French Tourists- the worst?

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:49 am

I know we've had several arguments at FG about Americans being terrible tourists in foreign lands, but according to this article, it's the French who take first place.

I still don't know how this passes as fact and not opinion.

Friday, Jul. 04, 2008

Most Obnoxious Tourists? The French

By Bruce Crumley / Paris

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 its 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 franÃ§ais 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 deemed most style-conscious, and the French the best-dressed tourists.

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 counter-intuitive 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."

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:59 am

Sorry Rg but we just had two french tourists murdered here in the UK. So I just feel it would be bad taste for me to comment right now.

Here is the link to what these poor boys endured.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7491831.stm

p.s. Im not having a dig, just doesnt seem right for me to say anything other than what I feel right now hun.

jpcme · Post by **jpcme** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:07 am

No I am sure that title still belongs to the English. I notice they did not include Spain and Greece as they are to popular places for British tourists. Go to any popular resort in Spain and you will see the place full of drunken puking swearing British who will be falling into the gutter and shouting that imortal phrase" What are you ********** looking at. The only thing I can say in the English defence is it not always the English as I witnessed in Bulgaria on a ski holiday. All week long we heard from the locals how great the Irish tourist were always up for fun just getting drunk and having a laugh. That is until St Patricks day when they went over the top getting even more drunk and then trashing anything they could. The next day all we heard from the locals was 'those ********** English look what they have done'.

So although the title still belongs the English it sould really be the British.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:12 am

Chezzie;908764 wrote: Sorry Rg but we just had two french tourists murdered here in the UK. So I just feel it would be bad taste for me to comment right now.French students in the British capital on a two-month university course to fill out their main degree, rather than tourists. My daughter's currently in the French capital on a two-month university course to fill out her main degree. The idea that the French are being mocked as a nation saddens me immensely but that's shoddy journalism for you. There's even a wikipedia article about these constant muck-rake attacks by partisan US journalists of the only country in the Security Council prepared to stand up to US pressure.

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:41 am

Vive Le France!

The French are a contrary bunch sometimes, but at least they are quite stylish about it!

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:15 am

Uzbekistanians...now theres a bunch of misfits.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:26 am

Nomad;908912 wrote: Uzbekistanians...now theres a bunch of misfits.

Those people have the greatest cuisine of Central Asia, don't knock them. If it were easier to get to they'd have a huge tourist industry already - the scenery's spectacular too.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:28 am

spot;908917 wrote: Those people have the greatest cuisine of Central Asia, don't knock them. If it were easier to get to they'd have a huge tourist industry already - the scenery's spectacular too.

Well sure, but theyre still misfits. Every last one of them.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:29 am

Nomad;908918 wrote: Well sure, but theyre still misfits. Every last one of them.

You're just upset that they have a higher adult literacy rate than the US.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:36 am

spot;908921 wrote: You're just upset that they have a higher adult literacy rate than the US.

What does literasee mean ?

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:51 pm

While in Paris - the French were very nice - never rude - had a great time.

Of course before our trip we heard all stories on how rude the French are.

Quite the opposite

Patsy

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:58 pm

Going back to the OP, I was interested to see who the heck this Bruce Crumley was and googled him. He's the Paris Bureau correspondent for Time Magazine. This magazine also felt moved to announce the death of French culture in its November 2007 edition. Ah well - they still make good coffee!

The French themselves are a bit bemused to discover that villains in the new Hollywood films (eg James Bond's latest caper) tend now to be French too. La vache! - Bad guys all now have froggie accents, probably don't wash and smell of ze garlic. Merde alors!!

In similar vein, Americans might be pleased to note that Australians are now officially apparently more obese than them. And this was an Australian survey - I am skipping lunch henceforth!! (But never ze French coffee!)

But the OP is about tourists - and as the evil horde leave Paris for their summer break - I wish them bonne vacance!

:sneaky:

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:25 pm

What about the Ingushetians? They are a right bunchy of snooty toerags.

Post by **spot** » Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:15 pm

Galbally;909441 wrote: What about the Ingushetians? They are a right bunchy of snooty toerags.

But do they go on holiday abroad?

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:51 am

spot;909446 wrote: But do they go on holiday abroad?

No, not yet, its the North Ossetians that are going abroad at the minute, but thats only over the road to Abkhazia, and the Abkazis are already annoyed. Its a mixed bag the Caucuses, a really mixed bag.

Post by **spot** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:57 am

That James Elroy Flecker chap, wasn't he Irish? He wrote like an Irishman. I'm sure he wrote a poem in praise of Uzbek cookery.

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:21 am

I lived in Orlando for 10 years, I've seen the ugly side of people from many different countries.

Post by **spot** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:28 am

sunny104;909759 wrote: I lived in Orlando for 10 years, I've seen the ugly side of people from many different countries.

That disgusting saccharine mouse who cons people out of their hard-earned cash? The dog in the dungarees? The duck in the sailor suit? They're FOREIGN? Run them out of town!

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:31 am

spot;909761 wrote: That disgusting saccharine mouse who cons people out of their hard-earned cash? The dog in the dungarees? The duck in the sailor suit? They're FOREIGN? Run them out of town!

but they're cute?!

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:47 am

I hope it was apparent that I posted this rather tongue in cheek and not because I actually think the French make poor tourists. If it wasn't before, hopefully it is now.

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:58 am

RedGlitter;910547 wrote: I hope it was apparent that I posted this rather tongue in cheek and not because I actually think the French make poor tourists. If it wasn't before, hopefully it is now.

Thats the way I perceived it Red:-6

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:34 am

You are entitled to your views anyway, Red!!! As we all are. I think you always express them politely - and as there are no actual French nationals in this Forum, that I know of, I guess nobody was likely to take offence. As I tried to point out, the French mostly accept that because of their former Presiden't political stance in regard to some parts of your still current Presiden't's foreign policy, there would be some fallout. :-6