Can we just say that tourists from basically anywhere can be effing annoying? I used to suffer from the shame of being associated with "ugly Americans" while traveling abroad; but after living in tourist-soaked Prague for a year, it became clear that ALL the tourists were awful. The Brits, the Americans, the Italians, the Spaniards, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Germans-- oh lord, all the drunken, shoving, slow-moving, loud ass masses that crowded the streets morning, noon, and night. It's that heady combination of vacation time, excess drinking, and fumbling with language/cultural barriers that can turn almost anyone into a dick, really.
God, all these comments make me want to have a worldwide vacation where everyone just mingles and teases each other (and themselves) about their cultural habits.
Fun fun fun fun fun!
It's strange about the French not speaking local languages. Both times I've gone to France and tried to speak French to the locals, they immediately switched to English for me. It was sort of annoying, yeah, but it was certainly accommodating which I think was the gist of the study. Oh well, one experience does not a global survey make.
@alouette: Especially when you consider that many (most?) French schools require their students to take English (and usually German/Italian) starting in like 3rd grade. You would assume that they would retain some of that. I think when they say 'bad at foreign languages' they mean 'bad at saying the appropriate thing in foreign languages', because many things that sound perfectly polite in French translate pretty assholey to English (and I've been told in German).
What do these surveys contribute to? I know when there are kind of obvious scientific studies, they are usually contributing to adding validity to a later study. But a survey like this seems to only produce worn out blanket stereotypes... any insight?
@Bunsen Honeydew: Err.. I didn't click the link but sometimes these kinds of studies produce masters' degrees and Ph.D.s. It's possible that a student did a related (and probably more involved) study and then published a smaller paper after graduating. It's common- at least in Ed Psych- to publish several papers out of your dissertation research.
@Bunsen Honeydew: It might be looking at the prevalence of stereotyping among hotel owners, or it might be testing the validity of common stereotypes. Honestly, I've always thought that Americans were more stereotyped as bad tourists than the French, but I don't have much international travel experience, so I'm probably not the best qualified person.
How did the Italians avoid being the worst? Can someone explain it to me? Example: just got back from Europe. In Colmar, riding the little trolley train that takes you around and shows you the sights. At one stop, a large contingent of old Italian ladies gets on board, and proceed to chat as loudly as possibly about everything under the Sun, drowning out the recorded tour information in my headphones. They weren't paying any attention to the tour!
@NefariousNewt:We just got back as well. A group of Italians at Kronberg Slot were perfectly fine - maybe it was just a case of "old lady syndrome"?
Personally, I've always found Americans to be the worst tourists abroad. We are certainly the worst at observing the social customs of others, so we seldom observe them.
@NefariousNewt: And on another message board somewhere, an old Italian lady is posting: "Just got back from Colmar, beautiful place, so much to talk about! But it's so sad to see some people can't enjoy themselves on holidays like we can - the boring Americans were listening to the tour on their headphones and giving us dirty looks just because we were talking..."
Ha. Ha. HA. Of course French tourists would be the worst...in an American survey.
Personally, I've maybe only seen a handful of French tourists in NYC, mostly chattering on the subway. And, if it weren't for their language, I couldn't tell WHAT they were--dressing fashionably? Why don't we just say that all French babies are born wearing Dior, and that all Asian tourists take pictures of ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ON THE PLANET EVER?
Ah, the French may be well dressed, but in my experience it is the Germans who are the best undressed. Those people get naked at the drop of a hat, and have no problem changing clothes in the middle of a store.
@badmutha: In the North they do. The South (Bavaria) is rather conservative and reserved. There is, however, the most WONDERFUL nude sunbathing area tucked way in the middle of a huge park in Munich.
@badmutha: I am half-German and spent many a summer there as a child, and what always struck me fashion-wise was the large abundance of Germans wearing socks with sandals, as well as couples wearing matching jackets or track suits.
Granted, though, this was not in a big city, but in a rather small-town area. So that may have contributed.
Well, when I'm in midtown, it's never the Europeans or the Asians who get in my way and won't move. It's usually other Americans who are totally oblivious and ignore how walking traffic goes.
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): That is the absolute worst. They've always got their heads permanently tipped back, as if skyscrapers are so fascinating, and just come to a complete halt in the middle of the sidewalk--drives me absolutely nuts.
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): I have to say the people who drive me nuts in London are definitely my own folk more than tourists.
Anyway, once you leave your own country everything's shiny and exciting and you need to stop and stare at it, which then turns you into that bad tourist.
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): I take issue with slow-walkers in general, particularly those who insist on walking two or three abreast in heavy traffic areas. I don't really care whether or not they're locals; just get out of my effing way!
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): Oh, preach it . I was just about to comment about the slow-walking, fanny-pack wearing American tourists in NYC. They're also the ones who will be standing on like, 45th and 7th and ask you how to get to 47th. I'm just like "...the numbers, they go up."
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): My favorite are the midwestern families who think the bottom of the subway steps is the perfect spot to gather their 15 person group and discuss what to do next. I WILL MOW YOU DOWN FANNY-PACK WOMAN
Also once someone yelled at me for "skipping the line" on a subway platform. All I could do was laugh in their face. they were then shocked that I was not properly respecting my elders
@greengrey (raidersofthelostSTAR): and it's not even tourists. It's people who congregate in groups of eight, say, in my local farmer's market. They just chat away in the middle of the aisle, totally oblivious to people trying to pass them on either side. What is it with this oblivious thing, people? Move to the sidewalk, or over to one side, please.
Could it be that foreign tourists come from a place where they expect and are accustomed excellent customer service and quickly balk when they don't get it? I've had good experiences with hotels (I love you, Hampton Inn), but I've also had some shitty experiences b/c the staff/owners were only concerned about getting their shift over with as quickly as possible while doing the least amount of work and spending the least amount of money in the process.
@shorty63136: i would argue it's the same with US travel. as a new york city-to-new orleans transplant, i've acclimated myself to a very different culture of service in the south.
@shorty63136: Or they're from somewhere with different standards re: tipping? I've heard this come up many times and though I'd never really given it much thought, tipping incorrectly, whether too much or too little could easily be considered rude.
@bangers: yes, ma'am! Are you sure you've found everything you need? And do you have a cousin from up in St. Charles? I think I went to dancing school with them.
@Dodgergirl: Watch what you say about American tourists! If you're bad, the former bishop of Turkey and six to eight black men will come to your house and either pretend to kick you, or put you in a sack and take you to Spain!
It makes perfect sense that in a survey by Americans about tourism, that French people who don't speak the language and are cautious with their money land in last place. I'm sure in a European survey, Americans would land in a negative place because we go places, don't speak the language, sometimes have little regard for the culture, and carry a sense of entitlement like we carry our bags of souvenirs. American tourists, in my opinion as an American tourist, are the worst of all.
@swimmingly: see I would, as a British person, have said that the British were the worst. Perhaps every nation secretly believes that they are the crappest tourists?
@swimmingly: Believe it or not, despite our reputation, I've actually heard great things about American tourists from other nationals. Sully posted an interview a while ago with a British personality (can't remember who it was off the top of my head) who says that when he travels, he always looks for the American tourists as they are generally more helpful than the people who actually live there. Anyway, that it was what I choose to believe because I'm American and like to think of myself as a good tourist!
@Sputnik_Sweetheart: I think that Americans have heard the 'stupid, obnoxious American tourist' stereotype so much that when they go abroad they try extra hard to avoid being seen that way. I know that's what I did.
Edited by IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel at 07/09/09 3:04 PM
IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel was starred
IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel was unstarred
@IBleedGlitter: The High Priestess of Tinsel: OH GOD ME TOO. I am terrified of being a bad tourist. I try to be polite and helpful (not that I don't do those things at home, but I make for damn sure I am friendly to people and polite when traveling).
I hate the stereotype that follows me and I am determined to help get rid of it.
From the article: "The French don't go abroad very much. We're lucky enough to have a country which is magnificent in terms of its landscape and culture."
I don't go abroad because I hate America. I go abroad because abroad is cool.
@Ailanthus-altissima: This. It's awesome to go see other places and experience other cultures. And I would say that the variety of beautiful landscapes here could also give France a run for its money, so that's no excuse to avoid international travel.
@Ailanthus-altissima: The French also have a tradition of going to their country houses for the vacation month of August, or to the Cote d'Azur- whereas they are probably not interested in coming to America when it is sweltering. Also, some of the French people I know travel more in Europe and Middle East (many to Turkey) rather than come here. I'm guessing all these things negatively impact the view American hoteliers have of French tourists.
@Ailanthus-altissima: Good point. I actually think the French and Americans *generally speaking* have similar views on travel. There are plenty who love to travel all over the world, but there are also lots and lots who figure their country is so awesome, why leave? (I'm an American living in France, btw.)
@Ailanthus-altissima: Clearly you are just in denial, you America-hating, abortion-having, Jesus-denying harpie. We know about you. We're on to your.... tricks. Real Americans do not need to travel. We have TV.
@Liz11685: Right-- it's less than a 3 hour flight from France to say, Morocco, not to mention a ton of other fascinating and very different places. Whereas flying to the States is 8 hours minimum (much more if going to CA or the West, of course), so it's a much bigger commitment.
German and British tourists are the best out of the European ones? They obviously didn't ask me. Maybe they didn't bother to ask because I don't own a hotel...
@rah29: The tradition of using a towel as a tiny part of Germany that symbolises the possession of a sun lounger was perfected in many years by my people. And now the Dutch are challenging us everywhere I look during a vacation. We're pretty close to an international towel war.
@counterclockwise: As a Brit I find this very very hard to believe. In my personal experience we are obnoxious, drunk, generally half naked and sunburnt and very very loud. We also take our clothes off and vomit and piss in public streets. Seriously I'm not sure we should actually be allowed off our island.
@emilyanne: Brits also finished second on the list for best-dressed. If they are counting a suit of lobster-red skin as fashionable, then I would argue the Brits should have topped the list.
@heykoukla: how did they manage that? How? Are shorts and badly fitting t-shirts now in fashion? Am I going to the wrong places? I am officially bemused.
@emilyanne: Oh, my parents used to have a timeshare in the Canaries. It's all true. The Brits were drunk, burned and naked; the Germans were swarthy, tanned and naked.
Of course, I'm Irish. I have no high horse on which to stand, because my horse is currently drunkenly singing and telling stories about potatoes to complete strangers. He embarasses me like this every damn time.
@counterclockwise: I will throw your towel in the pool and tell you "ich hatt's nicht gewusst" while looking bemused and innocent, because yes, I know a person who did this once.
Whenever someone tells me the Dutch are PC and tolerant, I laugh in their face. Obviously, the person saying this is not German, Surinaams, Afrikaans, Indonesian, etc.
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Personally, I've always found Americans to be the worst tourists abroad. We are certainly the worst at observing the social customs of others, so we seldom observe them.
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I have found that the worst tourists are the Germans. Or at least they were when I travelled.
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Personally, I've maybe only seen a handful of French tourists in NYC, mostly chattering on the subway. And, if it weren't for their language, I couldn't tell WHAT they were--dressing fashionably? Why don't we just say that all French babies are born wearing Dior, and that all Asian tourists take pictures of ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ON THE PLANET EVER?
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Granted, though, this was not in a big city, but in a rather small-town area. So that may have contributed.
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Anyway, once you leave your own country everything's shiny and exciting and you need to stop and stare at it, which then turns you into that bad tourist.
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Also once someone yelled at me for "skipping the line" on a subway platform. All I could do was laugh in their face. they were then shocked that I was not properly respecting my elders
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I hate the stereotype that follows me and I am determined to help get rid of it.
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I don't go abroad because I hate America. I go abroad because abroad is cool.
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We will never relinquish our right to a sun lounger!
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Of course, I'm Irish. I have no high horse on which to stand, because my horse is currently drunkenly singing and telling stories about potatoes to complete strangers. He embarasses me like this every damn time.
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Whenever someone tells me the Dutch are PC and tolerant, I laugh in their face. Obviously, the person saying this is not German, Surinaams, Afrikaans, Indonesian, etc.
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