Please read my comments after the news article and answer the question if you have visited a foreign country.
Most Obnoxious Tourists? The French
By BRUCE CRUMLEY / PARIS
Sun Jul 6, 10:45 PM ET
Remember the tightwad tourist whose baggy shorts, frequent complaining and shouted questions about why none of the locals spoke any English made the ugly American the world's Visitor From Hell? Well, it's time for Archie Bunker to move over and make way for Petulant Pierre. According to a recent international survey, the French are now considered the most obnoxious tourists from European nations, and behind only Indians and the last-place Chinese as the worst among all countries worldwide. And it's not only the rest of the world that have a gripe with the Gallic attitude: the French also finished second to last among nations ranking the popularity of their own tourists who vacation at home.
But it's the unflattering image being reflected from abroad that may give pause to the millions of French travelers now heading off to summer vacation destinations across the globe. Will that move them to improve behavior the poll characterized as impolite, prone to loud carping and inattentive to local customs? If so, that's just the start: the study also describes the voyageur franÇais as often unwilling or unable to communicate in foreign languages, and particularly disinclined to spending money when they don't have to - including on those non compris tips. Over all, French travelers landed 19th out of 21 nations worldwide, far behind the first-place Japanese, considered most polite, quiet and tidy. Following the Japanese as most-liked tourists were the Germans, British and Canadians. Americans finished in 11th place alongside the Thais.
The survey was carried out among employees in 4,000 hotels in Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, Canada and the U.S. for the French travel website Expedia.fr. The study asked respondents to rank clients by nationality on criteria of general attitude, politeness, tendency to complain, willingness to speak local languages, interest in sampling local cuisine, readiness to spend money, generosity, cleanliness, discretion and elegance. Many replies simply conformed to long-established reputations: Italians, for example, were described as the best-dressed tourists, with the French not far behind.
American tourists fared well in some surprising ways: despite being notoriously language-limited, for example, they top the list of tourists credited with trying to speak local languages the most, with the French, Chinese, Japanese, Italians and Russians coming in last in the local language rankings. Does that mean Americans are the most polyglot tourists on the planet? Maybe not, says Expedia's marketing director for Europe, TimothÉe de Roux, who notes the poll's focus on hotel operators may explain the counterintuitive outcome.
"Most hotel staffs around the world speak English, meaning they'll communicate far more easily with native English-speaking American or British clients than with French or Italians who - it's true - are pretty bad with foreign languages," de Roux says.
De Roux explains how external factors similarly account for why Americans wind up as the biggest-spending and best-tipping tourists, while Germans and the French are among the worst penny-pinchers. "Our findings show the average French employee will get 37 vacation days spread over seven trips in 2008, versus 14 for an American - who won't even take them all," de Roux believes. "That means the French tourist will more tightly budget his or her spending over more trips, while the American spends freely on the one or two vacations taken all year."
By contrast, poll finds the French and Americans similar in being perceived as critical and rude when they travel - though for different reasons. The same local attractions that make France the world's top destination for 92 million foreign visitors each year, says de Roux, also explains why over 85% of French vacation in-country - and wind up spoiled by it when they leave. "When they go abroad, French travellers demand the same quality they'd get at home," de Roux says. "Americans, by contrast, demand the same exceptional service they are used to at home, which is why they rank as the loudest, most inclined to complain, and among the least polite." View this article on Time.com
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Encarta dictionary defines "Ugly American" as: stereotypical offensive American: a loud, boorish, nationalistic American, especially one traveling abroad, who is regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives Americans a bad reputation. In contrast, Dictionary.com defines "the Ugly American" as: Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (AKA: Mark Twin) wrote a book in 1869 about his experiences touring with a group of Americans on a tour through Europe and parts of the Middle East. He titled this book "The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress". In this book are probably the first accounts of the "ugly American". Americans traveling abroad have had a reputation for disdaining the countries and the people of the countries they were visiting. We were seen to be as the definitions above state loud and without culture. Yet even with our lack of culture we could not see and appreciate those great cultures we were visiting. We were obviously lacking in many (or all) of the social graces because we were so backward a country. And we were disrespectful and unthinking because we had the temerity to speak our own minds about our reactions to things.
I will tell you two things about me. First I am just about the only person in my family that has never traveled to another country. So you may say I am unqualified to discuss this. I was also brought up to try as hard as I could to be polite and considerate to everyone and I agree with that. I am not perfect and somethimes if pushed I may be rude, but it doesn't happen often. That said, I think these views of Americans are wrong and based on a misunderstanding of the American character. Yes we speak our minds. Isn't that one of the basic tenets of our country to have the freedom, nay more than that the right to speak our own minds? We can appreciate other cultures, but not necessarily agree with them. This is IMHO another right we Americans have, the right to agree to disagree. For example: One of my best friends is a born again Christian. Yes we discuss religion, but at some point we usually come to an impass and we agree to disagree. Very simple concept that is underutilized in my opinion. Just because we do not totally agree with everything in your culture does not mean we comdemn it or cannot or do not appreciate it. As far as social graces, yes we may lack in "old world" social graces, but we do have our virtues, maybe they are just not evident to those that mourn our lack of "grace". In the America I was brought up to believe in we have respect, consideration, pride in country, tolerance, humbleness, charity to others and many other virtues. So while many of us do not know the difference between the salad fork and the dinner fork (I know Hubby doesn't) we have other facets of our culture that more than make up for our shortcomings. Lastly as to our lack of culture, all I can say is open your eyes and look at these United States and if you can see then you will find we abound with culture. The difference is ours is not a culture dictated by a country or a church or any other organization. Ours is the culture of many, both separate, and joined (salad bowl theory again guys) to make one powerful and beautiful statement. We are a culture of many that stands for the one. If you disagree with me please comment. I am always interested in all points of view.
Now as far as how Americans really act when visiting foreign countries? Well obviously I cannot answer that question. Those of you who can please give us your thoughts.
In closing I would like to thank the French for taking our place (No offense intended to French Gatherers) . Viva la Difference!
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Comments: 36
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Americans were LOUD. They took up lots of space, and were usually carrying lots of stuff.
On the flip side, here in states, we feel we have found a good vacation spot when there are lots of germans. German travellers seem to be very well informed about the US, very patient and very polite.
I spent six years of my childhood in a foreign country (Okinawa) and I found that Americans fell across a broad spectrum. On one hand you had the families with parents like ours who were excited to immerse themselves in another culture. My parents learned some Japanese, they taught English to Japanese/Okinawan doctors, we went to ruins, we learned about the culture and most of all we were respectful of the differences and the fact that we were in THEIR country.
Then you had the families that didn't want to be there. They would never leave the base. They would only speak English when they had to converse with a Japanese or Okinawan person. For htem, it was all about how soon they could get home and how little they could change themselves by their experiences.
I have also travelled to Europe. I found the Germans to be pleasant. We also went to Paris. There, we had a pleasant waiter and a very nice lady that helped us find the right subway to use to get to the Opera House. however, we also came across a few unpleasant people.
I think it all has to do with how open a person is to new and different experiences. If you travel with an open mind and are cognizant of the fact that other cultures will not only act differently, but also think differently, you will be a pleasant tourist that will have a pleasant time.
The group: We Comment Back
(I'll never forget a portly, dyed blonde, middle-aged "Gringa" tourist tugging on her ear and shouting to one of the jewelry vendors "EAR-RING!! You know, EAR - RING??" as if yelling the word at the top of her lungs would make anyone who didn't speak the language understand her better... During the entire episode, the young Mexican shopkeeper kept saying -- in a low, respectful voice, "Yes, Ma'am... I speak English, Ma'am... I know what an 'earring' is, Ma'am...")
When I was much, much older, I would vacation down in Mainland Mexico (even spent a couple of months there one summer break from college) about once a year...
I learned to speak Spanish like a native (a lady I met on an "airporter" bus once who was from the Dominican Republic told me "You speak Spanish excellently! But you have a distinct Mexican accent...") and even wound up marrying a Mexican citizen... A lot of times I was ashamed to admit that I was a "Norte Americano" (or, as the Mexicans say "gavacha") when I was traveling in Mexico just BECAUSE of the way some American tourists I encountered along the way acted but, I NEVER saw a "gavacho" act as rudely towards "servers" as some of the rather more affluent Mexicans themselves did... Rude, demanding, condescending and downright distainful... acting like waiters were slaves instead of service personnel... I've discussed this with other Mexicans who agree that this is so... Mexico's own "upper class" act worse toward service people in Mexico than "Americans" do...
Ha! Ha!
I like Americans, but get so irritated when for instance if they stop me for directions and I give them, they then say 'Oh, I just LOVE your accent'.... I have to explain that in Scotland, it's not me that has the accent!
And my grandmother went around telling people "I love you" all day in Greece once because she thought it meant hello. My grandmother was multi-lingual (english, french, spanish), but greek was not one of her languages. My grandfather just let her keep doing it, he got a kick out it. Finally someone was nice enough to tell her what she was really saying.
I think there are "ugly" travelers from every country. If you stay in the US, there are "ugly" travelers from every state. They make a bad and memorable impression, but you just don't notice the greater number of respectful travelers who speak in normal tones of voice and chew with their mouths closed.
On a holiday in Burgundy many years later, I was told by the owners of a hunting lodge that they despised their German clients who returned every year for a visit. Apparently, the Germans were not aware of their true feelings.