35 countries ranked on how rude they are to tourists

[kenny]

Fascinating.

It claims the least rude country to visitors is Brazil and the most rude is France.
I'm not sure how seriously I'd take this; Like all these things pay attention to how the "poll" was taken and of course take it with a grain of salt.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/worlds-rudest-countries_n_1414819.html?1334082987&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing8%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D150700#s857184&title=34_Brazil

 

[Jennifer W]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from. People all over the world are nice to me (from Scotland) and incredibly rude to my husband (from the South of England).

 

[mrswahs]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from. People all over the world are nice to me (from Scotland) and incredibly rude to my husband (from the South of England).

This is a good point.

I can't disagree with the rankings of the places I've been. France was awful for us, I'm guessing extra so since we didn't stay in a touristy area.

 

[kenny]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from.

Yes, so true.
We Americans are loved everywhere we go.

This is probably because we realize that everyone understands English if you yell it slowly and loudly enough
How could anyone be rude to US?

 

[Pandora II]

Also depends on where you go in a country.

Italians who live and work in Venice and Florence get VERY fed up with constant tourists.

London is also a problem - when I worked in Westminster it was a nightmare trying to get into Parliament because of the hordes of tourists outside who all used to stand and block the pavement. I'm also amazed how rude so many tourists are when they come here and also how incapable of working out that you walk on the left in the underground and stand on the right on the escalators and no you don't stand 2 abreast and you line up nicely for the bus and let people off before you get on etc. Three nationalities in particular are particular sinners....

 

[Jennifer W]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from. People all over the world are nice to me (from Scotland) and incredibly rude to my husband (from the South of England).

This is a good point.

I can't disagree with the rankings of the places I've been. France was awful for us, I'm guessing extra so since we didn't stay in a touristy area.

France was pretty awful for us in certain areas too, and we finally figured it out -our rental car has a Paris registration plate. People thought we were from Paris. In some parts of France, that would make you unpopular, apparently!

 

[justginger]

I also very much agree that the host countrymen's actions and hospitality is HIGHLY dependent on the actions/words of the tourists themselves. I got absolutely flamed on here for stating that I hate obnoxious American tourists in Australia. This does not make me anti-American - it makes me anti-obnoxious. Loud, arrogant Turks, Russians, Swedes, Germans...they don't perpetuate stereotypes that I then have to LIVE with because they are not representative of my nationality like Americans are.

Please, before you travel, do a bit of research on local acceptable behavior and act accordingly. And do not spend your time overseas making a stream of never ending comments about, "Back in (wherever you're from), we..." If people want to know about your customs and culture they'll either make the effort to visit, or ask.

And honestly, I was treated very well in Paris and regional France. I always cringe when I read poor reviews for them, as I think cultural differences lead to misunderstandings on both sides. I am going back in June and am very much looking forward to it.

 

[kenny]

Back in the 70s I bummed around Europe with a backpack and a Eurail pass.
I was broke so I'd just go to the train station in the evening and get on a sleeper car.
I didn't care where it went; it was just a free bed.
I'd wake up in a new city and bum around for the day.
It was fantastic!

I distinctly remember a train station in Paris.
As I was waiting in line at the Information booth I frantically used my English/French dictionary to write down all of my questions.
When I got to the window I was mortified as I bumbled through my questions in "French" which felt like it took an eternity.
The man just looked at me, stone faced, and let me struggle.

When I was finished he, with a face of smug pleasure, answered me curtly in English far superior to mine.

 

[justginger]

A possibility: he felt insulted, as he thought you assumed he was incapable of conversing in English. Preface conversation with a simple "Parlez-vous anglais?" and go from there. If they say no, then break out the dictionary.

Another possibility: he was a jerk. Every country has them, often in multitude.

Edited to remove the automatically placed dollar signs from my previously inappropriate language.

 

[greenteabiscuit]

.

 

[JuneRose]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from. People all over the world are nice to me (from Scotland) and incredibly rude to my husband (from the South of England).

That's exactly what I was going to say!

 

[JuneRose]

Also depends on where you go in a country.

Italians who live and work in Venice and Florence get VERY fed up with constant tourists.

London is also a problem - when I worked in Westminster it was a nightmare trying to get into Parliament because of the hordes of tourists outside who all used to stand and block the pavement. I'm also amazed how rude so many tourists are when they come here and also how incapable of working out that you walk on the left in the underground and stand on the right on the escalators and no you don't stand 2 abreast and you line up nicely for the bus and let people off before you get on etc. Three nationalities in particular are particular sinners....

Pandora you are preaching to the choir lol! This drives me INSANE in London...

 

[mayerling]

I think it also depends on what sort of things a particular culture finds rude in other cultures. DH and I went on a cruise in the Southern Med in December and he found a lot of behaviours at our destinations rude even though I didn't as I'm from the Southern Med myself and don't judge the same things as being rude.

 

[stargurl78]

I'm with justginger, I thought the people in France were very pleasant, so maybe it just depends on the area you visit? We went on a backpacking trip through parts of Europe in 2006 and I thought the 2 places where we were treated the worst were Berlin and Rome. We did meet a few very friendly people in Berlin too though.

 

[Haven]

I've never been treated rudely while visiting another country, at least I haven't encountered habitual rudeness. I'm sure I've met a rude person here and there, but I think that's more about the individual than the country.

I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well they're treated.

 

[Haven]

I've never been treated rudely while visiting another country, at least I haven't encountered habitual rudeness. I'm sure I've met a rude person here and there, but I think that's more about the individual than the country.

I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well they're treated.

I should have written:
I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well she's treated.

Sorry, I can no longer edit. The error will stay!

 

[innerkitten]

I'm pretty sure it also depends on where the tourist is from. People all over the world are nice to me (from Scotland) and incredibly rude to my husband (from the South of England).

They probably love your accent but maybe not his. My husband is from England too, Telford and Brighton. And he has pointed out to me that English people are often the bad guys in movies

 

[innerkitten]

I'm with justginger, I thought the people in France were very pleasant, so maybe it just depends on the area you visit? We went on a backpacking trip through parts of Europe in 2006 and I thought the 2 places where we were treated the worst were Berlin and Rome. We did meet a few very friendly people in Berlin too though.

Thats interesting. In Germany I had a woman kick my luggage because she thought it was in her way. But on the same trip several people I barely new invited me to there homes for dinner.

 

[justginger]

Pandora, I am confused. I have always assumed that one would behave the same in the UK as in Oz, in terms of directions and positioning. But you are saying stand to the right, walk to the left. That is how it is done in the US, why would the UK do it that way? Just as with driving on the left, in Oz you stand to the left and walk on the right (to pass, so to speak). Have I misunderstood you?

 

[Asu]

I actually disagree with London placement in the chart.I never,ever found people as polite,kind and warm as Londoners!It kind of made me dread coming back to Italy...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I've never been treated rudely while visiting another country, at least I haven't encountered habitual rudeness. I'm sure I've met a rude person here and there, but I think that's more about the individual than the country.

I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well they're treated.

I should have written:
I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well she's treated.

Sorry, I can no longer edit. The error will stay!

Yep, not only does it matter how a person behaves, it also matters on what he/she expects from the country being visited. If a person has high expectations of being pampered, then that person may have a great chance of feeling let down or treated like crap. Just because a person is a tourist, doesn't mean everyone should make a sudden change of personality to make that person feel extra special like he/she is royalty!

This thread interests me because I've been reading up a lot lately on how Seattle has a reputation for being cold and rude. Something called the "Seattle Freeze," where people are nice on the surface, but if you really try to become friends with them, they give you the cold shoulder or give weird looks for trying to initiate a friendship beyond the basics. I didn't even realize that is how others saw people here. I guess it's just the culture here???

 

[ericad]

I've never been treated rudely while visiting another country, at least I haven't encountered habitual rudeness. I'm sure I've met a rude person here and there, but I think that's more about the individual than the country.

I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well they're treated.

I should have written:
I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well she's treated.

Sorry, I can no longer edit. The error will stay!

Yep, not only does it matter how a person behaves, it also matters on what he/she expects from the country being visited. If a person has high expectations of being pampered, then that person may have a great chance of feeling let down or treated like crap. Just because a person is a tourist, doesn't mean everyone should make a sudden change of personality to make that person feel extra special like he/she is royalty!

This thread interests me because I've been reading up a lot lately on how Seattle has a reputation for being cold and rude. Something called the "Seattle Freeze," where people are nice on the surface, but if you really try to become friends with them, they give you the cold shoulder or give weird looks for trying to initiate a friendship beyond the basics. I didn't even realize that is how others saw people here. I guess it's just the culture here???

I think it's a matter of perception and expectations. I've spent lots of time in France and have never found the people to be rude, but I've traveled a lot since childhood, so I have appropriate expectations. There are certain cultural quirks in France that most tourists wouldn't know, which could contribute to a negative experience. For example, if you enter a shop you're supposed to greet the store employee. "Bonjour Madame" (or whatever the case may be). They think it's extremely rude to just walk into a shop talking on your phone, or ignoring the employee, then man handling all the goods. But for us Americans, that's just the way we shop (I dread going into French shops because we have to do this little dance and I just want to be left alone to look around)! So a lot of it is perception and cultural nuances. If I am in a coffee shop and attempt to order coffee in broken French, the employee will usually quickly figure out that I'm American and will let me off the hook by responding in English. If I walk in and just assume they'll speak English to me, and don't even make an effort to speak their language, then I'll get some attitude. I actually think this is understandable - as a visitor in their country, it's reasonable that I should attempt to speak the language.

And, unfortunately, they do have a lot of preconceived notions about American tourists - DH is always shushing me and telling me not to be so loud, lol. And his friends have remarked that Americans are so animated when we talk - lots of pulling of the face and big eyes and wild gesturing. I've had multiple French friends tell us this, not just about me but this is what they think of all Americans. That made me giggle. I do tend to gesture and flail a lot when I'm engrossed in a conversation. But to them we're just sort of big and loud and can really fill a room Ironically, I find the French to be really loud. They always argue! Everything is phrased in the form of an argument, even when they agree with you, lol. It's fascinating!

Regarding Seattle, it's funny you say that MC! I moved here from the Bay Area 10+ years ago and have heard the same thing, but I never could figure out what people mean. My dad and brother, on the other hand, who have lived here (my parents live here now, but brother has moved on to live in AZ) always say that Washingtonians are passive aggressive. I don't get it! I find people here to be quite genuine in a no-nonsense kind of way. I guess folks do take a little while to warm up, while in CA people were far more "fake" nice. It's tough to articulate. But then again I'm a bit of a loner anyway, so WA must just suit me Or maybe we're all just depressed from the rain...

 

[zoebartlett]

I've never been treated badly when visiting another country, either, Haven. I think some of it has to do with how willing we are to make an attempt to communicate in a language that is not our own. From my experience, if you put some effort into learning a few phrases, the residents of that country are more welcoming. If you assume that everyone should speak English and you don't even *try*, you might have a different experience. I think it's a great idea to have respect for the culture and language of the place you're visiting and Americans don't always show that, unfortunately.

I've been to 9 countries and the friendliest, most welcoming people I've ever met were in Ireland. My husband and I met so many wonderful, kind-hearted, friendly people, and I miss it SO MUCH.

 

[kenny]

Yes of course visitors vary.
But countries vary too.

 

[Pandora II]

Pandora, I am confused. I have always assumed that one would behave the same in the UK as in Oz, in terms of directions and positioning. But you are saying stand to the right, walk to the left. That is how it is done in the US, why would the UK do it that way? Just as with driving on the left, in Oz you stand to the left and walk on the right (to pass, so to speak). Have I misunderstood you?

In the Underground if you are walking from one line to another, you walk on the left-hand side of the tunnel. On an escalator you stand on the right-hand side so that people can keep walking down the escalator on the left. When exiting you also stick to your left hand side on the stairs.

We even have signs on the walls saying 'Keep Left' and yet people are incapable of doing this.

Not sure if that makes more sense?

 

[justginger]

Yes, Pandora, you're explaining clearly - I'm just surprised. The walking/exiting to the left is what I expected. But standing to the right and being passed on the left is the opposite to what I would expect. I imagine Americans would do that out of habit from their "slow to the right, pass on the left" driving style. I'm glad you said something about this or we would have been silly Australians, standing on the left!

 

[kenny]

Today 2/3 of countries drive on the right side of the road.

It's fascinating to read about this topic's history . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_side

 

[amc80]

The only time I can really say I was treated rudely was by a fellow American...in New Zealand. I was on my way home (after being there a year- I was an exchange student in high school) and getting situated on the plane. I put my backpack in the nearest overhead compartment that had space, which was just across the aisle from mine. This guy boarded, saw my backpack was there, and proceeded to say "whose is this" while throwing my backpack on the ground. Seriously.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I've never been treated rudely while visiting another country, at least I haven't encountered habitual rudeness. I'm sure I've met a rude person here and there, but I think that's more about the individual than the country.

I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well they're treated.

I should have written:
I think the way a visitor behaves has a direct effect on how well she's treated.

Sorry, I can no longer edit. The error will stay!

Yep, not only does it matter how a person behaves, it also matters on what he/she expects from the country being visited. If a person has high expectations of being pampered, then that person may have a great chance of feeling let down or treated like crap. Just because a person is a tourist, doesn't mean everyone should make a sudden change of personality to make that person feel extra special like he/she is royalty!

This thread interests me because I've been reading up a lot lately on how Seattle has a reputation for being cold and rude. Something called the "Seattle Freeze," where people are nice on the surface, but if you really try to become friends with them, they give you the cold shoulder or give weird looks for trying to initiate a friendship beyond the basics. I didn't even realize that is how others saw people here. I guess it's just the culture here???

Regarding Seattle, it's funny you say that MC! I moved here from the Bay Area 10+ years ago and have heard the same thing, but I never could figure out what people mean. My dad and brother, on the other hand, who have lived here (my parents live here now, but brother has moved on to live in AZ) always say that Washingtonians are passive aggressive. I don't get it! I find people here to be quite genuine in a no-nonsense kind of way. I guess folks do take a little while to warm up, while in CA people were far more "fake" nice. It's tough to articulate. But then again I'm a bit of a loner anyway, so WA must just suit me Or maybe we're all just depressed from the rain...

Yeah, it was quite an eye opener reading that there is some sort of personality "flaw" here, as I've lived here all my life and thought everyone in the world behaved liked this and I thought there was something wrong with me because I tend to be a bit standoffish and it confuses me when people follow through with plans. (it appears I'm one of the horrible frozen ones!)

I guess before anyone travels or moves, they should read up on local customs, like knowing to the address the owner of the shop in France before looking about as it'd make life a whole lot easier. My mom moved to Vienna about 10 years ago and STILL is confused about the customs! All the strange nuances has made living there extremely stressful for her, especially since there is a language barrier.

 

[distracts]

This is a little bit of a tangent, but I remember one time when I was in Hawaii, an English man asked my family where we had been that was farthest from home. My father, who has lived in Africa and the middle east, got a pass from him. The man proceeded to get very pissed off at the rest of us when we answered "Hawaii." Yes, we've done foreign travel, but to Canada, Mexico, and Central and Southern America... and all the countries were technically closer to Texas than Hawaii (Most of our foreign travel is to Spanish-speaking countries because we all can speak and understand at least basic things in that language.). We got subjected to a very long rant about how Americans have no respect for other countries. When we corrected him that we HAD traveled to other countries, he decided that non-US North/South American countries didn't really count, we had to have gone across a big ocean all the way.