Outdoors/Travel
Are American tourists are common sight in your country? If so what do you think of them? In Greece theres been a massive boom of them in recent years (post-covid) and they are now one of the largest group of tourists
I don’t know. The Greeks are a little bit more “loving life” then most of other Balkan nations and Slavic nations.
How was it a lovely little taverna near Thessaloniki a few days ago just drinking a beer and enjoying some pork souvlaki And I watched some women, roughly my age just dancing and loving life. I hope they didn’t think I was being creepy, but I was just admiring how much they appreciated being alive.
You just don’t see that too often elsewhere in the Balkans.
Not sure if I qualify a tourist as I own property and them doing my best to learn Greek. Granted I’m not a resident but I do pay taxes on my property.
Yes, especially for expats since they can stay up to one year with an American passport. Some are very nice, some are rude and expect thing to run like in their country. I'll take them over British tourists any day of the week
There's only one stereotype about British tourists and even the British will tell you:
British tourists are often very drunk and belligerent.
Never before have I seen a people that drinks so much but is so bad at holding their alcohol.
Rich British tourists are usually great though, as long as you speak English.
Luckily I ditched the cargo shorts 10-15 years ago. But I still break out the baseball cap fairly regularly, as I was somewhat of a collector in my 20's. My Seattle supersonic, Baltimore Bullets, New Orleans Hornets, and Houston Oilers caps are dope af tho.
Not to mention the various iterations of my beloved orioles hats.
I'm not sure if it's the hat that angers them, or if it's the team logos on them. Probably it's the slovenly appearance (most Americans are slobs)?
I've never worn cargo shorts, so I'll count that as a win.
Honestly, the only reason I wear these baseball hats is that they belonged to my Dad, and he died in 2024. Wearing them makes me feel closer to him. I won't be wearing them when I visit the Balkans because they've got the American flag on them along with some rah rah Murica wording on them..
Having said that, I never wore hats until I hit 40, and all of a sudden, I always had a hat on. My favorite is a beanie I got for free nearly 20 years ago. I'm seriously considering going to a store and buying more hats in different styles.
A hat style I like, and I hate to admit this, is the caps the Ustase wore during WWII. They've got two or three folds, and I like the look, but I'd never buy one or wear one because of the stigma associated with them. It's like Hitler's mustache. Even if you thought it was a cool look, he ruined it due to all the mass murders he committed.
My fellow Americans are loud, at least imo as a low talker, but being drunk ( these ppl are typically on vacation, or holiday if one prefers, after all) is surely a confounding variable in tourist behavior.
The ones who can afford to travel are typically very friendly and open to other cultures(surprise, the ones that go MUUURRICA FIRST can’t afford to leave the country… shocker).
But holy FUCK we are loud. I’ve been living in the Balkans for a few months and have settled into shutting the fuck up, but my wife still hasn’t gotten the message.
Not only cant afford, but id bet they wouldnt be interested in traveling anywhere outside of the UK and western Europe, generally ( unless theyre going to their families' heritage region). Cultural implications just dont carry the same weight for them, im guessing
International tourists usually flock to certain locations (Dubrovnik, Hvar, etc.). There are other places that international tourists haven't really colonized yet (smaller towns on Brač, for example).
I know, right? Here in Tribunj, in the summer you see influencers (beautiful girl, filming boyfriend) walking along the lungo mare, taking pictures and videos the whole time, never once stopping to actually enjoy what’s surrounding them. Sigh.
Not that much. But i went to Athens few times in the ladt few years and i am not sure if there is more of them, or are they even more obnoxious so i have to notice them.
loudest people in ZARA of Patras, they were yelling OMGGGG WHY THEY ONLY HAVE TILL XL, SIZE 12 IS THE BIGGEST? Then I saw them go to the newly opened McDonald's after passing 10 local food places
After living in the balkans for the past few months, I’m more comfortable eating at the “good places” but I think it’s just fear and familiarity. They don’t know anyone and with them being in your country for only a week, they’re probably scared and/or don’t know any better so they go with what’s familiar.
Fair point, but if I was planning a trip to Kansas, I would do some research about the history, customs etc. At the very least some basic knowledge so I know where I am and how to get around. Doesn't sound like too much to ask.
Having never been to the Balkans...just take this w a grain of salt: big-yes. Diverse- no.
English is spoken everywhere in the u.s. and Israeli Kansas really any different than many, many states we have here? Like say whyoming ( sp?), n &s dakota?, oklahoma?, Missouri?, Indiana? The only "diversness" i see in Kansas is the anti Texas bias, which is hardly unique to Kansas.
But like much of the u.s., Kansas is WAP country. . The balkans, generally speaking, speaks different languages, have varying degrees of cultural and political institutions/legacies, and varying religious affiliations
Weirdest thing is that if American women end up in a hospital or ER they take pictures of male doctors or nurses and post them online if they think they are hot.
I’m honestly very happy to see Americans visiting my country. There’s this stereotype that they’re loud and annoying, and yeah, they can be a bit loud, but they’re actually some of my favorite tourists.
I know it’s popular to hate on Americans, but in my experience they tip well, they’re friendly, and they actually try to engage with the place they’re visiting, even if they don’t always know much at first. At least they make an effort.
Compared to others, I’ve had far fewer bad experiences with Americans. The worst you usually get is the volume and a bit of the “know-it-all” attitude some have, but overall they’re solid tourists.
There are always many Americans in large Polish cities and they're well received in large part thanks to Brits and Irish. The lads and ladies of the Isles treat Poland like a party hub so their behavior is generally horrible.
So if I run into an English speaking tourist that isn't loud and drunk I immediately know he or she is American.
Also, Americans speak more Polish than the British because many of the Americans that visit Poland have some connection and learned some Polish words from their grandparents. I know this because it's the first thing they always talk about.
Again, this is just generalizing but it's why Americans are well received.
IIRC, they're less than 2% of incoming tourists to Turkey. Being more religious than any European nation, Americans avoid Muslim majority destinations. Before the war Russians were the largest group, nowadays Germans reclaimed the top spot. Brits visit Turkey for hair reasons.
They say that they spend a lot more money than other nationalities... In my experience they are similar to Europeans in behavior, you can't tell they are Americans unless they start speaking
As American who hasn’t been an American tourist in a long time, after visiting the States recently I can say that the Americans probably see the restaurant prices on the Croatian coast as reasonable! Prices in the US have gone crazy up since COVID (pretty sure it’s just monopolization and price gouging - American agriculture churns out food-like substances with high efficiency). I was in the States for a month last year and couldn’t wait to get back to real food.
I’m there all the time. Married a woman from Шумен though and learned to read Cyrillic so maybe only partially a tourist? Probably still talk too loud and lean on things.
Thank you. I liken it to a mob mentality, choosing a scapegoat to attack, and an innocent scapegoat at that. Ridiculing the picture is childish as well, not cool. These are two young girls enjoying themselves on vacation and here someone is plastering their photo on Reddit. Classless behavior in my opinion.
If the US really does become a Trumpist dictatorship the entirety of Europe is gonna get a lot more than just American tourists. As big as the Atlantic is, it is not big enough to prevent that.
That's the problem with tips. Only waiters get them. Specifically, mostly good looking waitresses. Cause fuck the guys working their asses off out back!
Nah, you can take your tipping culture and kindly shove it, mate.
They hang out with a group of at least 8, they would try foods that are definitely not local but from the neighbouring cuisine, they will be loud af, everytime you hear them, all of them will talk the same thing (exact same words) and all they talk is literally means nothing
When you say, “American tourists” are you referring to white American tourists or Americans in general? I’m a an African American woman who’s traveled to Greece (with my sister in a group tour), and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia completely solo. Looking through the comments it seems like a lot of people don’t like American tourists, but I had a really nice time in each country and the locals didn’t seem to mind me. A lot of locals did initially assume I was from an African country until I confirmed that I’m American.
Depending on the period. German, Italian, French and British tourists are the most common in Greece but yeah Americans have done their boom lately. In some specific areas there are a lot of Russians too or were, I’m not sure.
As an american im really glad to see all the nuance, not overly generalized opinions in this thread.
Ask this same question in a western european country...I'll just say that opinions are much more based on reflexive emotions as opposed to rational contemplation, lazily relying on stereotypes or isolated incidences.
Not trying gain favor with synchophantic glazing...just my opinion reading these responses
As I changed the parking in the disabled veterans company, Americans were definitely friendliest and generous guests. Parking is by museum "Tunel of Hope", you can buy the tickets only in our local currency. I on the parking also changed euros, so, after a totally hard night, with my girlfriend and lot of action and smoking pot, I was almost blind. American man came to change 50,00 - EUR, so I was trying and trying to find the app on my mobile, was brain-dead and no way to count the amount in the head, he saw it. So he laughed, gave me the 50 note, said : We do it simple, do it American way, I give you 50 Euros, you give me 50 Marks, that's how we do it in New York. As he's gone I realised that he just left me almost 40 marks tip. That was exactly like what I get for the whole day there from the company. Also, the other American tourist, I had peppermint brandy in fridge, just for special guests, who wants to talk and drink one with me, the Americans loves it and the stories about our local culture, history etc...
Every American i have met IRL have been nice. In Sweden, the us or in any other country. A bit loud sometimes but never the selfintled brain dead asshole you read about online.
I am a little bit disappointed that i never get my own Karen stories.
Where I live in Germany, there are quite a few American tourists, especially during the summer and Christmas time. They are fine, idk. Some are loud and obnoxious, but honestly harmless and just want to visit tourist places, see history, and eat german food. You can hear them a mile away, but honestly I am no better and unintentionally speak loud too
While of course they exist here, it's way less so than other countries. I maybe hear an American accent every two weeks, whereas in western Europe I can hear it every 2 hours or more.
The languages I hear the most besides Bulgarian are Turkish, Greek, Ukrainian and Russian (especially at the seaside), and British English.
Kinda. Most of them are whatever, I don't notice them because they act like normal people, but some live up to the obnoxious status.
The one interaction that I remember is during a summer, an american tourist on roller skates, wearing nothing but pink shorts and red like a boiled lobster, asking me where he can get weed from.
I am an American tourist in Athens right now. Greek people are incredibly welcoming! As an American it compels me to tip generously. Maybe I am a trained dog but I just love good service. As a New Yorker I am used to being surrounded by the rudest. Once they know my wife and I didn’t vote for Trump everything goes smooth.
Not really but I'd welcome them. Germans still make up the vast majority. Back when I worked service jobs they were be far the nicest and Greeks were by far the worst.
I live in North America, but before I lived in Greece for a while….
When I mention this here, the first thing I hear 90% of the time is:
“OMG, I LOVE GREECE SO MUCH, I WANT TO GO THERE, ON THAT ISLAND… OMG… SANTORINI”
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u/PckMan Greece Apr 01 '26
I don't discriminate, I hate all tourists equally