Russians have been named the worst tourists in the world, with voters claiming they are tracksuit-wearing, greedy, money-flashing oafs... who hide sunloungers in their hotel rooms. German tourists, previously the subject of many jocular complaints about hogging sunloungers at the crack of dawn, were knocked into second place by the newly-rich Russians. The 'world's worst holiday-maker' poll surveyed more than 1,000 British tourists who went on holiday abroad this summer.
Russian holidaymakers have been annoying British tourists this summer with 'rude, pushy' behaviour, which included hiding sunloungers in their hotel rooms. Those who holidayed in Spain, France, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Portugal took a dislike to Russians, claiming they:
- Took hotel sunloungers into their rooms to make sure they get a seat by the pool in the morning.
- Ate 'almost everything' at all-inclusive dinners – even taking doggie bags to stock up on grub.
- Flashed their money around and ordered hotel staff to be at their beck and call.
- Belched and swore in public areas such as hotel swimming pools and bars.
- Dressed like 'chavs' – wearing tracksuits and gold bling.
- Pushed into queues in bars and shops to be served first.
Holiday-maker Geoff Hunt, 43, said his Turkish hotel was 'overrun' with Russian tourists in July. “They were known as the 'Rude Ruskis' by everyone - even the Germans. They just barged into queues flashing their money and shouting. Two of them pinched four hotels loungers from the pool and took them to their room so they were guaranteed one in the morning. They swore and belched their way through hotel meals and took as much of the free food back to their rooms as they could.”
Holiday expert Gary Hewitt, who runs Real Holiday Reports website, said a 'flood' of UK holiday-makers had complained about the behaviour of Russian tourists his summer.
“To be honest, when we started the poll we expected the normal complaints about German tourists hogging the sunloungers – the same old stories. But to our surprise we've been flooded with complaints about Russians on holiday.”
Mr Hewitt, who set up the holiday advice website eight years ago, added: “With many Russians going abroad for the first time since the country started becoming rich, they do not know how to behave and are known as arrogant, rude and greedy. Russians are the 'New Germans' only they wear dodgy clothes, especially the men, who always seem to have a wife or girlfriend 20 years younger then them.”
The poll, entitled 'Who do you not get on with on holiday', has had more than 1,000 hits – and the Russians are top of the leaderboard with more than a third of the votes. The Germans are not far behind with just over 30 per cent, the Brits themselves make up 15 per cent, the French 10 per cent and the Dutch five per cent.
In the past 10 years the number of Russian tourists leaving the former Soviet Union for a sunshine break has quadrupled – rocketing from around 2m in 1995 to more than 8m this year.
Last year 1.5m Russians visited Turkey – making them easily the highest number of foreign visitors to the country.
Last year 300,000 Russians went on holiday to Spain, 250,000 to Italy, 200,000 to Germany, 180,000 to Greece, 145,000 to France and 110,000 to Cyprus.
About 70,000 came to the UK on holiday.
Worst Tourists according to Real Holiday Reports:
1/ Russians
2/ Germans
3/ British
4/ French
5/ Dutch
Photos: TR, Flickr