They love our Royal family, our ancient traditions and our historic buildings. But if there is one thing the foreign tourist does not like, it is the character of the British people. Much as we may try to be welcoming, visitors from abroad remain distinctly unimpressed, according to the organisation responsible for promoting Britain overseas.
In the eyes of the world, the British people – and in particular the English – are arrogant, unfriendly and have almost no sense of humour.
Research carried out by VisitBritain found that visitors from 35 different nations listed Britain a poor 16th overall on a list of countries likely to offer the most friendly welcome. And it is some of our nearest European neighbours who are particularly scathing about our national character.
The French had particular problems with the English – rather than the Scots and the Welsh – and were the least likely of any of the countries surveyed to visit the United Kingdom, despite their close proximity.
"The French do not perceive they would receive a warm welcome if they visited the UK," the report revealed.
"The attributes relating to human aspects are the weakest, with low mean scores for being welcoming, having a good sense of humour or friendliness. Most of the negativity towards Britain was towards the English people, and what was described as their reserve or arrogance."
VisitBritain carried out the private polling exercise to discover how Britain is perceived overseas. The figures follow research carried out in May but have yet to be made available to the travel industry.
Up to 1,000 respondents in each of the countries surveyed were asked to rate Britain and the British in terms of 16 different categories which included historical legacy, scenic beauty and vibrancy.
2 comments:
I'm guessing this is probably the way the English want them to think to keep the bloody foreigners OUT. :)
Don't tell everyone our sneaky secret !
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