I thought Americans were the worst tourists!

When did we loose our ranking as rudest and most obnoxious tourists?


Britons are rated the world's rudest tourists
By Cahal Milmo
19 July 2002

To legions of weary Greek restaurateurs, Italian waiters and Spanish barmen, it will come as no surprise – Britons are the rudest, brashest, most tongue-tied and least desirable holidaymakers in the world.

A global survey of tourism officers has found that the inhabitants of the UK are the nightmare of hoteliers, souvenir sellers and ice cream vendors from Ibiza to Bangkok. Were the universal loathing of 17 of the most popular holiday destinations not bad enough, it seems the best regarded travellers are those traditional rivals for the poolside loungers, the Germans.

The poll, by the travel company Expedia, ranked each nation on criteria ranging from respect for hosts to tipping, and general behaviour to ability to speak a foreign language. Britons came lowest in all but one of the criteria, scoring a total of minus 44, some 38 points fewer the next worst behaved, the Irish and Israelis, and 83 behind the Germans.

The Americans were ranked as the most polite, while the Germans made the most effort to use their hosts' language, and the Italians were most willing to try local delicacies. Britons, along with Russians and Spaniards, were found to be the most likely to talk loudly in their own language to try to make themselves understood.

The only consolation for Britain's boorish masses is that they are not the meanest. That distinction was found to belong to New Zealanders.

Also from the This Britain section.
Council staff to stage second one-day strike
Americans invited to join $10,000-a-year club to live like Scottish lairds
More action looms as Britain is hit by wave of strikes
'Major fault' to blame for North Sea air crash
Hewlett-Packard sacks two and suspends 150 over 'offensive' e-mails


Hehehe The things I learn on lazy Friday afternoons at work [img]smile.gif[/img]

[johnny]

I don't know where you've read this, but it's false. Germans always speak in their native tongue, and expect everyone to understand them, which we Dutch do quite well, but we just ignore them. English just like to party, so do we, what's wrong with that ?

This is from a paper in England....something Independant or some such, as for the study it was done by Expedia....hey, all I can tell you is they did their research by going to places and talking to people....this is what they found out.

Unless it is a conspiracy by the Germans [img]smile.gif[/img]

And no problem with party people, but this isn't about partying, its about how the lowly service type Peeps see tourists.

[ 07-19-2002, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[Neb]

Odd, I thought that Danes were the worst. We certainly have a pretty damn awful reputation in some parts of the world [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Neb: Odd, I thought that Danes were the worst. We certainly have a pretty damn awful reputation in some parts of the world [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Really? I never heard anything bad about Danes...all I ever hear about are Great Danes....hehe..joke....get it...hehheheh

[Megabot]

Good that we damn coole Norwegians is not on that list but we like tons of beer`s anyway lol! And the most speak english to only not me LOL

Odd, I thought that Danes were the worst. We certainly have a pretty damn awful reputation in some parts of the world

Yes in Norway Neb lol!

[ 07-19-2002, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: Megabot ]

[Azred]

The hotels (or whatever) Expedia interviewed were likely trying to give Americans a favorable rating so they, especially the more wealthy ones, will travel more. I had always heard that Americans were considered to be the rudest tourists (myself excluded, of course). [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

[Sir ReGiN]

Originally posted by Neb: Odd, I thought that Danes were the worst. We certainly have a pretty damn awful reputation in some parts of the world [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I wonder why that is?
I don't think swedes are very disliked, don't trust the danes they don't know what they're talking about, but I think we are the easiest people to get to buy unnecessary rubbish, sorry I meant "pittoresque souveniers" , for outrageous prices when we are abroad.

Originally posted by Azred: The hotels (or whatever) Expedia interviewed were likely trying to give Americans a favorable rating so they, especially the more wealthy ones, will travel more. I had always heard that Americans were considered to be the rudest tourists (myself excluded, of course). [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

If that were the case, why did Germany take top prize? and does that mean the travel industry doesnt want the UK's $$$...err I don't have the Symbol for the Pound note...

Your theory doesnt quite fit the data. [img]smile.gif[/img]


[ 07-19-2002, 03:06 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[johnny]

Originally posted by Neb: Odd, I thought that Danes were the worst. We certainly have a pretty damn awful reputation in some parts of the world [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I see that completely different, ever seen Danish footballhooligans ? While the Dutch, English, French, Germans, Italians and Spanish are all smashing eachothers heads in, The Danes just get drunk and make a lot of noise, that's not so bad !