American travelers may have a bad rap when it comes to exploring Europe, but a new report reveals that most countries are welcoming and U.S. tourists are at least self-aware of the negative perception held by some.
Upgraded Points recently surveyed more than 2,200 residents across 22 different European countries, seeking their general impressions of American visitors and influential experiences in addition to the impact of recent political events.
The study also quizzed more than 1,000 frequent American travelers on how they believe Europeans perceive them, which experiences have shaped those views and whether politics plays a role in how they’re viewed.
“European countries are hotter than ever as destinations for American travelers, but popularity doesn’t always equal praise,” Upgraded Points editor-in-chief Keri Stooksbury said in a statement.
“We wanted to see if Europeans still see the stereotypical loud, overly patriotic American tourist, or if that’s just part of a common misconception.”
The research shows that 27 percent of Europeans hold a generally negative opinion of American tourists and 36 percent think Americans behave worse than other tourists. Interestingly, 40 percent of Americans anticipate being seen that way.
More are bothered by that belief, with 54 percent of Americans worrying at least a little about their reputation when traveling internationally. What’s more, 73 percent believe they, as Americans, have a bad reputation abroad.
Most Annoying States
Tampa, Florida. (Photo Credit: SeanPavonePhoto / Adobe Stock)
Odds are, most Americans already have a good idea of which states most often rub Europeans the wrong way.
Texas (33 percent) is an easy number one, according to European survey respondents, followed by Florida (21 percent) and California (14 percent).
Interestingly, when asked to self-reflect, Americans weren’t far off, naming Florida number one, with 23 percent indicating it’s the worst tourist-producing state. Texas came in second (21 percent), followed by New York (19 percent) and California (15 percent).
Most and Least Welcoming European Countries
It turns out that the world’s most-visited country, France, might just be the least welcoming destination in Europe when it comes to American tourists, as 15 percent of French respondents viewed their nation as unwelcoming to U.S. travelers.
Other countries that view themselves as the least welcoming to Americans include Hungary (8.7 percent), Norway (8 percent), Denmark (7.5 percent) and Spain (6.9 percent).
On the other side of the spectrum, Belgium (1.9 percent) and Italy (2 percent) boast the lowest number of residents who consider their nation unwelcoming.
City skyline of Rome, Italy. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/neirfy)
Other places greeting American tourists with open arms include Estonia, the Netherlands, Finland, and Poland, which all averaged 3 percent.
Poland (7 percent), Spain (7.8 percent), the U.K. (8.8 percent), Greece (8.8 percent) and Latvia (9.6 percent) are also relatively unbothered by Americans.
Most Annoying Tourist Behaviors
When it comes to the behaviors hurting U.S. travelers’ reputations overseas, noise is number one, with 64 percent of European respondents saying Americans are far too loud.
More than six out of 10 (61 percent) believe Americans expect everyone to speak English and one-third (33 percent) say Americans are overly friendly.
Finally, 30 percent think Americans too often ignore local customs.
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