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I travel a lot with English speaking tour groups. I have been to places and have had interactions where you get a definite vibe that Americans are not welcome or are undesirable tourists. Anyway, I have a few of experiences:
1. In Morocco, traveling with a 14 person tour group of women, men everywhere at mint tea houses sitting outside smoking and frowning at our group.
2. On a bus tour passing through Germany, stopping at rest stops and being treated rudely by cashiers as you try to purchase something without speaking German.
3. In Paris at the Moulin Rouge, rude waiters, and being herded like cattle in lines and packed into tiny tables; requests ignored.
4. From tour guides, making sneaky snide comments about Americans, e.g. In China, tour guide kept referring to Americans as "Big Nose"; On a tour through Europe, Tour Guide insinuating Americans are too demanding and are expected to be big tippers more than Australians.
5. Stopping on a cruise in Bahamas, where frowning vendors were rude and suck their teeth if you say not interested.
Have you visited places where you you felt unwelcome or singled out because you were American or simply just for being a tourist?
I think you might be paranoid by thinking they are singling out Americans. Contrary to popular belief, according to studies, American's are not considered undesirable tourist at all when they are rated by nationality. On the other hand, we are considered one of the more generous (particularly when it comes to tipping). Greenback bring the appreciation.
But some places are jaded by tourism, some shops are just rude to everyone...or you get a person that has a bad day. That's all.
I find it amusing that China treated it's tourists bad. You haven't seen "rude" until you've been with a group of Chinese tourists.
3. In Paris at the Moulin Rouge, rude waiters, and being herded like cattle in lines and packed into tiny tables; requests ignored.
This. I would never go back to Paris, not just because of the animosity towards Americans, but the city was dirty and polluted, and street vendors trying to push people to buy things. It's a shame. I'm sure it was a beautiful city perhaps fifty years ago.
For starters, the Moulin Rouge is from all reports a tourist trap nowadays, well worth avoiding. Maybe it was something different back in Toulouse-Lautrec's day, who knows?
I've been to Paris twice now (much more recently than 50 years ago) and did not have the kind of experience PriscillaVanilla had. I didn't notice much in the way of street vendors, pushy or otherwise, and I did not find the city particularly dirty or polluted. And I experienced no animosity, though like in most cities there's a little bit of big-city reserve at times. Here more than just about anyplace else, knowing a couple of polite phrases of the hello-goodbye-please-thank you type goes a really long way.
I find it amusing that China treated it's tourists bad. You haven't seen "rude" until you've been with a group of Chinese tourists.
Fortunately, I've only experienced significant rudeness from fellow tourists in my travels a couple times, and the nationalities of the people involved happened to be Chinese or German. Please note well that I am NOT saying all such tourists from these two countries are rude, thanks, just these couple isolated examples.
Forgot to add one other time when I actually experienced extreme rudeness in Canada from fellow Americans. I was chatting with a group while waiting in line at a particular attraction, but when it came up in conversation that I didn't happen to utterly despise Bill Clinton like they did, they suddenly became very frosty and turned their back on me.
There are so many comments to respond to. but this resonated with me:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
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I find it amusing that China treated it's tourists bad. You haven't seen "rude" until you've been with a group of Chinese tourists.
I have had much exposure to Chinese tourists. One habit that I have seen over and over is the custom some have of doing a loud hawk (clearing of throat) in breakfast dining areas and if outside, following it with a spit. It makes me feel sick just to write about it!
I have traveled on my own too. In Paris, I rented an apt for 2 weeks and lived with the locals. I did fine with speaking French as much as I could. I did not get treated rudely by anybody.
I do agree that tour groups can be off putting to locals. I personally don't like it when fellow travelers rush off the bus and stick a big honking camera in people's faces, or jockey for position so that they can get their shot. On a tour to Indonesia, the tour guide stopped the bus so the tour (about 14 people) could crash a wedding. He said it was OK. People rushed off the bus, dressed inappropriately, snapping pictures--I waited outside. I was so embarrassed. Imagine white people in shorts taking pictures with an elaborately dressed bride and groom and bridal party. The tour guide did the same when we passed a funeral!
So to be clear, I do make an attempt to learn please and thank you in the local language. I agree with those who say often its best politely to ask if the local can speak English. If not much communication can be accomplished through gestures and smiles, with the local thank you.
I also ignore the tipping guidelines, which seem to be expressly made for Americans. Since big tipping is expected in the US, they must think they can guilt you into compliance. The tour guide mentioned the tipping expectation at least 5 times on a 16 day trip. Some Australian and New Zealand people indicated big tipping was not expected in their countries and they were not going to pay the 5 Euros per person per day as requested by the tour guide; in addition to 3 Euros per day for the driver. Some families included between 4 and 6 people.
So yes, the problem is with the tour, and does not necessarily have to do with being American.
I have not been an American that long, but I do admit to feeling some sensitivity with the current view of the US in the world.
People that are in the US usually have something to say about foreigners that come here that speak no lick of English or no clue on how things are "done" here. Once you leave the US, you are one of those same foreigners that you had an issue about.
I travel a lot with English speaking tour groups. I have been to places and have had interactions where you get a definite vibe that Americans are not welcome or are undesirable tourists. Anyway, I have a few of experiences:
1. In Morocco, traveling with a 14 person tour group of women, men everywhere at mint tea houses sitting outside smoking and frowning at our group.
2. On a bus tour passing through Germany, stopping at rest stops and being treated rudely by cashiers as you try to purchase something without speaking German.
3. In Paris at the Moulin Rouge, rude waiters, and being herded like cattle in lines and packed into tiny tables; requests ignored.
4. From tour guides, making sneaky snide comments about Americans, e.g. In China, tour guide kept referring to Americans as "Big Nose"; On a tour through Europe, Tour Guide insinuating Americans are too demanding and are expected to be big tippers more than Australians.
5. Stopping on a cruise in Bahamas, where frowning vendors were rude and suck their teeth if you say not interested.
Have you visited places where you you felt unwelcome or singled out because you were American or simply just for being a tourist?
those frowning furnurs are bad, but the teeth suckers are even worse U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I agree it may be a problem with your groups in general. My husband and I travel a lot, but he travels even more for work. Agreed with Paris, they do not like Americans there and I don’t think that’s a secret! My husband has been to Germany several times and never had a problem there and he speaks no German. We have also been to the Bahamas and I feel they are overly friendly as they want you to buy there stuff; however, if you don’t I think that’s when they get a little snooty. I have never had a problem in Mexico either. I think that’s actually the friendliest country I’ve been too!
While it seems Paris doesn't like American's I just find Paris to be like NY. If you aren't from Paris or NY then you aren't one of them. Other parts of France, like the Normandy region love Americans and will do anything for you. Germans aren't rude, they are just Germans. Frank, precise and always right. Once you understand this, they are quite funny. The language sounds harsh too so you might think they are angry with you but they aren't. My grandfather was German and two of our neighbors are German. Mexicans according to my husband who used to travel there frequently were wonderful people as a whole though they have great problems with Drug cartels and Mob bosses. Just don't get mad if you are in a restaurant and you sit around expecting the waiter to bring the check and they never do, you need to ask for it as it is considered rude to bring you the check and make you feel they are kicking you out. Probably not an issue in tourist resorts, but more so in the local areas.
The best thing, when traveling, is to learn the local customs so that you don't come off rude yourself without even knowing it. Be friendly and learn at the very least how to say Good Morning/Evening/Day and say it before asking for something.
People that are in the US usually have something to say about foreigners that come here that speak no lick of English or no clue on how things are "done" here. Once you leave the US, you are one of those same foreigners that you had an issue about.
At least in Europe, this is simply not the case.
English is the unversersal language in Europe. Therefore, speaking English in Europe is simply not like just going somewhere and speaking just any foreign language. I'm certainly not saying that everyone in Europe speaks English or that you shouldn't try to speak local languages as that certainly has benefits. However, it's not the case that English is just some foreign language in Europe.
Both of my worst experiences happened in the States.
One was traveling by motorcycle with a grandpa, grandma, their daughter and her daughter. I was a middle-aged woman so this one elderly gentleman traveling with a group of women was hardly a threatening sight. But we were refused service in Amish country and constantly harassed by police in Branson, Missouri. LOL. If they'd just stopped to think for a minute, what kind of bad bikers take their vacations in those areas!
The other place I now avoid in my travels is the Miami International Airport. I've never experienced such overt hostility.
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U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
