Pushy French are world's worst tourists: study

[Catty1]

But other countries mentioned here: USA, Canada, Japan, Britain. I wonder how each of these countries measures tourists visiting THEM.
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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/09071...france_offbeat

Pushy French are world's worst tourists: study

Fri Jul 10, 12:14 PM

PARIS (AFP) - Penny-pinching, rude and terrible at foreign languages: French people are the world's worst tourists and Japanese the best, according to a study of the global hotel industry.

Carried out last month by TNS Infratest for the Expedia online travel agency, the study asked 40,000 hotels worldwide to rank tourists from 27 countries based on nine criteria, from their politeness to their willingness to tip.

Clean and tidy, polite, quiet and uncomplaining, Japanese tourists came top of the crop for the third year running.

At the other end of the spectrum, French holidaymakers and business travellers were the least generous or ready to tip, and ranked next-to-last for their overall behaviour and politeness.

Pushy 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.

US tourists also got top marks for generosity -- as the biggest spenders and tippers -- but fell short on other counts as the least tidy, the loudest, the worst complainers, and the most badly dressed.

Despite cliches about beer-guzzling hordes descending on Mediterranean resorts each summer, Britons came a surprise second for their overall behaviour, politeness, quietness and even elegance -- second for dress sense only to the Italians.

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

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

The study was released on Thursday.

[Kirsten]

That is interesting! I always wonder how German tourists are perceived in foreign countries.

Once I was buying groceries in a supermarket in Sweden when a group of German tourists entered the shop. They were acting loud and silly, and I was so ashamed of them. When I had to ask a salesperson for something, I spoke English because I didn't want him to think I'm one of them. LOL

Kirsten

[Barbara]

I don't know about tipping etc. - but for sense of dressing I feel Northern European, that is Germans, Britons and Netherlandish are the worst. No way can they get up to Italians. And French are much better than the Germans are in dressing. Certainly.
Of course that doesn't mean me

There is this saying: The others are tourist, we aren't

[Catty1]

LOL I read a saying somewhere: "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

[Karen]

When we travel, I always try to be friendly and polite as I know how! I will never win any points for style, but that is not one of my goals in life anyway.

[Sonia59]

About French and foreign languages, it must be true! Every time there were foreign people at work, almost nobody wanted to talk to them. In restaurants, it's very common that the waitress will keep on speaking French (preferably fast ) although it is obvious foreign tourists don't catch a single word. Sometimes I felt so ashamed and annoyed that I helped with translating.

About tips, French are not used to give them because in France the price includes everything, you don't have to add a tip. We do it at restaurants when we are happy but the tip remains small and we don't have to do it.

Kirsten, about Germans acting loud and silly, I have often seen them doing this on the ski slopes but they were young and in groups. That's why we can see there are Germans around I think it's different with families with young kids.

Barbara, I agree with you about dressing

[kokopup]

I lived and traveled in Europe very extensively up until I retired a few years back. I was treated well almost everywhere I traveled. The only places that I was treated badly is in French speaking Belgium and France. In both places unless you spoke French you were treated like crap. I really loved visiting both countries but hated dealing with the the People. I don't know if I was treated that way because I was American or because I didn't speak French. Everywhere else in Europe people would try to communicate even if I didn't speak their language. In France they would ignore you if you were not trying to speak French even if they spoke English.

[Kirsten]

Every time there were foreign people at work, almost nobody wanted to talk to them.

In France they would ignore you if you were not trying to speak French even if they spoke English.

I have to agree. My cousin is married to a French guy (lives in Avignon), and when she's here for a visist (which doesn't happen very often), both her husband and her daughter wouldn't speak a single word, even though they understand some German (in fact, her daughter was raised bilingual, but the girl refuses to speak German, or even English).

Kirsten, about Germans acting loud and silly, I have often seen them doing this on the ski slopes but they were young and in groups. That's why we can see there are Germans around

That doesn't surprise me! LOL

About tips, French are not used to give them because in France the price includes everything, you don't have to add a tip. We do it at restaurants when we are happy but the tip remains small and we don't have to do it.

It's the same in Germany. We're not used to it (except for restaurants, and there, it's freely).


Kirsten

[sasvermont]

They are everywhere. They just don't get it. I don't think it is country specific, when it comes to bad behavior and/or taste. Some people just don't fit in!

There cannot be anything any uglier than the "flip flop, tshirt, shorts look" when walking through a beautiful city, in France, for example. Ahem, US Americans are noted for that. Many just don't care.

I try to blend in when I travel. Some folks just cannot blend in - dress, personality-wise, manners, etc....whatever you want to call it.

I enjoy the difference for the most part, but do find it trying at times when travelling.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I have had great experiences in France. Once my husband and I and another couple were standing on a side street -- trying to find our hotel. I'll always remember a woman who was carrying two lamp shades went out of her way to cross to where we were and ask -- in English - if she could help us find our way. Another time we were trying to figure out the subway map and again - without asking, a guy helped us - in English.

We traveled Normandy on another trip and stayed in Bed and Breakfast Inns. Everyone we met was so nice. One couple gave us a tour of their private quarters and served us wine and cheese. My husband really liked the cheese served at another one and I emailed the owner six months later and he graciously helped me out to find it.

Not to say we never met any rude people there - but that can happen at the grocery store or the bank or whereever - here was well any there.

[Sonia59]

I don't know if I was treated that way because I was American or because I didn't speak French. Everywhere else in Europe people would try to communicate even if I didn't speak their language. In France they would ignore you if you were not trying to speak French even if they spoke English.

I agree with you. And it has nothing to do with you being American, I think it's because you didn't speak French. I don't understand why they act like this, but for this reason I feel really ashamed to be French. I love to speak English (or trying to ) and help people who are lost in the street, or at the shop, post office, etc.

[sasha the cat]

Qu'est-ce? Les Français sont les pires touristes du monde entier? J'aime la France et les Français. Et quand les Français visiter ma ville - Montréal, Québec, Canada - ils sont polis. Je parle français et anglais (langue maternelle). Cependant, quand je suis le touriste, en visite en France, je parle anglais juste pour tester la théorie selon laquelle les Français sont impolis. Chaque fois, les gens essaient de comprendre ce que je dis, s'ils ne parlent pas anglais, et ceux qui parlent anglais immédiatement commencer à parler anglais avec moi.

in English:
What? The French are the World's worst tourists? I love France and the French. And when French people visit my city -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- they are polite. I speak French and English (mother tongue). However, when I am the tourist, visiting France, I speak English just to test the theory that the French are impolite. Every time, people try to understand what I'm saying if they do not speak English, and those who speak English immediately begin speaking English with me.

I have no idea how tourist guide books/articles rate the countries visited regarding politeness and helpfulness. Wonder how we Canadians are viewed as tourists in other countries?

Generally in life my experience is that if one is polite and respectful when interacting with another person, the other person responds in kind.

[wombat2u2004]

I agree with you. And it has nothing to do with you being American, I think it's because you didn't speak French. I don't understand why they act like this, but for this reason I feel really ashamed to be French. I love to speak English (or trying to ) and help people who are lost in the street, or at the shop, post office, etc.

Same with us Aussies when we visit New Caledonia....forget lunch... if you can't say frogs legs or snails in French, then you go hungry.
It's a different story tho, when one of them gets sick and has to be admitted to an Aussie hospital (they don't have decent hospitals there on their island).
I have a French lady friend here who actually organises hospital trips to Aussie from New Caledonia....she is disgusted with their attitude.

[RICHARD]

Wait a minute,

If they are pushy as visitors and rude as hosts......

hmmmm

[wombat2u2004]

Wait a minute,

If they are pushy as visitors and rude as hosts......

hmmmm

And you think they'll share their snail flavoured crisps with ya ???
No way !!!!