Last month, in the heat of summer, some Italian tourists were made infamous for making a racket on the metro while traveling in Thailand. It seems silence is valued in Thailand as much as it is in Japan. This is just one example that highlights how important it is to remember that when you travel, knowing and respecting local customs can make all the difference.
What is considered a normal gesture in one country can be perceived as rude or even offensive in another. This rule applies even more when visiting distant destinations, where habits, codes of conduct, and traditions can be very different from what you’re used to.
But which travelers, according to industry operators, stand out most for good manners and respect during journeys? A survey carried out by SafariBookings involved 192 tour operators, asked to indicate the nationalities deemed most educated, but also those most generous with tips, more spendthrift, more adventurous, and more enthusiastic about food. The result also holds a few surprises: Japanese travelers claim the top spot among the most educated in the world, while Italians — not by chance — appear at the bottom of the ranking, with just 1.3% of preferences.
The ranking of the most well-mannered tourists in the world
According to the survey, the Japanese are the travelers considered to be the most well-mannered by tour operators, accounting for 21.1% of citations. The result, however, does not come alone: in second place are the Norwegians, with 10.6%, followed very closely by the Swiss, at 10.4%. Completing the top positions are Canadians and Americans, while Italians occupy the last position among the cited nationalities, with 1.3%.
The figure should, of course, be read as the result of the perceptions of the involved tour operators and not as an absolute and all-encompassing measure of the education of a single nationality. Interestingly, Japan’s clear lead is notable, gathering more than double the citations of the second-placed country.
Below is the complete ranking:
- Japan (21.1%);
- Norway (10.6%);
- Switzerland (10.4%);
- Canada (9.2%);
- United States (8.7%);
- Poland (8.2%);
- Netherlands (8.1%);
- Germany (5.7%);
- United Kingdom (5.7%);
- France (3.3%);
- China (3.2%);
- Spain (2.3%);
- Australia (2.1%);
- Italy (1.3%).
Not only good manners, but tips
The survey did not stop at manners: operators were also asked which nationalities are the most generous with tips. In this case the top spot goes to the United States, indicated by 29.5% of respondents. They are followed by Germany, Canada and Switzerland. Americans also take the first place in the category of tourists who spend the most, with 24% of citations, ahead of Germany and Canada, both at 12.8%. As for the spirit of adventure, the podium is entirely European: Germany, France and the Netherlands occupy first, second and third place respectively.
And when it comes to food, i.e., travelers most passionate about the category, the landscape changes again: it is mainly Asian countries that dominate the ranking. India is first, Japan second and France third. China is fourth, while the Netherlands close the top five. Italy arrives in sixth place, just behind the Dutch.
