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Jeanette X
Dec 13th, 2004, 11:57 PM
Americans actually score pretty high on the list of "best kinds of tourists"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2137729.stm
British 'world's worst tourists'
British tourists
The British scored poorly in the survey
Britons have been labelled the world's worst holidaymakers in a survey of tourist boards around the globe.

Research by online travel service Expedia suggests Brits abroad are the least well-regarded by foreigners.

They are the rudest, meanest, worst-behaved, most linguistically incompetent and least adventurous holidaymakers, the study published on Friday claims.

But the Germans are generally welcomed and topped the poll of tourist offices in 17 countries worldwide.

Top tourists
1st Germans
2nd Americans
3rd Japanese
4th Italians
5th = French, Norwegians, Swedes

Categories included behaviour, politeness, willingness to learn the language, trying local delicacies and spending on the local economy.

And overall, the British finished bottom of the league table of 24 nations, which was topped by the Germans, Americans and Japanese.

Germans were the best-behaved and the British, Irish and Danish the worst.

The behaviour of British tourists was recently in the spotlight when 13 were arrested on the Greek island of Faliraki, in a police crackdown on lewd behaviour.

Language barrier

Simon Calder, travel editor of The Independent newspaper, told Radio 4's Today programme: "We put little value on learning languages and the British consequently are guilty of terrible cultural and linguistic arrogance.

He added: "All over Europe, the bartenders and waiters at the resorts are steeling themselves for another miserable summer when the British invasion begins in earnest."

Americans were judged the most courteous and the British the rudest, alongside the Russians and Canadians.

Worst tourists
17th = Argentines, New Zealanders, Czechs, Finns
21st Indians
22nd = Irish, Israelis
24th British
The Brits also seemed to make least effort in speaking the local language, a quality excelled by the Germans, French and Americans.

Keith Betton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, said it was more difficult to speak foreign languages abroad because most other nations speak English.

He told BBC Breakfast: "I think we're changing. Travellers are now more adventurous and like to go places on the map that no-one's ever heard of."

The Italians, Spanish and Germans are most likely to try local food, but the Britons, Indians and burger-loving Americans are more likely to shy away from native delicacies.

When it comes to other things like doing the Conga at two in the morning, the British are champions of the world


But the Germans did not perform well in the spending and tipping stakes and were described as the meanest nation - closely followed by the British.

The big spenders were the Americans, then the Japanese and Russians.

Dermot Halpin, managing director of Expedia.co.uk, said: "A little effort goes a long way in a foreign country, and as much as it pains me to say it, perhaps the Germans actually deserve to get the best sunbeds."

But David Glover, producer of the Channel 4 programme The Tourist Trap, said the British had more fun than the Germans.

He told Today: "When it comes to other things like doing the Conga at two in the morning, the British are champions of the world."

McMock
Dec 14th, 2004, 12:47 AM
I think Americans are the only people that routinely tip waiters. I never tip. No europeans do.

British are pigs, that's a well known fact. They invented hooliganism, and that was no coincidence.

FS
Dec 14th, 2004, 05:33 AM
Yeah, I think the American tradition of tipping goes a long way to making them popular vacationers. That the British are unpopular is probably all about the drinking. No other nation seems to enjoy getting shitfaced drunk and consequently cussing, fighting and fucking while on vacation more than the Brits.

Well, if those shows where they follow tourists around in places like Spain are an indication, at least.

imported_I, fuzzbot.
Dec 14th, 2004, 04:07 PM
The reminds me of the logo, ''Visit America before it visits you!''

El Blanco
Dec 14th, 2004, 06:57 PM
Obviously the Irish aren't traveling nearly enough.

Immortal Goat
Dec 14th, 2004, 08:59 PM
I think that we are the most popular because every second we spend outside the country increases our chances of being in the next country we end up bombing.

Royal Tenenbaum
Dec 14th, 2004, 09:34 PM
Canadians were the second or third rudest? WTF?

AChimp
Dec 14th, 2004, 09:44 PM
Probably because the real Americans are plastering maple leaves all over their stuff and being mistaken for Canadians, while real Canadians travel without any national symbols and get mistaken for Americans.

the_dudefather
Dec 14th, 2004, 10:11 PM
go footy hooligans, make our nation look like a bunch of arseholes.

Perndog
Dec 15th, 2004, 11:30 AM
I have to agree with Chimp on this one. I can't count the number of times I've heard "people in Europe hate Americans, so tell everyone you're from Canada when you travel."

MetalMilitia
Dec 15th, 2004, 11:43 AM
The holligans are chavs which everyone in the UK hates too. Im not suprised we are considered worst tourists though.

Jeanette X
Dec 15th, 2004, 12:48 PM
I don't know...do Canadians tip, and if so, how much?

Helm
Dec 15th, 2004, 01:03 PM
What the hell? I always tip. My whole family always tips. Most of my friends tip. Mcmock, the Greeks tip >:

Anonymous
Dec 15th, 2004, 01:28 PM
That's cause the greeks own all the restaurants ;<

Cosmo Electrolux
Dec 15th, 2004, 02:40 PM
the good ones......:posh

Royal Tenenbaum
Dec 15th, 2004, 03:39 PM
I demand a recount. This smells of Republican partisanship!

McMock
Dec 16th, 2004, 05:55 AM
Greeks aren't european, they're african.

Spectre X
Dec 16th, 2004, 06:14 AM
You are an enormous moron, McMock.

Helm
Dec 16th, 2004, 07:13 AM
haha that's right. Jokes do not exist.

McMock
Dec 16th, 2004, 09:03 AM
You're denser than an oilrig, Spectre X.

Dole
Dec 16th, 2004, 11:50 AM
They invented hooliganism

Your welcome.


'oil rig'

McMock
Dec 16th, 2004, 12:02 PM
Nothing I ever do is good enough for you, is it Dole?

Spectre X
Dec 16th, 2004, 01:08 PM
God damnit.

The internet muddles things up.

I suspected it might have been a joke, but with your track record who knows?

Helm
Dec 16th, 2004, 04:18 PM
better flame to be on the safe side!

McMock
Dec 16th, 2004, 11:44 PM
Sometimes I don't know where I find the strength to keep coming here!

pjalne
Dec 17th, 2004, 07:53 AM
In my experience, the Germans should be way down on that list. But that's probably because I live in one of the countries where only big fat Germans in their houses on wheels go. They park those fucking juggernauts everywhere, never buy anything and only eat and drink what they bring with them and what they fish out of our coastline. And what they pack into their pockets and bags when they once in a while go to a buffet. And they're rude. The Germans I've met abroad are a completely different breed, though. They're usually much younger and adventurous and really polite.

There are actually some hotels in the city I study in that are considering refusing certain peoples to visit when travelling in packs by bus. They often have a "I'm not gonna spend a penny more than I have to" attitude, and feel they've been gypped when they have to pay full hotel prices for food when stopping by a hotel on an economy trip. Germans take butter, cheese and other spreads, Israelis take the cutlery (and in some cases candlesticks and other ornaments), Koreans buy noodles in nearby stores and prepare them in the restaurant area using their mobile propane kitchens, etcetera. It's funny how people fit stereotypes perfectly sometimes.

AChimp
Dec 17th, 2004, 08:49 AM
Holy shit. I thought that the Germans only did that in Canada. They usually arrive in Nova Scotia at the beginning of summer, rent an RV and spend a few months driving it to Vancouver where they hop a plane and go home for autumn.

And they insist on using the campgrounds, not the RV parks, so you get these massive 30-foot vehicles cramming into tiny lots and they make noise well into the night. >:

They have hot daughters, though. :posh

pjalne
Dec 17th, 2004, 09:25 AM
Sounds familiar. Only here, they bring their own RVs and stock them with German food and beer.

Mr. Vagiclean
Dec 17th, 2004, 05:35 PM
it's too true, the koreans with their portable gas ovens :(