Survey Ranks Japanese World's Best Tourists, Americans 11th

Expedia USA

By Kelly Bronk

Japanese travelers claim the title of "World's Best Tourists" in Expedia's first global tourist survey, while the British and the Germans tie for the runner-up position. Americans rank 11th.

The 2008 rankings, published by online travel company Expedia Inc., which plans to do the survey annually, are based on surveys of more than 4,000 hoteliers to determine the best overall tourists by nationality. Hoteliers were asked to rank international travelers in a variety of categories including manners, willingness to learn the language and try local cuisine, generosity and fashion savvy. Countries were scored on a 100-point scale.

"Hoteliers are the experts when it comes to interacting with tourists, so as the busy summer travel season approaches and vacationers prepare for their own travel experiences, we thought it would be fun to present some of [the hoteliers'] common perceptions regarding tourists from all around the world," said Expedia.com travel specialist Karyn Thale.

In addition to claiming the overall Best Tourists title, Japanese travelers are also named the best behaved, most polite, most quiet and least complaining tourists.

"They know what they want, and they come prepared with attractions marked in their Japanese tour books," said Polina Roze, a concierge at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square in New York City. "They're very easy to accommodate, and they're very polite. They often say 'thank you' four or five times."

Hoteliers rank Americans as the international tourists most likely to try to speak in the local language and sample native cuisine. But while Americans earn points for those efforts to experience another culture fully and win the title of most generous tourists, they are also labeled the noisiest and least fashionable visitors.

Along with the Americans, the British and the French are described as culinary adventurers. And this sense of adventure extends beyond just a willingness to try local cuisine, according to Christopher Heywood, a vice president for NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for New York, which is the No. 1 destination for international visitors to the United States.

"German and British tourists seem to be a little bit more adventurous," Heywood said, citing their interest in visiting other New York boroughs in addition to Manhattan. Heywood attributes this desire to see all five of New York's boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens - to the fact that many European tourists have visited New York City multiple times. "They've seen many of the tourist attractions and they want a real authentic experience," Heywood said.

Other notable winners in the Expedia survey include the chic French and the Italians, who claim the most fashionable prize. Roze says many international visitors, including French and Italian tourists, are eager to visit New York's designer stores. "I've noticed that a lot of visitors from Spain, Mexico, Italy and France are usually dressed very sharp, and they ask about going to stores like Juicy Couture and Century 21, a store known for discounted designer clothing."

Although international visitors to the United States have many different characteristics, some desirable and some less so, their positive effect on the United States is undeniable. "International guests are keeping us on our toes and bringing a boost to the economy," Roze said. "They're here to enjoy the city and experience New York to the fullest. They're such a positive influence on the city."

Source: U.S. Department of State