We’re Number One! (As World’s Worst Tourists…)

Although this survey from LivingSocial busts the myth that we Americans never leave our own country, it finds that we’re not welcome when we do: 78 percent of the 5,600 respondents in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, and Britain voted for Americans as the world’s worst tourists. We must be a self-loathing bunch, as we even voted for ourselves as the worst tourists (and Canadians and Australians agreed). The Irish voted for the Brits, and the Brits voted for the Germans.

The survey also found that 78 percent of Americans have visited at least one foreign country, but we’re not behaving once we get there. A stunning 39 percent of American travelers fessed up to stealing from hotels (everything from towels to batteries to even bibles), getting blackout drunk (7 percent), and being arrested (3 percent).

But hey, who can blame us for cutting loose considering how little vacation days we get? The survey found that Americans only got an average of 16 days off last year, compared to the 28 days that Irish workers get.

Where would all these so-called ugly American tourists go on vacation if given the chance? The number one vote was for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (check prices), and Americans would want to go their with favorite celebrity travel companion Ellen DeGeneres.

What do you think? Do Americans deserve to be called the world’s worst tourists?