. 78% of Americans have travelled abroad?! Only 1/3 of Americans have passports! (And that's an all-time high).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2012/01/30/record-number-of-americans-now-hold-passports/

Fox News is a joke. 78% of Americans have travelled abroad?! Only 1/3 of Americans have passports! (And that's an all-time high).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2012/01/30/record-number-of-americans-now-hold-passports/

And what percent of Americans are foreign born? Foreign born Americans, their spouse and children are not going to be without passport.
Assuming a family a of four, every foreign born American can induse as many as three more passports to be issued.

Fox News is a joke. 78% of Americans have travelled abroad?! Only 1/3 of Americans have passports! (And that's an all-time high).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2012/01/30/record-number-of-americans-now-hold-passports/

Until recently Americans did not require a passport for travel to Canada, which is absolutely a very different country when it comes to culture and behaviours.

Until recently Americans did not require a passport for travel to Canada, which is absolutely a very different country when it comes to culture and behaviours.

Having lived extensively in both Canada and the U.S., I'm interested in your description of them as "very different."

Perhaps you are making the point that all countries are unique. Otherwise, what countries would you contrast to the U.S. vis a vis Canada as "not very different" from one other?

Having lived extensively in both Canada and the U.S., I'm interested in your description of them as "very different."

Perhaps you are making the point that all countries are unique. Otherwise, what countries would you contrast to the U.S. vis a vis Canada as "not very different" from one other?

Yes, absolutely, I mean that each country is different. Take German and Austria, both German-speaking countries, but very different from each other in a number of ways. Those of us who straddle borders (as do you, I believe) tend to see the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Before the EU, for instance, Germans shopped in Austria for certain things, and vice versa. After the EU, some of that changed, but I still have things which I purchase on either side of the border. That's just one example.

Try calling someone from New Zealand 'Australian' and one will certainly learn that each country is unique from another.

Yes, absolutely, I mean that each country is different. Take German and Austria, both German-speaking countries, but very different from each other in a number of ways. Those of us who straddle borders (as do you, I believe) tend to see the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Before the EU, for instance, Germans shopped in Austria for certain things, and vice versa. After the EU, some of that changed, but I still have things which I purchase on either side of the border. That's just one example.

Try calling someone from New Zealand 'Australian' and one will certainly learn that each country is unique from another.

Gotcha! :) Yes, the Aussies and Kiwis enjoy having a generally good-natured go at each other.

And I think the more outsiders say, "Oh, this is just like..." the more the citizens of whatever country will understandably bristle.

I attended a US-centered conference in Quebec recently and quite a few attendees were grateful the hotel staff all spoke English & the tourist spots took greenbacks, so that the attendees "didn't have to bother learning French".

That's great FWIW, and they laughed at me for my "when in Rome" attitude and pidgin French (Desolee. je ne parle... aw hell. I'm sorry, I don't speak French), but I will tell you right now that their service wasn't as good as mine, the recommendations & tips from the locals were non-existent, and their overall experience was much blander.


This is totally true. It also amazes me how some Americans decide from the get-go that they don't like Quebec because - as far as I can tell - they feel it should just speak English already because it's right next door to the US or something.

Anyway, speaking of ridiculous tourist behavior, can we mock the French now? Can we? Okay, great :D

Last week I was eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant on the UWS of Manhattan, and there was a table of eight (I counted) French people sitting near me. Their dinner conversation was extremely loud, so I could pick up what was going on. When they wanted to catch the waitress' attention, one guy would scream "Excuse me!!" in a very loud, imperious fashion. Then, when they got their check, there was a general squeal of glee coming from the table over the fortune cookies - "OOOOHHH!! Des gateaux!!" Everyone then started reading the fortune cookies out loud so that half the restaurant could hear, but in horribly pronounced English that was impenetrable, and then a discussion ensued over what the fortunes meant in French.

By this point I was ROTFLMAO inside, but it got better. They started going through the bill line by line to determine who would pay what, and then they started questioning items. So they called over the waitress, who explained that, no, they weren't being charged twice for the fried rice dish even though they ordered the first one and decided they didn't like it so sent it back and ordered something else instead, but the second dish they ordered cost more than the first so that was why the price was higher.... Of course not a single one of the French people spoke English well enough to really convey their point or understand the responses, so they were all talking over each other and trying to fill in the blanks, sort of having a Mad Libs conversation while this poor waitress just wanted it to end already.

The French - the gift that keeps on giving :D

Try calling someone from New Zealand 'Australian' and one will certainly learn that each country is unique from another.

In this example the Kiwi would certainly be honoured by the upgrade you've accorded him :D

Yes well the opposite is just as bad or worse - I've seen some really poorly tipping tourists in American!

It matters a lot for employees in tourist regions (e.g., Times Sq)

Ah yes, tourist regions where service is always tip-worthy. That's one aspect to me that stands out in China- the service is never good enough to command a tip anyway. I've had more bellhops remind me that my 1 jiao coin has fallen from my pocket all the while I'm struggling with bags to get into the elevator as the only button that doesn't work is "doors open."

What a useless survey. Why would any responsible publication even publish something like that?

I encounter more Chinese tourists, and they are the ones who are loud and inconsiderate. Actually, I side-eye any large group of tourists, even fellow Singaporeans who travel in a group when I am overseas (not with them). For some reason, some people who join group tours become complete ********** who expect some kind of royal treatment in shops and shout across huge spaces and such. EVERY nationality, to be honest.

Anyway, tipping is rude and NOT appreciated in some countries. People feel uncomfortable when it is not expected, and would not accept it. The Japanese would run out after you to return you the tip, and they just will not accept it.

On Americans: sometimes here at home when I hear English spoken loudly by someone obviously not Singaporean, I would guess that he/she is American and usually I'm right.

Someone (American) once asked me where I am from when I was in Europe. I said Singapore and heard the eyeball-rolling-induced "And which part of China is that...?"

I encounter more Chinese tourists, and they are the ones who are loud and inconsiderate. Actually, I side-eye any large group of tourists, even fellow Singaporeans who travel in a group when I am overseas (not with them). For some reason, some people who join group tours become complete ********** who expect some kind of royal treatment in shops and shout across huge spaces and such. EVERY nationality, to be honest.

Anyway, tipping is rude and NOT appreciated in some countries. People feel uncomfortable when it is not expected, and would not accept it. The Japanese would run out after you to return you the tip, and they just will not accept it.

On Americans: sometimes here at home when I hear English spoken loudly by someone obviously not Singaporean, I would guess that he/she is American and usually I'm right.

Someone (American) once asked me where I am from when I was in Europe. I said Singapore and heard the eyeball-rolling-induced "And which part of China is that...?"

Well, Lee Kuan Yew set y'all on Beijing-time...also, Orchard Road and its surplus of smokers remind me of China at times.

Indeed, my country (the US) isn't known for its geographic awareness, but then again, most countries I have visited don't seem to be. Cambodian kids at Angkor Wat and Singaporeans seem to know their way around a map though!

Twelve years ago, I learned that tipping was taboo in Japan after being chased by a waitress in Tokyo. Arigatou nee.

Cambodian kids at Angkor Wat and Singaporeans seem to know their way around a map though!

That's because Singapore is so tiny and easy to go around on, plus we can't even see ourselves on the world map. The red dots used are usually bigger than the country itself, which is why we are also known as Little Red Dot.

(As someone who lives in the Eastern side of Singapore, I swear that residents from the Western coast look/act different. Verified by other Easterners, even though the metro ride from end-to-end takes about an hour? It's really not that small actually, but I'm bleeding on the inside from the smallness.)

Being American I can't say I agree with the survey but I can see where it comes from. I've seen plenty of terrible American tourists. Part of it stems from not having much vacation. Americans get just two weeks, and then try to cram some foreign trip into a way too short amount of time. This leaves them stressed out and a bit frazzled.

As for the ugly American, you should see the Australians running around Bali!

That's because Singapore is so tiny and easy to go around on, plus we can't even see ourselves on the world map. The red dots used are usually bigger than the country itself, which is why we are also known as Little Red Dot.

(As someone who lives in the Eastern side of Singapore, I swear that residents from the Western coast look/act different. Verified by other Easterners, even though the metro ride from end-to-end takes about an hour? It's really not that small actually, but I'm bleeding on the inside from the smallness.)

But how does that explain Cambodian children? Anyway, I was talking about a world map, not just one of your city-state. (Ryvyan, a very OT question- why does the East-West line not go non-stop from Changi Airport to downtown? Why does it always stop at the station right after the expo centre?)

But how does that explain Cambodian children? Anyway, I was talking about a world map, not just one of your city-state.

Education. For Singaporeans, we have been inculcated from young how despite our size and lack of natural resources, we need to sell our heritage and souls to put on a show for the rest of the world... oh wait, I mean we need to be pragmatic and build our nation in a financially feasible manner while keeping our military strong so nobody would want to fight with us. @:-)

Actually I have a good friend in late 20s who once asked how they could get from France to Paris. I looked like this for a long time --> :eek:

What do you mean by the latter bit? Yeah world map.


(Ryvyan, a very OT question- why does the East-West line not go non-stop from Changi Airport to downtown? Why does it always stop at the station right after the expo centre?)

Eh, lack of brains in SMRT's upper management and general profiteering needs by said idiots :td:

The full East-West line is rather aged with no major upgrades in the past 2 decades (only stations added; Dover Station towards the west was added to the line so the platform layout is different from the other established lines because its lines run in the middle instead of branching out on both sides). Currently the train interval is 1-3 minutes during peak hour. Apparently the system is so old that they can't have trains running more frequently than the current 1.5-2 minutes or so.

Simei, Tampines (major station with great shopping in the suburbs btw) and Pasir Ris are "suburbs" that are on the East-West line east of Tanah Merah Station, which is the interchange for line change to Changi Airport, and the passenger load is already pretty massive at the three stations.

Basically, to have additional trains running from Changi Airport would create a bottleneck situation at the 3 other stations because SMRT is too cheap to want trains running along the East-West line at the same frequency if there is a direct train from Changi Airport all the way to the west. This is basically the reason: $$$

Anyway, the Changi Airport line is new (2001-2002) and the number of passengers is smaller than the rest of the East-West line outside of weekdays when people drop off at Expo and Changi Airport for work. Very poor intervals as well.

You can write to SMRT, but nobody would answer with any sense. Like when I complained to a local bus company once about the late bus departure from the terminal and they told me that it was late coming in from elsewhere. Does not make sense, their planning.

Yes, I am an American tourist. I do talk loud sometimes but do not make a habit out of it. I do my best to be polite. I respect differences and know there are places you simply have to refrain from saying something you should not say. Yes, I've encountered plenty of tourists from different places that were rude, others had great manners. I also do like having the chance to eat at places that do not scream American like McDonald's when traveling - but have tried some of the items in American franchises overseas on a rare basis that do not get served stateside.

This from my American counterparts who were wearing usually what was for a long time the 'tourist uniform' for women my age of khaki cropped pants with elastic waist, white v-necked t-shirt, white socks, big white trainers, etc.



But surely that is the US tourist de rigeur uniform ? ;)
The white socks, trainers and the baseball cap with an eagle or some other bird of prey ? (EDIT: and the pin badges stuck all over the baseball cap of every place they've ever visited 'Sticksville, Utah'.. etc etc)
When I think of the stereotypical american US tourist, that's the image that pops into my head. I see it quite often (50/60%) in London.

In Peru a few years ago, I heard an older US gentleman loudly asking why he couldn't pay in dollars instead of nuevo soles. The younger (under 40) US tourists seem quieter and much more in tune with the local surroundings, though.

I work for a US company and my US colleagues are nothing like the stereotype, so I know you're not all that bad.. ;) :p

Thanks for that info - new to me. ^ Now I know why we heard so much French being spoken as we made our way through the Diamond Jubilee crowds around Buckingham Palace last weekend.

Due to the French finance industry being increasingly squeezed, the mayor of London, has publicly welcomed French finance workers to come to London. Looks like more and more French will be coming here soon, it's only 2.5 hrs on the Eurostar, from Central Paris to London, too.

Ever spent a week in an extended-stay tourist hotel in Palma Mallorca (http://www.seemallorca.com/mallorca/palma-bay.html) trying to find Spanish food and culture in the British pubs that line the streets, complete with wet T-shirt contests, rugby matches advertised on big-screen TVs, all while surrounded by British tourists? We spent a painful hour in a pub there one night watching an Elvis impersonator with what sounded like a Cockney accent to us. I suppose you could call it multi-culturalism. :D



Yep.
Sadly, Mallorca is very popular with that sort of english tourist. Awful. British 'pubs' serving a 'full english' (ie a cooked breakfast) and cheap, nasty lager. The Costa Brava and Costa Blanca in Spain are well known for that, my idea of holiday hell ! I apologise for the behaviour of my country folk who have no sense of discretion in a foreign country.

Great thread - but wouldn't the world be a boring place if we were all the same?

Just remembered how annoyed/annoying I was in Hong Kong the first time I went. And in Paris.

Too few toilets, too difficult to find. In Paris, I had to buy a cup of espresso at McD (because it is the cheapest) to use the toilet. In Hong Kong, I had to beg a staff of a shop to open up the toilet at the mall because I really needed to use it and they are all locked.

I try to be sensitive but I fly into a rage (of sorts but not really; just totally turned into those type of traveller who complains about how my country is so much better etc.) when I don't get nice toilets. I used to hold in my bladder for the 6 hours the entire time in the coach from Singapore to KL/Genting because the toilets at the stops were disgusting (too many travellers, too few cleaning sessions). The first thing I did when I reached the hotel is to use the toilet.

The first photo I took when I reached Tokyo was the toilet.

The Ugly American is unfortunately, very common. I have seen it myself.

I remember getting out of a taxi in Florence, Italy, at the train station. The taxi behind us pulled up and two retirement age, well off Americans got out angry, the woman complaining that she was going to report the taxi driver for driving like a maniac (It's ITALY, famous for their de-facto NO TRAFFIC RULES). That would work in England, the US, and Canada. In Italy they would just laugh at her. She demanded the cab drivers name and his bosses name and threw in "We are AMERICAN, and we don't put up with that!". Good luck lady.

I was in a cafe in Spain, and once again, an older couple got nasty with a local worker, demanding REAL AMERICAN COFFEE!

While in Scottland I witnessed a bunch of frat boys getting rounded up by the police for being drunk and disorderly, causing all kinds of chaos, . One of them piped up with "I am American and your stupid laws don't apply to me!"

Anyone remember that story from the early 90's? American kid in Singapore got a can of spray paint, and walked up the street spraying parked cars with it. Of all the places to do such a thing, Singapore is probably the worst choice. He got arrested and was sentenced to lashings with a cane. There was a huge uproar about it stateside, demanding that Clinton intervene. On one side of the argument, folks screaming that an american not be lashed with a cane, on the other, folks insisting that he did the crime and needed to do the time under local law. Unfortunately, the outraged won out and Singapore backed off with a lighter sentence.

Being American does not get you diplomatic immunity, unless you are a diplomat. And you have to accept the culture of the country you are in.

Of course, in my experience the Germans are not that great either.

I try to be sensitive but I fly into a rage (of sorts but not really; just totally turned into those type of traveller who complains about how my country is so much better etc.) when I don't get nice toilets.

Some of the best/cleanest toilets I have encountered are in Germany, with France generally quite good. Some of the worst were in the UK and in America (and I've been places around the world with squat toilets; I would rather use those than some of the ones I have seen in those countries, including in the American Disney parks which are frankly disgusting most of the time)

CDTraveler has a thread about hooks in women's toilet stalls; apparently those are a rarity in American toilets, but they are absolutely commonplace in other places.

I've never had difficulty finding a public toilet in France that I can recall.

pinworm, I swear that I saw the same woman getting out of a taxi in Beijing. I was so embarassed for her.

Was recently in Prague and everybody, I mean everybody knew I was American. They would always speak to me in English first. I asked my landlord how this could be. He said you wear white socks, and are really large (1.95 m 110 kg) the only other nationality I could possibly be is Swedish. This still confuses me.

I was then in Budapest and fit in much better. A few times someone would come up to me and just talk away in Hungarian, like they were asking for advice or directions. :confused: I would say "excuse, Americana tourista," they'd be a little surprised, we'd smile and shrug, say OK, etc.

Never did figure it out.

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Is there something about Americans which annoys Australians? In Europe, it seems I often rub them wrong from the get go.....but then I do that to a lot of Americans too. :rolleyes:

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In Europe, folks often ask me if I'm Canadian (there are Albertans who are a little like me). I figure that's a way of being polite to Canadians. (Better to confuse an American as Canadian than vice versa)

Well, white socks are something I wore as a young girl with black patent shoes. I would only wear them as an adult for athletic endeavours.

I think that it also is realistic to assume that Prague has had more American tourists than Budapest (and that certainly was my experience in both cities).

Also, don't forget that especially in countries in central and eastern Europe, the linguafranca may be Russian, or English, even amongst 'Europeans'. If I am in a country where I cannot get by in one of my languages, and we are trying to find a mutual language, German and French don't get me far in centain places (nor do Spanish or Italian) Usually if a common language is found, for me it is English.

It's still a holdover from recent world events. In Slovenia, just on the other side of the Austrian border, I found only one local person who spoke broken schoolbook German. People of my generation and a little younger had grown up learning local language and Russian in school, not German, and not English.

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Is there something about Americans which annoys Australians? In Europe, it seems I often rub them wrong from the get go.....but then I do that to a lot of Americans too. :rolleyes:
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Sort of. I'm reasonably tolerant of other nationalities when I travel, but if a foreigner annoys me, well, nine times out of ten it will be an American (the other one out of ten will likely be a fellow Aussie.)

Having said that, in the good old days when I used to visit the US I found the people to be wonderful.

In Paris for two weeks this summer and the rudest tourists - by far - were the Chinese. It wasn't even close. Time after time. Case in point, my wife was trying to take one simple pic of Mona L and a Chinese woman proceeded to poke her in the back repeatedly trying to get her to move. Just one of a dozen egs that I could list. I was shocked.

Sort of. I'm reasonably tolerant of other nationalities when I travel, but if a foreigner annoys me, well, nine times out of ten it will be an American (the other one out of ten will likely be a fellow Aussie.)

Having said that, in the good old days when I used to visit the US I found the people to be wonderful.

I wonder if the Australian economy might have a little to do with this. Could it be the Aussies are a bit tired of Yanks' attitudes when they feel a little exceptional themselves? You guys are doing really well!

I mean we can appear profligate compared to other English speaking peoples.

BTW, I visited with an Aussie motorcyclist in Safeway this summer. I asked, are people being good to you?....he said yeah. ;)

Having said that, in the good old days when I used to visit the US I found the people to be wonderful.


I find the reverse with the English.

When I meet English people on the road, they are always friendly and nice and become instant friends. But when I go to England, I find them to be the most miserable, mean spirited, sad .......s who enjoy twisting the knife for it's own sake. The weather is terrible, the food is terrible, the class system is heavy and palpable, and they become utter .......s at every turn.

Americans are [redacted] on the road, but very welcoming and friendly at home.

Strange

I find the reverse with the English.

When I meet English people on the road, they are always friendly and nice and become instant friends. But when I go to England, I find them to be the most miserable, mean spirited, sad .......s who enjoy twisting the knife for it's own sake. The weather is terrible, the food is terrible, the class system is heavy and palpable, and they become utter .......s at every turn.

Americans are .......s and a-holes on the road, but very welcoming and friendly at home.

Strange

Hadn't occured to me about the Brits but come to think of it I agree with you. Especially about the food, which may be the reason for the rest of it.

I wonder if the Australian economy might have a little to do with this. Could it be the Aussies are a bit tired of Yanks' attitudes when they feel a little exceptional themselves? You guys are doing really well!

I mean we can appear profligate compared to other English speaking peoples.

BTW, I visited with an Aussie motorcyclist in Safeway this summer. I asked, are people being good to you?....he said yeah. ;)

You might mean the exchange rate, rather than the economy. Our economy has always been robust but it's only the last couple of years that our dollar has risen against the Euro and US dollar, having been down for many years. But no, that's probably not it because our attitudes to Americans haven't really changed in my living memory.

When I was in Paris earlier this year, there were noticably more Americans than when I was there at the same time in 2011 and I witnessed some really horrible sights and sounds. From the fat middle aged "gent" who stood up in a bistro and shouted "what do I have to do to get a drink around here?" to the blonde teenager in the street who was shouting to her parents about "the waiter just ignored me and pretended not to understand what I was saying. I mean, the waiters back home..." (sorry, didn't mean this to become an anti-American rant, just two examples that stick with me).

As for the cyclist's comment, well, every Aussie I know who has traveled to the US (and that's nearly everyone I know, at some stage) raves about how well they have been treated there. Enigmatic.

I am part of an Airport Transfer Chauffeur Service in London and I think Americans are terrific tourists, very friendly and great people in general. I don't agree with this survey and people shouldn't get angry over it.

That's because Americans have been brainwashed for years - decades - by having it proclaimed as fact that they are the world's worst tourists.

No question that Canadians at least are pleased to back up that opinion and excited to plaster themselves with maple leaves to make sure the world knows they are not Americans. A tour guide recently told me he's had Canadians get angry with him for wrongly assuming they were Americans. :D

As a cross-section of citizens of other countries travel abroad, more similar to the American demographics of earlier years, we'll find there are lots of new contenders for the "world's worst tourists nationality" title.

When I backpacked in Europe a few years ago, I saw so many Canadians with their maple leaf flag on the back of their packs. It was almost insulting that they were so worried about being mistaken for Americans. I sewed a Canadian flag with a red circle and cross out on mine just to let people know I wasn't Canadian. This was in 2003 just after the Iraq invasion and there were hardly any Americans in Europe anyway. I have nothing against Canada, I love it there. I'm just not Canadian and sewing an American flag on the pack would seem so nationalistic.

I've found Spaniards particularly obnoxious as one time I was in a restaurant and they were getting very loud, probably went through 5 bottles of wine, and then the 12 year old child marched into the kitchen barefoot to get the waiters attention (the parents didn't mind at all). I'm sure that's not representative of all of them, but that's more obnoxious than the majority of American tourists I've encountered.

Based on my experience, Liechtensteiners are the world's worst tourists, having met one who insisted on singing the Kaiserlich Bömischen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDlYKrkQK8) everywhere he went.

Considering the Liechtenstein population (https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:LIE&dl=en&hl=en&q=population%20of%20liechtenstein), do you think that could possibly be an unfair generalization? :p

We're # 1, we're #1 ! U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A !

CDTraveler has a thread about hooks in women's toilet stalls; apparently those are a rarity in American toilets, but they are absolutely commonplace in other places.
...wandered into this thread by mistake and found my name being taken in vain. ;)

I would not say purse hooks are a rarity in the U.S. nor would I say they are universal in other places. When I started the thread you mention, the economy in many places was still further down than it is now, and I think that was reflected in deferred maintenance/minor repairs, such as replacing purse hooks in restrooms. Over the past 12 months I have seen far fewer hooks missing than for the couple years before then.

Perhaps this is a reflection of America's obsession with cleanliness, but when traveling in certain parts of western Europe the lack of hand soap in public restrooms bothered me, especially in the department store that charged a full Euro to use the loo. (But it did have a purse hook)

Perhaps this is a reflection of America's obsession with cleanliness, but when traveling in certain parts of western Europe the lack of hand soap in public restrooms bothered me, especially in the department store that charged a full Euro to use the loo. (But it did have a purse hook)

America's obsession with cleanliness, huh? It's easy to install a soap dispenser/hand drier and pat one's self on the back, but I'm loathe to believe the people (or, my fellow citizens) always avail themselves to soap and a paper towel. And let's not forget how most restroom doors aren't left open/many still have handles, which negates washing hands in the first place. Also, Japan and cleanliness are more likely to go together, yet so often there isn't any soap (check out the showers at the NH *G lounge at NRT, for instance), and people handing out tissues (because restrooms don't always have paper towels/driers) aren't everywhere.

Actually, my issue is with signs. An inanimate object looks condescending ("No smoking," "Employees must wash hands," etc) but without someone there to enforce it they just start to collect as much dirt as the person ignoring them. Now, policing restrooms is ehem...a bit OMNI, and I'm willing to believe most of the meals I have eaten around the world, particularly in China (or at a Waffle House in Covington, Kentucky), were made without washed hands, yet somehow I keep eating in those restaurants no sweat, no qualms.

What this has to do with tourism, I'm not sure, at the same time I've gathered these thoughts from traveling, so...

America's obsession with cleanliness, huh? It's easy to install a soap dispenser/hand drier and pat one's self on the back, but I'm loathe to believe the people (or, my fellow citizens) always avail themselves to soap and a paper towel. And let's not forget how most restroom doors aren't left open/many still have handles, which negates washing hands in the first place. Also, Japan and cleanliness are more likely to go together, yet so often there isn't any soap (check out the showers at the NH *G lounge at NRT, for instance), and people handing out tissues (because restrooms don't always have paper towels/driers) aren't everywhere.

Actually, my issue is with signs. An inanimate object looks condescending ("No smoking," "Employees must wash hands," etc) but without someone there to enforce it they just start to collect as much dirt as the person ignoring them. Now, policing restrooms is ehem...a bit OMNI, and I'm willing to believe most of the meals I have eaten around the world, particularly in China (or at a Waffle House in Covington, Kentucky), were made without washed hands, yet somehow I keep eating in those restaurants no sweat, no qualms.

What this has to do with tourism, I'm not sure, at the same time I've gathered these thoughts from traveling, so...
WOW. :rolleyes:

Bit of a hot button topic for you?

...wandered into this thread by mistake and found my name being taken in vain. ;)

I would not say purse hooks are a rarity in the U.S. nor would I say they are universal in other places. When I started the thread you mention, the economy in many places was still further down than it is now, and I think that was reflected in deferred maintenance/minor repairs, such as replacing purse hooks in restrooms. Over the past 12 months I have seen far fewer hooks missing than for the couple years before then.

Perhaps this is a reflection of America's obsession with cleanliness, but when traveling in certain parts of western Europe the lack of hand soap in public restrooms bothered me, especially in the department store that charged a full Euro to use the loo. (But it did have a purse hook)

AHHHH, but I've been thinking of you again... So the poor economy in Portugal can still sustain not ONE but TWO hooks inside the lavs on TAP. :p But I am still on a hook search - last time I had a loo with no hook was somewhere in a temporary toilet in France last week, and inside the very nice lounge at EVN (which was a surprise) a few months ago.

Hooks aside, I have some votes from this week for 'worst tourists' - in Berlin definitely the UK visitors at the Christmas markets, and in Paris definitely the Australians behind me in the queue at the bakery. The American DL flyers on the bus at CDG came a close third.

It just goes to show once again that poor behaviour is not unique to one country or one culture.

AHHHH, but I've been thinking of you again... So the poor economy in Portugal can still sustain not ONE but TWO hooks inside the lavs on TAP. :p But I am still on a hook search - last time I had a loo with no hook was somewhere in a temporary toilet in France last week, and inside the very nice lounge at EVN (which was a surprise) a few months ago.Not fair! :) You're pushing me back to college Econ classes now to explain the bell curve of service workers in various types of economies and I know I'm going to get half the details wrong, and somebody on FT is guaranteed to correct me. It goes something like at the top and bottom of the curve (which represents a spectrum of economic well being of a country) there are more low wage service workers, such as might do jobs like replacing purse hooks or maintaining loos, but in the middle of the spectrum there is more demand for higher wage jobs, less money for maintenance type work and fewer unskilled workers. There were of course far more variables than I can remember in this economic model, but I didn't even want to think about it in the first place! ;)

Hooks aside, I have some votes from this week for 'worst tourists' - in Berlin definitely the UK visitors at the Christmas markets, and in Paris definitely the Australians behind me in the queue at the bakery. The American DL flyers on the bus at CDG came a close third.
Today I would nominate Germans as both the best and worst of tourists based on my recent encounters. We had a tour boat ride spoiled for us by a group 10 stinking drunk (literally stinking, I think they were wearing as much beer as they had consumed) Germans who spent the whole time shouting and singing, and based on their comments, this group thought Hitler hadn't gone far enough.

But then just a couple weeks ago 3 very bemused young men with German passports helped out my scavenger hunt team by posing for a photo in front of the Liberty Bell with passports in hand.

It just goes to show once again that poor behaviour is not unique to one country or one culture. Nor is courtesy and kindness.

and in Paris definitely the Australians behind me in the queue at the bakery.

Yay! We win! Ok, only in the minor category of "Worst Behaviour in a Bakery", but still a win nonetheless.

Yay! We win! Ok, only in the minor category of "Worst Behaviour in a Bakery", but still a win nonetheless.

'Worst Behaviour Outside a Bakery' - the queue was rather long. :p And I did listen to the conversation for some time which confirmed that they were not from NZ, even if my ear is not always able to catch the difference in accent.

Nor is courtesy and kindness. True. There are 'good' and 'bad' tourists from every culture and every country. And frankly, everyone probably has had a 'bad tourist' moment in their lives, often without realising it. Or just like in real life at home, most people have had moments of crankiness or bad behaviour whilst travelling.

Such a strange article, I think Americans are the most noticable.. but I don't know about the worst.

Such a strange article, I think Americans are the most noticable.. but I don't know about the worst.

In general if you're noticing them there's likely to be a problem.

In general if you're noticing them there's likely to be a problem.Nah, it's the hot pink rain jacket and the white sneakers. :D

Seriously, tho, on my first trip to the Netherlands every time I wore the hot pink jacket some elderly person would come up to me, shake my hand and thank me for the Americans who liberated their country. Days without the pink jacket: the local spoke to me in German and I got lousy service in restaurants. (I guess you can tell what my coloring is).

Yes, that was a few years back, but not every time an American gets noticed is it for a negative reason.


P.s. I no longer wear white sneakers when traveling in Europe

Based on my experience, Liechtensteiners are the world's worst tourists, having met one who insisted on singing the Kaiserlich Bömischen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDlYKrkQK8) everywhere he went.

Considering the Liechtenstein population (https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:LIE&dl=en&hl=en&q=population%20of%20liechtenstein), do you think that could possibly be an unfair generalization? :p

ROFL. I want to meet him. The Liechtensteiner Polka is straight off my grandfather's records, and I used to whistle it going to German class. It's also a great tool with which to annoy Germans...


On a more serious note, I've noticed two about Americans: the well-travelled ones are superb: Urbane, possibly multi-lingual, and often well-dressed (and painfully aware of stereotypes concerning Americans). The much larger mass of "once in a decade" travellers are the issue with a lack of awareness and those hideous tourist outfits.

I think the "ugly American" has been supplanted by the ugly Ukrainian, the ugly Chinese, and maybe the ugly Indian.

I'll never forget the sight of Ukrainian girls in miniskirts and 7-inch heels tottering around the souks of Cairo, or the Chinese tourists smoking, flicking their butts into the pristine waters of Palau...


PS

I think the "ugly American" has been supplanted...

As one of the FT ancients who actually read the book, and not to detract from your point, I'll mention that the "Ugly American" was actually the hero of the 1958 novel of that name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_American).

The "ugly American" of the book title fundamentally refers to the plain-looking engineer Atkins, who lives with the local people, who comes to understand their needs, and who offers genuinely useful assistance with small-scale projects such as the development of a simple bicycle-powered water pump. It is argued in the book that the Communists are successful because they practice tactics similar to those of Atkins.

Russians - OMG.

russian tourists are by far the most annoying because of their dB level in yelling. English aren't far off either on that account. American tourists are often like the French a bit reserved, sometimes quite arrogant. But still nicer than the french when you approach them it seems.

But Ibiza in the peakmonths are a nightmare for football-loving UK middleaged idiots and screaming russians...

For that matter, I've heard residents of Colorado complain about the Texans, and people in various states disparage "California drivers."

I think the stereotypes provide a villain to associate with a particular type of behavior - regardless of whether the offender was from said place or not. I would hardly consider California drivers saintly, but I have to roll my eyes when I hear that stereotype just because sometimes it is obviously not relevant to what is going on. It is just a way of blaming local problems on people "from somewhere else." My favorite instance: I was in a cab in Las Vegas. I was just telling the driver I'm more than happy to take a cab when on the strip to avoid driving because it is so congested when we get cut off by a car changing lanes 40' before they intended to turn.

Cab driver: "There's one of them now. That's a California driver. They come across the border and ruin everything."

Me: "How do you know they're from California?"

Cab driver: "I can tell. They probably drove in for the weekend."

Me: "The car had Nevada plates"

Cab driver: "It was probably a rental car."

Me: "It was a ten year old Saturn. There is no way that was a rental car."

Cab driver: "Even worse. They just moved here and got new plates. They all move here and take our jobs and ruin everything."

Me: "It had a license plate frame from a Saturn dealer in Henderson and a tattered UNLV bumper sticker."

Cab driver: "You must be from California."

:rolleyes:


Based on my experience, Liechtensteiners are the world's worst tourists, having met one who insisted on singing the Kaiserlich Bömischen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDlYKrkQK8) everywhere he went.

Considering the Liechtenstein population (https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:LIE&dl=en&hl=en&q=population%20of%20liechtenstein), do you think that could possibly be an unfair generalization? :p

Lol :D

Cab driver: "You must be from California."

:rolleyes:

Well... your profile says, Location: San Jose, CA (SJC/SFO)

The worst kind of Californian :p

BTW, it's obvious the driver was from California. Probably stole borrowed the car from a local!

I stayed at a holiday hotel in Turkey it was very nice for 3 days then a 100 Russians turned up ,It was aweful , I have never met such a rude unfriendly race ...

I've got one word for the said survey "Stereotyping"

I've got one word for the said survey "Stereotyping"

Actually, I believe that word applies to much of this thread.

However, spring is coming in Paris.... which means that my opinions may be subject to change. :p

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc



Sweet Willie could NOT have said it better myself, have seen it a few times a FAT American tourist throwing a fit because he can't find Mc Donalds; they should just stay home :D

Biting tongue, biting tongue.... and paging Lewisc, who now knows the locations of 'MacDo' in Venice. ;)

(But really, do we need to have the dancing Subway sandwich on the street corner in Paris, land of the best baguette sandwiches?)

Biting tongue, biting tongue.... and paging Lewisc, who now knows the locations of 'MacDo' in Venice. ;)

(But really, do we need to have the dancing Subway sandwich on the street corner in Paris, land of the best baguette sandwiches?)

Non non non et NON! :D

Non non non et NON! :D

Well, now that I threw my buddy Lewis under the bus, I will point out that he asked for the MacDo locations in order to help a FTer - a Canadian FTer. (And no, there are no Timmies in Venice, thankfully; the crappy doughnut craze seems to have been stopped by the Channel, at least for now, but AAARGH - see below!)

Krispy Kreme International is currently looking for franchisees in the following countries:

Spain
Portugal
France
Germany
Belgium
Norway
Holland
Sweden
Finland
Greece
Italy

The Americans I know do not spend thousands of dollars to travel overseas to look for the nearest "McDonalds" - what a rubbish stereotype.

All of these stereotypes are outdated. Americans, believe it or not, are actually interested in other cultures because it is novel - they are looking for a new experience. Else they wouldn't go abroad.

They may be overly friendly and gregarious at times, but would you rather have the alternative of rudeness? I wouldn't.

I have also found the Americans and Australians to be very similar overseas. But the Americans do get the credit for all the marvelous inventions we all love - cars, air conditioning, the aeroplane, internet browsers, Apple!....... got to love them! They are surely the target of a lot of "sibling rivalry" from some other places..........

They also know how to wait in a queue properly!:D

But the Americans do get the credit for all the marvelous inventions we all love - cars, air conditioning, the aeroplane, internet browsers, Apple!....... got to love them! They are surely the target of a lot of "sibling rivalry" from some other places..........

They also know how to wait in a queue properly!:D

Seriously, people fawn over you because you share a birthplace with people who came up with ideas for things like bad coffee from places like Starbucks and bugged computer programs?

And I'm sorry to break it to you, but more than once I've been on the end of an attempted line break by someone who needs to buy a train ticket ahead of me purely because they come from somewhere like Buffalo Poo Indiana.

Seriously, people fawn over you because you share a birthplace with people who came up with ideas for things like bad coffee from places like Starbucks and bugged computer programs?


Psst. He said 'rubbish' and 'queue'. Those ain't American terms. I have also found the Americans and Australians to be very similar overseas But that did make me think immediately of you, I will admit. :D

There is currently something on the front page of FT about stereotypes. The grammar is odd so I'm not certain if it's meant to be tongue in cheek ie poking fun at stereotypes, or actual sentiment, but I take this entire thread to be full of stereotypes.

why do you guys feel the French are the worst tourists?

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc

^ THIS

in my experience, i have encountered countless american tourists in morocco, thailand, china, italy, costa rica, etc, etc complaining and complaining that stuff is just not like it is back home.

what the HECK? if you wanted it to be like it is back home, don't go to chiang mai, go to orlando or san diego (no offense to either of those places), DON'T schlep half way around the world and whine that thais or moroccans can't understand what you mean.

in my travel experiences i have not witnessed those of other nationalities act out in this way. it's easy to see why the 'worst tourist' assessment was made.

:confused:

The worst part is that many places transform to meet those needs. Especially Times Square, which is home to gourmet meals such as McDonalds, Red Lobster, and from Guy Fieri :rolleyes:

Seriously, wipe that look off your face when we who grew up in New York tell you we nearly never have a reason to go to Times Square (at least the surface level :D)

Some Brits make awful tourists too.

Try Torremelinos or MegaMuff in Spain and the Balearics. Playa De Las Americas in Tenerife is rife with them too.

in my travel experiences i have not witnessed those of other nationalities act out in this way. it's easy to see why the 'worst tourist' assessment was made.

To be fair, groups tend to be very different from individuals. IME, groups will far more often (& far more gleefully, IMO) descend into their national stereotypes. Individuals are just that - individual and variable.

Yes the Russian group on the Eurostar, from London to Paris,drunk, loud and obnoxious. In Paris it was a competition between the Chinese and Italians for rude behavior.

The drunken Italians teenagers running through Darling Harbour Sydney, screaming obscenities and insults, weren't amusing, but what prompted me to post was the elderly, very well dressed, softy spoken American, who very politely asked for me directions,as he was lost and trying to find the Opera House (Sydney) he thanked me for my time (which was all of about 40 seconds) and shook my hand, while saying goodbye.

That encounter left me speechless because he was such an exception to the stereotype !

Deleted

:confused: What are we looking at? If we are critiquing wardrobe choices I could stand outside my flat and take photos of inappropriately dressed people from various countries, but I don't see the point. I see far worse at the MCO theme parks, frankly.

If there is something I am missing in the photo, please let me know. I don't agree with the vast majority of American FTers on the 'fashion' threads, but I don't feel the need to post photos of the middle aged American women wearing pyjamas around Paris.

Seriously, people fawn over you because you share a birthplace with people who came up with ideas for things like bad coffee from places like Starbucks and bugged computer programs?

And I'm sorry to break it to you, but more than once I've been on the end of an attempted line break by someone who needs to buy a train ticket ahead of me purely because they come from somewhere like Buffalo Poo Indiana.

You seem to be one of those with the "sibling rivalry" issue.

The Americans have out-invented the Australians a thousand times over. And they have a great deal more Nobel Prizes. That is fact, not emotion. All you have to do is Google it!

How you came to the conclusion that I am American is beyond me. Maybe you should befriend one, rather than focusing so much intensity on complaining about them.

I seriously doubt that you know a single American, but you certainly have a multitude of negative opinions about them from your posts. I sense an "issue".

As an American who has been abroad a bit, I can see Americans being voted worst as it seems to me that many want a US travel experience when visiting a different country, rather than accepting the culture/tradition/food of where they are traveling to. Where's McDonald's? Where's Mickey Mouse? How come these locals don't speak English? etc etc

+1

I've encountered the good, the bad and the ugly from every nationality, but overall, the Americans seem more prone to trying to dominate everything - they want 'American' food (usually McD's, pizza and American-style Mexican), English translations on menus, good local command of the English language, and to export their views on tipping.

IME, Americans are much more likely to judge ("these brats aren't as good (in Germany) as the hotdogs we get back home because there's no onions", "I'm going to tip the way we do in America because we're not cheap in America") instead of observing differences ("wow - fresh tomatoes and cucumbers on the breakfast buffet", "what do locals consider a generous tip?").

And they judge LOUDLY, as though everyone else is stupid for not speaking American.

That's just from page 1.

And both those posters are.... American. :D

I don't know how accurate 'a thousand times over' is, but with 22,600,000 or so vs 313,910,000 or so, it isn't surprised that the country with the larger population has resulted in more inventions and Nobel prizes. But then again, many of those American inventors were originally from another country.

There have been votes for many countries on this thread, not just Americans. Many are posting from their own travel experiences. Someone for instance who travels to Paris in summer may encounter more Americans vs someone who travels to Paris in winter and encounters more Italians. The summer traveller may vote one way, while the winter traveller may vote another.

Or not.

But considering that yesterday was a nice springlike Sunday in Paris, I'll just bite my tongue.

But considering that yesterday was a nice springlike Sunday in Paris, I'll just bite my tongue.

I don't! With multiple passports I can pick and choose what cliche I want to fulfill on any given trip! :)

But the Americans do get the credit for all the marvelous inventions we all love - cars, air conditioning, the aeroplane, internet browsers, Apple!....... got to love them!
Wrong on at least two of those

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-items-not-invented-by-who-you-think-2011-8?op=1

Wrong on at least two of those

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-items-not-invented-by-who-you-think-2011-8?op=1

German:

In fact, it was a German contemporary, Karl Benz, who was awarded the first patent for an automobile fueled by gas in 1886.

Kiwi:
In March of 1902, the New Zealand farmer took flight for roughly 350 yards (by most eyewitness accounts) in a monoplane aircraft before crashing into a hedge


German:
Instead, German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen was first, and to this day X-rays are called "Röntgen rays" in his native language.


French:
But Frenchman Louis Le Prince was the first to shoot moving pictures on paper film.

French:
While Edison may have invented the phonograph, with its ability to play back recordings, it was the invention of the phonautograph in 1857 that gave us the first machine to record audio

:D

(I will admit that I was mistaken on the Kiwi; I was going to give the French credit for that one so thanks for teaching me something!) And pffft! Most Germans wouldn't classify air conditioning as one of the world's great inventions. ;) I'll add another stereotype to the thread by saying that our friends from down under tend to be a lot of fun.

You seem to be one of those with the "sibling rivalry" issue.
.

(Shrug) if you say so.

I guess I just can't summon enough interest to become as overexcited about it as some

The French, no doubt about that.

I do think some people from UK are a pain in the ... as well when they are touristing outside UK.

i would say they forgot the italians:)....

The typical American tourist, resplendid in his uniform of either jeans or shorts, white socks and ditto XL trainers, polo and sometimes a plastic bag for a jacket, cap on top, may present the biggest traveler stereotype there is. And for quite good reasons too. Some within that group are a bit tosserish, but then again there's hardly a group of nationally defined tourists who haven't got their fair share of tossers too.

But to my mind, which I must admit is hindered by the fact I've only been to 60 odd rather than 200 odd countries, the worst tourists defined by nationality are - by a country mile - those hailing from the shores of Mother Russia. Everything you can think of as "bad tourist behaviour" you may amplify by several magnitudes before you get to the atrocities these idiots commit. I dare you to visit any southern facing shoreline along the Mediterranean coast during July, and not be appalled by what you see, should you encounter a colony of the aforementioned specimen of ill-adjusted scum.

'sides that, Italians are pretty bad, and the Chinese can be really bad too. For the Italians, I don't really know what causes it. The Chinese has the same problem the Russians do: Too much money gained too fast and no idea how to handle it all, eminently displaying to all the true meaning of "rich b@stard".

I'm thus afraid the US has lost the crown it once held as "worst tourists", and handing it over to the new economies of the world. I wonder what the Brazilians and Indians will be like when they start an invasion in 5 or 10 years?

. I dare you to visit any southern facing shoreline along the Mediterranean coast during July, and not be appalled by what you see, should you encounter a colony of the aforementioned specimen of ill-adjusted scum.

Eh. I don't just visit, I live there. I don't have much issue with the Russians, or the Italians, nor with the Italians who flock to Paris in winter. Since I relocated recently I take the line 1 much more often and am exposed to tourist central on a regular basis.

But with the promise of Disney cruises returning not just in 2013, but also in 2014, I shudder with anticipation. The online chatter has already begun about bringing enough toilet paper (because apparently we use leaves here) and other such nonsense which is common on certain leisure websites about how they can best endure their visit to this backwards part of the earth. Sundays were nice and quiet last year, but I'm already considering a change for this summer.