Despite the age-old saying, “Mind your P’s and Q’s!”, unfortunately in today’s society it is more than likely to happen on people for whom etiquette is a thing of the past and politeness has gone out the window.
And that is certainly the case when you are traveling.
Tourists are often criticized for ruining popular holiday destinations and flooding beautiful cities, but not all foreign visitors are as complained about as others.
While Americans can be demanding, the French snobbish and the Germans quite disciplined, we Brits have plenty of equally important cultural personality traits that may not make us the most pleasant to be around.
Here’s our guide to spotting the rudest tourists abroad – so you know who to avoid altogether!
Annoying Americans
American tourists are consistently regarded as some of the most annoying tourists of other nationalities traveling abroad
Athleisure? Attracted. Want to order Starbucks? With extra cream and syrup. Volume of the speech? To the maximum.
If these criteria apply, you’re probably looking at an American abroad. And they are far from the favorite tourists.
What some may consider progressive and enthusiastic, others may find downright rude.
“Americans take the cake for me,” a South African hospitality worker told the Daily Mail anonymously.
‘It’s because they’re a special kind of rude. Frankly, it’s often ignorant rudeness. Not always, but I notice that the Americans do it more than anyone else.’
Troublesome Brits
English louts: Brits – especially those who drink a lot of alcohol – can be among the worst-behaved tourists
Trigger warning: this one may apply to you…
“Another tourist group that tends to ignore socially acceptable behavior is the British, especially in beach destinations where binge drinking is prevalent,” said Alex Andreichuk, CEO of Altezza Travela mountaineering and safari tour operator.
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What tourist behavior have you found most shocking or offensive during your trip abroad?
‘This is something that is very noticeable in parts of Europe, but we also see it here in Africa, especially around seaside resorts and coastal areas, where excessive drinking often leads to very loud and disrespectful behaviour.’
He’s not the only one who thinks the drinking culture among the British makes them the worst tourists.
One Reddit user said: ‘Ha! I live in Budapest and the worst groups by far are the British stag parties.
‘So much so that some bars have a ‘no stag or hen parties’ sign on the door. Drunk, obnoxious and shirtless is the summary.’
However, it is not universally true: one traveler said: ‘Groups of British tourists who go to cheap places to party in Europe are not the same as the British tourists I meet in Canada, who are generally very nice and respectful.’
French devils
Ooh la la! French tourists can be demanding and seemingly rude
They may be known as classy wine drinkers, but the French are known for getting under people’s skin when traveling.
‘If you force me to choose one nationality that sometimes seems rude, I would probably have to say… the French. I’m French myself, so I think I can say that,” Vincent Brunet told the Daily Mail.
He has worked in Las Vegas tourism for years and now runs Gun Blast Vegas, an outdoor shooting experience for visitors.
Vincent added: ‘French travelers can be demanding. You can deliver exactly what was promised, they can have a great time, tell you they loved it – and somehow there can still be the feeling of, “Yes, but what else?” I’ve even seen it in reviews.
“Someone can leave very happy, saying everything was great, and then give four stars because, in their eyes, five stars means you had to go above and beyond what was originally included.”
He admits, “But after years of dealing with people from all over the world, I’ve also learned that ‘rude’ is often the wrong word. Some cultures are more direct.
‘Some people negotiate more. Some continue to ask the same question in slightly different ways. Others stay very much within their own family or group and do not really interact with the guide or the other guests.
‘At first, depending on your own culture, it may feel rude. Usually that is not the case. It’s just different.’
But unfortunately he is not the only one pointing the finger at les Francais.
“I used to work in one of the big museums and there was always news on the radio when a French school group came in,” a former museum employee wrote online. “They were known for spitting on balconies and stealing from the gift shop.”
German manners
Direct or just disrespectful? Germans are the next victim on the list
“German tourists have always seen and experienced everything better than where they are now, and they will make sure to tell you about it,” said one comment on social media.
With a reputation for timeliness, order and planning, they are certainly not the worst – but their directness can sometimes be misinterpreted.
A post on Reddit read: ‘Beige cardigans and socks-in-sandals-wearing retirees pouring out of buses and flooding monuments across Europe and North Africa? Very true.
“Expecting five-star service at two-star prices and being passive-aggressive about it. This also applies to a large proportion of German tourists.
‘The same customer base also travels to places with great cuisine, only to eat fries and schnitzel for two weeks.’
The rude Dutch
Bad manners: A hospitality worker said the Dutch were the worst tourists she had ever met
This next one might surprise you…
“I remember the worst tourists we had were Dutch,” said an anonymous hospitality worker from France.
‘I always joked with my colleagues that when we saw a handsome, super tall, blonde couple, speaking in a language we didn’t understand, and coming with children, we would know it was Dutch.
‘The kids were always super rude. In the gift shop they were always touching everything, turning everything inside out and making such a mess. They removed the plastic covers from the flutes we sold in the store to test them out – it was disgusting.
‘We were so surprised, because we didn’t expect Dutch people to be so rude.’
Distant Australians
G’day mate: Australian tourists are also often criticized for their behavior while traveling
Relaxed to some and insufferable to others, Australian tourists are divided in opinion.
“I’ve spent a total of about three years over the past decade backpacking and traveling around the EU, working in a variety of roles and jobs,” one Reddit user wrote. ‘Once I got a job at a hostel in Vilnius.
‘I was hired purely to get drunk people out of the hostel and into the bars, and the only people I really had problems with were Australians.
‘I saw an Australian girl punch a guy square in the face, and then he hit her on the back ten times harder. I’m not sure what it was, but I had to kick them out… and so on. I have dozens of war stories of violent, drunken Australians.
‘Australian backpackers do have a bad reputation, considering the very small group that ruins it for the rest.’
…and what about busloads of Chinese tourists?
Arriving en masse: large travel groups from China are also being criticized
Chinese tourists who arrive in large tour groups are also among the most complained about groups.
Alex from Altezza Travel added: ‘I’m not going to bash Chinese tourists as a whole group, but internationally I have noticed that they are often among the worst, especially when traveling in groups.
‘They tend to ignore local customs and rules, whether they are official government regulations or local guidelines. They cross barriers at museums, cut down queues and smoke in areas where it is not allowed.
‘In national parks they do not shy away from playing loud music, chasing away animals and completely ignoring the peace and quiet of others.
‘And worst of all, they can be rude to others. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen children behave in unimaginable ways toward others while their mothers just watched.”
