From: gregw@highland.oz.au (Greg Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: The general tourist.  Was: Load irritating obtrusive ...
Date: 29 Aug 92 13:29:35 GMT
Followup-To: rec.travel
Organization: Highland Logic

David Frank's original article was guilty of generalization.
However, it was (as some of the replies indicated) at least partially true.

I think it is true that when observing many tourists, common traits can
be identified among tourists of like origin.  It is unfair to then
conclude that all tourists from that origin have these traits, However,
it is fair, ( and I think quiet fun) to analyze, generalize, discuss,
criticize and/or poke fun at the generally observable trait of the
observable tourists from common origins.  After all, one of the
greatest joys of traveling is people watching, and in plenty of places
the tourists are part of the local scenery.

So here are my observations and gross generalizations, but first a
disclaimer:  

   All this is probably just my arrogance promoting my own experiences
   to generalities. However, other people have related similar
   observations to me. At worst, I have got it all wrong, but I do
   not mean to offend.

Americans:

  - They almost exclusively travel directly after college or later in
    life, often after retiring.

  - I have very very rarely meet young or middle aged American couples
    traveling. Thus you rarely see them after they have calmed down, but
    before they are set in their ways.

  - The young traveling Americans suffer the naivity common to all
    youth. Unfortunately, they often appear very similar to the
    characters in those trashy American teen movies that swamp the
    globe, (you know the ones "Revenge of the Nerd's bachelor bikini
    party" with all the bimbo's, breasts, condoms and animal football
    players). As a result, I think the poor tourists get type casted
    and are convicted for all the sins of Hollywood, with only
    circumstantial evidence.

  - The older American tourists are more set in their ways and seek
    more comfort and things to be not too different from back home.
    Again this is common to most people of this age, and it is probably
    only observable as Americans only travel young or old.

  - I think that the average American education may be a little thin
    with regards to things outside the USA (or maybe it is just very
    strong on things in the USA?).  My favorite example (which I know
    does not prove a thing) is the following statement uttered in the
    German speaking part of Neutral Switzerland:

      "Why is everybody here so down on Americans, if it wasn't for us
      in the war, these guys would all be speaking german"

  - Americans do tend to have short holidays, and always appear to have
    heaps more money than everybody else.

  - Maybe due to the duration of their trips, or to their wealth,
    Americans appear to be a little more careless with their money.
    Often paying much more than they should, or just plainly being
    ripped off and/or robbed.  I think this raises a bit of resentment
    from other travelers, as it tends to push prices up and increase
    the general crime rate.  But then American do not corner the market
    on this trait - it just appears a little more common.

  - They appear to consider theft, lost luggage, stolen passports and 
    pick pockets as part of the "experience". They rarely appear to
    consider that there own carelessness may have contibuted.  I have
    never seen them really upset by it all - which maybe a good way to
    be???  For my part, I have often spent several days berating myself
    over the loss of $20 (it was sooo much at the time :-).

  - They always bring too much luggage, too many clothes and dress up
    too much.  But then I am Australian (see below).  I bit of advice:
    don't believe a word of the the Fromers "What to bring" section :-)

  - The movie Zentropa, while set in the forties, was obviously made
    with knowledge of the modern American tourist.


Germans:

  - They travel at all ages.

  - The younger they are, the more likely they are to be wearing hiking
    boots and carrying backpacks.

  - The older they are, the more likely they are to travel in packs, convoys
    or buses and to search the country side for restaurants with beer, wurst
    and an accordion player.

  - They attract Gypsy violin players.

  - They have more money than most, but the young one are not careless
    with it. The older ones are guilty of conspicuous consumption.

  - They like traveling abroad as their youth hostels are horrible :-)

  - Often you meet Germans on extended working holidays.

  - The children are the worst (applies generally, but maybe more 
    german kids travel????).


Austrian:

  - See German, but they let the accordion and violin play together :-(


Canadian:

  - They never take any warm clothing anywhere, and consider the
    weather tropical when you are freezing your xxxxxxxxx off.

  - They hate being mistaken for American.  Advice: Always guess
    Canadian, as American don't mind if you get it wrong :-)

  - More often in couples than Americans.

  - Either they don't travel much once they are older  OR I've
    mistaken all the old Canadian I've seen as American????


English:
  
  - Either they travel in groups so various I can't spot a pattern.

  - OR they look like they got so drunk on the way home from the
    soccer, that they ended up in the wrong country!

  - If they are sunburnt, then they are probably English.



Scandinavian:

  - Lots of independent, younger travelers on extended/working
    holidays.

  - Like the camping side of things -> but the older they are, the
    less likely you are to find their tent tied to a "No camping"
    sign.

  - More sober away from home.

  - They start taking their clothes off the moment the sun shines.



New Zealand:

  - See Australian below (except they have even less money :-)



Australian:

  - Always well dressed, well behaved, polite, well informed,
    attentive and fluid in the local language and customs.
    OINK OINK FLAP FLAP OINK OINK FLAP FLAP OINK OINK FLAP FLAP.


Real Australian:

  - Tend to travel younger than older.  Frequently just after
    University.  But other ages (and educational backgrounds) are
    well represented.

  - Either travel individually, in couples or moderately large
    unisexed packs.

  - Unisexed packs follow other unisexed packs (of the other
    sex) and nobody can tell who is leading who.  But then it
    doesn't really matter where you are so long as the other 
    pack is within stumbling distance.

  - When the packs arrive, bring out your cheap plastic beer glasses
    and duck the flying cans of beer.

  - The individuals and couples are frequently backpacking on extended
    trips of many months or years. ( I guess it is such a long way,
    that you might as well stay for a while)

  - They never never never have very much money and are alway always
    always trying to do it on the cheap. If you see somebody haggle
    over a $2 room in a poorer nation, then....

  - Frequently the trip is a variation of:
      1) Fly to London and work for a few months
      2) Buy a Combi Van
      3) Drive to Turkey and back - replacing most of the Van on the way.
      4) Sell the van to some other sucker.
      5) Work in London for some more travel money.
      6) Do a rail tour on a rail pass.
      7) Return to OZ just before the English authorities catch up
	 with you for your income tax, poll tax, parking fines or
	 over extended working visa.

  - Occasionally Australians will take more than one change of
    clothes.  On one occasion, when I was doing a van trip, I had
    parked in an expressway services and was in the cafe eating and
    getting warm. After an hour or so, a  man walked into the cafe,
    looked around at the 100 or so customers, then walked straight up
    to me and said "you left your lights on".  Obviously my van looked
    as bad as I did (and I guess it was obvious that I spoke
    English?)


East Europeans and Russians:

  - At a distance are often mistaken for particularly poor examples of
    Australians.

  - Never, never laugh at a parked east european car.  There is probably
    6 people sleeping in it.

  - They are the ones in a feeding frenzied mood near supermarkets.

  - If they are carrying more than 2 VCRs, then they are going home.



South African:

  - They alway act a little stunned by it all.

  - Hard to pick any patterns, but often good with languages (well for
    what I consider an english speaking country).  Although they have
    been known to address black Europeans in Zulu and been confused by
    the lack of response.


All in all, there are just too many tourists and the world could really
have done without Thomas Cook and the resulting conspicuous
consumption.   I think most travelers realize this and thus think that
if they "get more" out of a trip than other tourists, then they are
more "deserving" of the scarce resource.  Thus, travelers will often
criticise the way others travel.  Or maybe, everybody thinks that the
"way" they did it is best???

Oh no, I'm generalizing again....

Greg Wilkins @ Highland Logic 
       Snail : Suite 1, 348 Argyle St., MossVale, NSW, 2577, Australia
       Email : gregw@highland.oz.au
       Phone : (+61 48) 683490  or direct: (+61 2)8107029
       Fax   : (+61 48) 683474 
Newsgroups: rec.travel