The Japanese ranked at the top. I know a lot of Japanese friends who will be pleased to read that!
I think it's really important to be on your best behavior when you're a guest in somebody else's country. Your behavior will reflect on our entire country. Likewise, we should try to be terrific hosts to people who are visiting our country.
PARIS (Reuters Life!) – French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.
They finish in last place in the survey carried out for internet travel agency Expedia by polling company TNS Infratest, which said French holidaymakers don't speak local languages and are seen as impolite.
"It's mainly the fact that they speak little or no English when they're abroad, and they don't speak much of the local language," Expedia Marketing Director Timothee de Roux told radio station France Info.
"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," he said, adding that 90 per cent of French people did their traveling at home.
"So when they're on holiday they can be a bit stressed, they're not used to things, and this can lead them to be demanding in a way which could be seen as a certain arrogance."
French tourists are also accused of generally spending less than other nationalities when abroad.
De Roux said the French, not accustomed to leaving large tips at home where a service charge is automatically levied on restaurant bills, can seem "tight-fisted" compared with other nationalities.
The Japanese ranked top of the Best Tourist survey, with the British and the Germans judged the best of the Europeans.
But French tourists received some consolation for their poor performance, finishing third after the Italians and British for dress sense while on holiday.
(Reporting by Joseph Tandy; editing by James Mackenzie)
2nd Bed Update:
After only 2 nights of sleeping on our new Vera Wang, All Latex bed from America's Mattress there is a depression where we were laying. This is rather disappointing since I thought it was supposed to bouce back all the time for 30 years. Ah well...
oh no a depression in your expensive mattress and you two are not overweight...it would be very hard to return it down the stairs, etc. Guess you'll get used to it if you sleep in the depression long enough. LOL!
ReplyDeleteDon't get too depressed by the depression.
ReplyDeleteI went to read that article on Yahoo as soon as I saw the headline, fearing we Israelis would be the worst. Glad the French won the title instead.
Kay;
ReplyDeleteWe have a depression too on each side where Jim sleeps and where I sleep...the mattress people said that it conforms to your body and that it takes a breaking in period! I have turned my mattress a couple of times since buying it!
It makes sense that it shouldn't gave in though! You two are very thin people...perplexing!
Very interesting article, I was sure that the Americans would be at the top of the list.
Uh-oh, sorry to hear that about your bed. Thought that was an interesting article about tourists. It doesn't surprise me that the Japanese are on the top of the list because all the ones we have seen over the years have always behaved beautifully.
ReplyDelete"coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant" - trust me on this as a former neighbour to their country, it ain't just their tourists!!
ReplyDeleteBut then I am English and we all know we at best tolerate each other!!
BTW if all else fails you have that month in hand, or a mattress topper can work miracles.
We always buy a Simmons mattress, because when David gets out of bed, the whole bed doesn't sway. This is due to individual coils. We bought it in 1996, and although there are dents where we sleep, the bed is still comfortable.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have run into a few rather nasty French tourists visiting our country. But I don't know about the over-all picture. In my limited foreign travel, I found the worst were Italian teen-agers. On the other hand, I too have been embarrassed by Americans, both abroad and right here.
ReplyDeleteI've found Americans abroad to be the worst sometimes but also the BEST sometimes, so maybe it evens out? I would have been afraid it was the Irish: if the French are seen as cheap, I hate to think of what the hotel owners think of people who never tip, who start drinking as soon as they wake, and who steal everything not nailed down.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the mattress; as long as it's still comfortable I wouldn't worry. (especially after what Peggy said!)
When I came home from the hospital, my wife had purchased a four inch thick piece of foam like your mattress except it isn't that same name. I like it. It does make sleeping easier and it does bounce back in an hour or so. I do like it and the only disadvantage to having it is that if I fall out of bed I will have fallen an additional four inches.
ReplyDeleteI have been embarrassed by some of the behavior and comments of tourists. I did think that American tourists sometimes take things for granted...[not everyone].
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid the bed is already high. It's a 15" mattress plus another two for the bunkie board. It'll be on some kind of stand someday so that'll raise it even higher. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the depression won't be much deeper.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i've read about this the other day... it was quite an interesting survey=)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the mattress! What a bummer! Interesting, I didn't think they were supposed to do that! Shows how much I don't know!!! Having lived in Europe for three years, I found I was frequently embarrassed by American tourists, but have always heard that the French were the worst. As you know from one of my posts, I was very fortunate with my experiences in France -- don't know how it would be today, though. Don't think I need to worry,I'm not likely to be making a trip there anytime soon!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week, Kay!
KAY....i agree Japanese tourists are very polite....we had many Japanese tourists in our hotel and it was very nice to see them mingle with the locals and other tourists as well...hotel staff was too pleased too.
ReplyDeleteOnce our flight was canceled due to technical snag ,we were put in a plush hotel by France Airline in Paris..but our stay was a horror because the staff spoke only french ..so right from ordering food or any other inquiry was a hard task....even the information card was in French
Blog hopped here from Kavita and fell in love with the picture of your grand daughter, shes adorable to say the least! This particular news about the French being the worst tourist, I also happened across at yahoo news, If I am visiting a country, its definitely because I choose that place as my holiday destination, why then would I be rude and behave as though I was better of at home?
ReplyDeleteKay, can you call the store and ask about this or write an e-mail to the company. I don't think there should be a depression at all.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about French tourists.
Oh no...I am sorry about your mattress. I thought it was supposed to spring back too.. Maybe it takes some time to spring back....
ReplyDelete