Partly because they hog sun-loungers, eat “almost everything” at all-inclusive hotel buffets, burp, swear and have terrible dress sense, the Russians have the dubious honor of being the world’s worst tourists.
The surprise result has knocked the Germans from the top spot, ending their reign as undisputed champions of holiday rudeness.
The Real Holiday Reports Web site asked more than one thousand tourists who went abroad this summer “Who do you not get on with on holiday?”
Real Holiday director Gary Hewitt, who conducted the survey, told the Cyprus Mail that the poll results had not been well received in Russia.
“I’ve been getting a certain amount of abuse in the forums and on the phone, I think the Russian press have latched onto this story and they don’t like it,” he said.
Most of the complaints about Russians are that they are rude and arrogant.
“There was even one report that a Russian family moved the sun beds and parasols from the swimming pool into to their room every night, so they didn’t miss out on a space the next morning,” he said.
In contrast, a similar survey published last month by Expedia suggested that the British were the worst behaved, and the French were seen as the meanest tippers and the rudest in Europe.
The French were also voted the worst tourists internationally, accused of being bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant.
By David Wilkening
