Worlds's worst tourists?

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
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Hurrah!!! it ain't us

Rude' French are worst tourists

French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as penny-pinching, rude and terrible at languages, according to a new survey.

The study by travel company Expedia asked 4,500 hotels worldwide to rank tourists on their behaviour.

Japanese tourists - seen as clean and tidy, polite, quiet and uncomplaining - came top for the third year running.

French travellers made amends on elegance - classed third - as well as for their discretion and cleanliness.

But the French were the least ready to try a new language, unlike US tourists who were most likely to swallow their pride and order a pizza, baguette or a paella in the local lingo.

WORLD'S BEST TOURISTS Japan Britain Canada Germany Switzerland Holland Australia Sweden USA Denmark Source:Expedia.co.uk

US tourists also got top marks for generosity, as the biggest spenders and tippers.

But they fell short on other counts as the least tidy, the loudest, the worst complainers and the worst dressed.

Britons came second for their overall behaviour, politeness, quietness and even elegance - second for dress sense only to the Italians.

But in Europe, the British were seen by the hoteliers as the worst behaved.

Jonathan Cudworth, the head of product marketing at Expedia.co.uk, said: "Being voted the worst tourists in the world by our closest neighbours highlights the fact that the 'Brits Abroad' moniker is a label we still haven't managed to shrug off.

"While we are in second place in the global best-tourist rankings, we clearly have a job to do to convince our European counterparts and those at home that we can be better behaved on holiday."

The model Japanese were followed by Canadians as the least likely to whinge when a trip goes wrong.

France's rivals for the world's "worst tourist" tag, Spaniards and Greeks, came near the bottom of the pack in almost every category.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...pe/8143780.stm

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Is there a full list somewhere?

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Here you go Dude

1. Japanese

2. British

3. Canadians

4. Germans

5. Swiss

6. Dutch

6. Australians

8. Swedish

8. Americans

10. Danes

10. Norwegians

10. Finnish

10. Belgians

14. Austrian

14. New Zealanders

16. Thais

17. Portuguese

17. Czechs

19. Italians

19. Irish

19. Brazilians

22. Polish

22. South Africans

24. Turkish

24. Greeks

26. Spanish

27. French

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...001021,00.html

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Mr DeLeuze? Are you there?

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So, urm, why are china and india not on that list?

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Cause the combined numbers would tip the poll

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No surprise to me, really. But I honestly always thought that the french were somewhat more appreciated outside of Europe (or that they were just rumored to be unfriendly). I never really get that, maybe because I speak fluent french.

I don't take surveys of this kind too seriously, though. Although, I respect the hotel staffs opinion, I would be in their country to learn a bit of culture and visit all the sights in limited time (which can be hasty), not to be kind to everyone, especially the ones who are supposed to listen to my complaints.

If the french complain more about that than others, they're maybe just used to different standards. But as long as they pay their bills, it would be ok in my book.

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Papa Goose thank DB for insulting the French 'one more time.

Having been back in France a week I second Castro' poll finding.

At a restaurant in Rochefort this lunch time the tables either side of us complained about the following:

Table water warm - it was 32 and the were sitting in the sun, and didn't actual pour it until it had sat there for 15 mins.

Only one basket of bread, I mean the guy was on his own so how much did he want?

In a packed restaurant the 6 of them squeezed onto a table for 4, then whinged about the table size. I had sympathy I mean cram 2 extra bodies, wine glasses, 6 mobile phones and enough packs of Gitanes to keep a Beagle in work for a year.

Whinging b4stards, why couldn't they just enjoy the great weather and excellent food.... ok, now I remember I'm in France.

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The French wouldn't be so bad if they didn't outstay their welcome .

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Ah but one should ask why were they so desperate to get away from La Belle..... other than andoulettes

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The French invented restaurants, so only they are allowed to complain about it

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Perhaps because it's full of French people?

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I'm surprised Britain is ranked so highly given the rep of the "Brits abroad" and the tendency of the rest of the globe to tut and roll its collective eyes...

Maybe they find the alcohol induced vomiting in gutters and a willingness to fling restaurant chairs if someone so much as looks sideways at us a charming quirk.

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That's not exactly what the OP wrote in his original post.

As always, the masses of a probably rather lower, poorly educted class of british people seem to make the difference here, as their prefered (and most affordable) destinations seem to be in europe.

I can confirm, from a personal experience (girlfriend), that the british reputation in e.g. southern Spain is rather bad.

But who are the spanish to complain since this survey.

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True, and based on what I've also seen in Greece and parts of Cyprus, entirely deserved.

However, the local populations in these places really ought to take some responsibility for this horrible state of affairs, after having been quite happy to spend the last thirty years building endless streets of pubs offering permanent happy hours, cheap snack bars and night clubs which encourage excessive behaviour amongst their customers (owners inviting people to dance on the tables, drink till they vomit, and so on): All for a quick drachma, pound or peseta.

They wanted cash, and they got it. Along with pavement pizzas, sexual assaults and general mayhem.

Lovely, eh?

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Well that's certainly my experience, though I have found also that fighting with a local, rounds the evening off and enhances our reputation abroad. I'd love to say something derogatory about our Frenchy chums, but I'm not going to because I have found them and their supporters to be rather sensitive of late.

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Also true. The british certainly know, along with the germans, how to excessively enjoy their holidays.

Again, absolutely ok in my book, as long as they pay the bills and are insured against any collateral damage.

Personally, I'd party with british folks anytime and probably cause mayhem alongside them - although the swiss usually kicks in sometime around 4 a.m..

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As an Icelander I would like to apologize for stealing money from the Brits, Deutch, Germans and Luxemborg, Liechtenstein and the Cayman Islansds. Sorry, my money is in the Caymans, I stole it from Brits, Deutch.. and hid it in the British Virgin Islans...Cayman.. Zurich, USB? Definately, I have a billion stashed away ( I wrote it down somewhere.

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First time in my life I am ashamed of my nationality. Iceland is about the story telling. History. Not banking.

Unfortunately if you own IceSave or Kaupthing Edge then I have already cheated you.

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Don't forget the cod wars!