Think Japanese and be a better tourist

This week Expedia released it's first ever "Global Best Tourist Survey." In this survey they queried over 4,000 hotel owners about who they thought were the best overall tourists as well as specific feedback on behavior, manners, willingness to learn the language and try local cuisine, generosity, tidiness, volume, fashion sense and propensity to complain.

The goody-goody Japanese won the survey for best overall travelers. They are neat, polite and quiet. Perhaps more surprisingly, Americans were not judged the worst. We scored middle of the pack - and clearly this means Expedia didn't talk to any of the hotels I've stayed in lately.

So, who's the worst? I've seen a few stories (links below) that the British scored the overall worst. Also, Indians, Russians, French and Mexicans were cited for their bad behavior.

Some study specifics:

• French tourists are the worst tippers followed by the Dutch and the British
• Americans were seen as the best tippers
• Germans, just before the Japanese and British, are considered the neatest tourists
• Americans are most apt to learn a few words of a local language and/or try some local cuisine than other nationalities
  
• Americans followed by the Italians and the British are said the be the nosiest travelers (I know that's very true in my case, and I do apologize...)
• Americans are said to have the worst fashion taste! French and Italians have the best

Expedia offers tips to American travelers for improving our profile abroad:

• Clean Up Your Act: Before checking out of your hotel, take a quick pass through the room to pick up any garbage or used linens from the floor
  
• Turn the Volume Down: Just because you may be accustomed to blasting music at home or laughing like a hyena with your friends doesn't mean fellow hotel guests share that enthusiasm
• Stay Calm: Always remember that quality standards vary from country to country, so don't be shocked if some experiences may be different than you pictured

I agree with the first two bullets - and while I don't believe I laugh "like a hyena," I do try and keep my volume down when in hotels with paper thin walls. The third bullet I mostly agree with, but the snarky side of me does have to comment to make. If I booked my hotel on Expedia and it was THEIR picture, isn't it kinda THEIR fault if I'm not satisfied?

Absolutely complaints should be handled in a courteous and respectful nature. But, if you feel you haven't received what you were sold, you should speak up. And, maybe you should speak up not just to the hotel, but with whoever sold you that room in the first place.

Japanese travelers top list in Expedia's first annual global best tourist survey [Press Release]
Brits named world's worst behaved tourists [Travel Weekly UK]
The ugly, generous American [Hartford Courant]

[Image via Flickr]