Are We on the Best Tourist List?
It looks like I'll be heading back to Prince Edward County, Ontario to visit my family. In fact, it is confirmed I'm leaving next week. I have plenty of time for vacations this summer as some colleagues and myself were given an unexpected, extended vacation. In other words we were let go until further notice.
So, I've decided to turn lemons into lemonade, make the best of it and head home. This time, I'm flying back to Canada with an airline I haven't flown with before which for the moment is remaining nameless. I've read some positive reviews so hopefully, it will be nicer than the last airline which goes without saying I "won't" be flying with ever again.
I'll miss our annual summer road trip through Europe but there's always next year. It has been my experience on most trips I've been on that Danes are quiet, very conscious of how their children are behaving and remind them to be aware of other people. Whilst other guests are sometimes overbearing, loud, put their blinders on and let their children run wild. These are just my own observations from samplings of a few and not based on scientific fact, of course.
I was just reading a survey conducted by expedia.co.uk in which they interviewed thousands of European hotel owners about the world's best and worst tourists. The Japanese behave the best, are most polite, easy going and accommodating according to this survey. I think this is probably true. I have yet to meet an irritating or grumpy Japanese tourist but who knows, one could be out there.
Americans followed by Canadians complain the most. Say what? Well, I complain more than I'd like to so if I'm like the Canadian tourists included in that survey that might be accurate as well. Frenchmen were voted the worst hotel guests, among other reasons because they were impolite and neglected to speak the local language. Hmm..On my last visit to Paris I thought that the French people I encountered couldn't be more polite.
Danes and Englishmen were pretty low on the list as well. Apparently, included in the survey results were how much the tourists tipped on average. Danes aren't used to tipping, so maybe that impacted the results, not sure. If you dine at a restaurant here the tips are included in the bill. Tipping is a bit of a culture shock when suddenly one has to tip around every corner; high, wide and handsome.
I'd like to know which age group dominated this survey they conducted. If the bulk of the hotel owners experience was with young Danes I'd say, well yes okay maybe some of them like to party hearty until the wee hours of the morning. Personally I've had good and bad experiences with all nationalities while vacationing. I guess one has to take these surveys with a grain of salt but it certainly leaves room for reflection.
