Most Courteous Travelers: Global Survey Identifies Nations With Best Travel Manners

Good manners can make a significant difference when traveling, and a recent survey has identified which nationalities excel in this area.

The study, conducted by safaribookings.com—an online marketplace specializing in African safaris—asked 192 tour operators to rank travelers according to five criteria: politeness, tipping habits, spending levels, adventurous spirit, and culinary preferences.

The most polite tourists

Japanese visitors topped the politeness ranking, receiving 21.1 % of the operators’ mentions. Norway and Switzerland followed closely, with 10.6 % and 10.4 % respectively, while Canadian and American travelers also earned notable scores. Italian tourists placed last, noted by just 1.3 % of respondents.

European travelers were praised for their interest in wildlife. One operator from Imara Tours Zanzibar commented that many European guests ask detailed questions about animal behavior and conservation, making game drives especially engaging.

The best tippers and biggest spenders

Americans emerged as the top tippers, accounting for 29.5 % of all mentions—far ahead of other nationalities. Decent tipping was also reported for German (13.1 %), Canadian (10 %) and Swiss (8.6 %) travelers.

When it comes to expenditure, the United States again led, with 24 % of the spenders’ mentions. German and Canadian tourists were next, each receiving 12.8 % of the responses.

The most adventurous tourists and biggest foodies

Adventure seekers were dominated by European travelers. Germans topped this category with 21.1 % of the votes, followed by the French (17.8 %) and the Dutch (11 %). In contrast, British and Indian travelers each garnered only 4.5 %, while Spanish travelers recorded 4.3 %, indicating a tendency toward more relaxed holidays.

Food‑focused travelers were largely Asian. India led the rankings, followed by Japan in second place and China in fourth. France placed third with 12.4 % of mentions, the Netherlands fifth at 7.7 %, and Italy sixth, just 0.1 % above the Dutch.

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