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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
How Europeans Feel About American Tourists Right Now
Danny Hu/Getty When you picture an American tourist in Europe, a certain cliché is bound to spring to mind. Perhaps you envision a loud, bumbling traveler in a large tour group, who doesn't attempt to adhere to cultural customs or speak the local language, and who is impatient at tourist attractions and restaurants. But do these stereotypes actually have any truth to them? Or are they outdated tropes that don't represent the majority of US travelers? A new study is shedding light on the matter. To get to the bottom of how Europeans really see American travelers, Upgraded Points surveyed more than 2,200 people across 22 European countries on their general view of US tourists. The travel credit card advice site also asked Europeans whether recent political events impacted their opinions. For comparison, they also surveyed 1,000 American travelers on their views of the typical US tourist. How Europeans really see American tourists On the whole, Americans actually had a much harsher view of themselves as tourists than the European respondents did. 'Americans often assume the worst about how they come off, while Europeans see a more balanced, though definitely still loud, picture,' the study said. Indeed, the one matter on which both groups agreed was that American travelers can be loud: 70% of Europeans said loudness was a typical trait of US tourists, while 69% of Americans agreed. But volume aside, Europeans had quite a favorable view of US tourists, with 64% of European respondents saying US travelers are friendly (compared to just 44% of Americans who agreed), and 46% saying US tourists are curious (with only 31% of Americans saying the same thing about themselves). When it came to less endearing qualities, American respondents were much more likely to view themselves in a negative light than Europeans. More than half of Americans said that US tourists are arrogant (53%) compared to just 27% of Europeans. Likewise, 40% of Americans said that US travelers are rude, while only 12% of Europeans agreed. When it comes to some of those aforementioned stereotypes, some Europeans do believe at least a few to be true. For example, 61% said US tourists think everyone in Europe speaks English, while 30% said Americans often ignore local customs. Where do Americans annoy European locals the most? The survey also identified the European countries that are most and least annoyed with American tourists. Among the most annoyed countries are Portugal (with 18.8% of respondents saying they're annoyed by US travelers), Belgium (18.3%), Ireland (17.4%), Netherlands (14.9%), and Denmark (14.8%). The countries where respondents said they are the least annoyed by American tourists include Poland, where just 7% of survey participants said they found American tourists annoying, Spain (7.8%), the UK (8.8%), Greece (8.8%), and Latvia (9.6%). The European countries that welcome Americans The report also examined which European countries saw themselves as most and least welcoming to US travelers. Belgium was named the most welcoming country for Americans, with just 1.9% of participants saying that their nation is unwelcoming to American tourists. Belgium's warm hospitality was closely followed by Italy (2%), Estonia (3%), Netherlands (3%), Finland (3%), and Poland (3%). As for the least welcoming country in Europe for Americans? France took that title, with a significant 15% of survey respondents saying their country is unwelcoming to US tourists. This detail isn't lost on American travelers, 47% of whom said France is probably the country who views them the least favorably. Hungary (where 8.7% of participants said their country was unwelcoming to US tourists), Norway (8%), Denmark (7.5%), and Spain (6.9%), appear slightly more tolerant than France, but still maintain comparably aloof attitudes toward US visitors. How have US politics affected Europeans' views of American tourists? Interestingly, recent political events seem to have had little effect on Europeans' collective views of US tourists, with just one in five European respondents saying recent policy changes such as tariffs have shifted their views on American travelers. On the other hand, a whopping 80% of Americans believe that recent political issues have affected how Europeans view them. The 2024 presidential election did change some Europeans' views of Americans in certain regions. In Scandinavia, for instance, a higher percentage of survey participants said the recent US election shifted their view of US travelers. The effect was most prominent in Norway, where 44% said the election impacted their view of Americans, followed by Estonia (35%), Sweden (31%), Denmark (30%), and Finland (29%). Among the countries least likely to say the election affected their views were Hungary (8%), Slovenia (14%), the UK (17%), Poland (17%), and France (17%). Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler The Latest Travel News and Advice Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips Stop Counting the Countries You Visit How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide Solve the daily Crossword
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Survey reveals what Europeans really think of American tourists
"European countries are hotter than ever as destinations for American travelers, but popularity doesn't always equal praise," said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, 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." These days, the majority Americans fear their nationality comes with a stigma when abroad, with over half of the American respondents saying they "worry at least a little" about being seen negatively on their international travels. Nearly three quarters believe Americans have a bad reputation overseas, and 80% blame recent politics, such as the tariffs, skewing what Europeans think of the U.S. In actuality, Americans may not need to worry so much. In the survey, one in four Europeans said they have a negative opinion of American tourists and 36% said they think American tourists behave worse than others. However, depending on what country you're visiting, you may feel a bit unwelcome, the survey also found. Here's what Europeans think of American tourists, according to Upgraded Points' survey. Not all tourists are created equal: How you can be one of the good ones How do Europeans view American tourists? Apparently, most Europeans find American tourists to be loud, with 70% of respondents calling this the typical trait. (Nearly the same percentage of Americans agreed on this sentiment.) On a lighter note, Europeans also said most Americans are friendly and curious. Meanwhile, Americans seem to be more critical of themselves, with 53% thinking they're viewed as arrogant - however, only 27% of Europeans said they regard them this way. As for the states where the worst offenders come from, Europeans listed Texas, Florida and California. What European countries are the least welcoming to American tourists? Here are the countries where most of the surveyed residents feel American tourists are generally unwelcome: France Hungary Norway Denmark Spain What European countries view Americans the most negatively? These are the countries that have the most negative view of American travelers, according to the survey:
Condé Nast Traveler
5 days ago
- Condé Nast Traveler
How Europeans Feel About American Tourists Right Now
When you picture an American tourist in Europe, a certain cliché is bound to spring to mind. Perhaps you envision a loud, bumbling traveler in a large tour group, who doesn't attempt to adhere to cultural customs or speak the local language, and who is impatient at tourist attractions and restaurants. But do these stereotypes actually have any truth to them? Or are they outdated tropes that don't represent the majority of US travelers? A new study is shedding light on the matter. To get to the bottom of how Europeans really see American travelers, Upgraded Points surveyed more than 2,200 people across 22 European countries on their general view of US tourists. The travel credit card advice site also asked Europeans whether recent political events impacted their opinions. For comparison, they also surveyed 1,000 American travelers on their views of the typical US tourist. How Europeans really see American tourists On the whole, Americans actually had a much harsher view of themselves as tourists than the European respondents did. 'Americans often assume the worst about how they come off, while Europeans see a more balanced, though definitely still loud, picture,' the study said. Indeed, the one matter on which both groups agreed was that American travelers can be loud: 70% of Europeans said loudness was a typical trait of US tourists, while 69% of Americans agreed.
USA Today
7 days ago
- USA Today
Survey reveals just what Europeans really think of American tourists
From rowdy behavior to overcrowding, tourists have earned a bad rap from locals – with Americans often seen as some of the loudest and presumptuous ones – but a new survey reveals whether Europeans actually agree. In a survey released Tuesday, July 23, Upgraded Points asked 2,200 Europeans from 22 countries for their opinions on American travelers, from common traits to whether they find them annoying. The travel company then compared their answers to how 1,000 Americans viewed themselves to see if the stereotype of an American tourist is simply a myth. "European countries are hotter than ever as destinations for American travelers, but popularity doesn't always equal praise," said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, 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." These days, the majority Americans fear their nationality comes with a stigma when abroad. Over half of the American respondents saying they "worry at least a little" about being seen negatively on their international travels. Nearly three quarters believe Americans have a bad reputation overseas, and 80% blame recent politics, such as the tariffs, skewing what Europeans think of the U.S. In actuality, Americans may not need to worry so much. In the survey, one in four Europeans said they have a negative opinion of American tourists and 36% said they think American tourists behave worse than others. However, depending on what country you're visiting, you may feel a bit unwelcome, the survey also found. Here's what Europeans think of American tourists, according to Upgraded Points' survey. Not all tourists are created equal: How you can be one of the good ones How do Europeans view American tourists? Apparently, most Europeans find American tourists to be loud, with 70% of respondents calling this the typical trait. (Nearly the same percentage of Americans agreed on this sentiment.) On a lighter note, Europeans also said most Americans are friendly and curious. Meanwhile, Americans seem to be more critical of themselves, with 53% thinking they're viewed as arrogant – however, only 27% of Europeans said they regard them this way. Most European respondents said they think American tourists are loud, followed closely by the belief that Americans "expect everyone to speak English." About one third of Europeans also said Americans are overly friendly and think Americans often ignore local customs. As for the states where the worst offenders come from, Europeans listed Texas, Florida and California. What European countries are the least welcoming to American tourists? Here are the countries where most of the surveyed residents feel American tourists are generally unwelcome: What European countries view Americans the most negatively? These are the countries that have the most negative view of American travelers, according to the survey:
Time Out
27-05-2025
- Time Out
O'Hare was just ranked one of the worst for international summer travel
With Memorial Day in the rear view, summer in Chicago has (unofficially) begun, kicking off international travel plans for millions of Americans and U.S. visitors. This year, however, federal budget cuts, economic uncertainty, and slew of immigration policy changes may hinder your vacation plans. In fact, recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirms longer wait times at numerous major airports, and—yep, you guessed it—O'Hare is one of the worst. According to a report published by Upgraded Points, our very own O'Hare International Airport (ORD) clocked one of the longest average immigration-line wait times at 31.7 minutes, extremely close behind Los Angeles (LAX) airport at 31.8 minutes. We definitely take the cake in causing chaos, though: Chicago's ORD creates the highest share of hour-plus delays (13.6-percent) of any airport in the country. Despite significantly lower traffic, Nashville International (BNA) airport had the third worst performance nationwide, with waits at customs around 31.1 minutes on average. We guess there's still hope for over-trafficked O'Hare. (Or at least we can drown our sorrows at the best airport restaurants.) If you're looking to trim time at the airport, try other entry points: Palm Beach International (PBI) in Florida keeps visitors in line for a mere 3.5 minutes. Closer to home, Second City's Midway International Airport (MDW) ranked seventh best for international travel, hovering around 14-minute waits at immigration. Overall, non-citizens are facing the longest tests of patience across all major airports, often upwards of 30 to 40 minutes during peak hours. By contrast, U.S. citizens typically wait less than 20 minutes. It's no surprise that prejudice policy begets blatant bureaucracy, and dare we say messy behavior. The full report covers 41 major U.S. international airports, with a detailed breakdown of wait times for all travelers, comparative wait times for U.S. citizens and non-citizens, and the share of travelers processed in under 15 or over 60 minutes.
