A nation behaving badly

around_the_world.jpgAre Australians the ultimate ugly tourists?

It seems we’re costing Australian tax payers more and more while we’re overseas and dying abroad at an ever increaasing rate. We keep getting arrested while travelling and we apparently don’t care much for those in authority. We also need rescuing a lot more that we used to.

The information has been released by our own Department of Foreign Affairs and is being reported at News.com.au in the article Department of Foreign Affairs reports latest Australian tourist figures.

WHINGEING, irresponsible, cut-rate Australian tourists abroad are costing those who stay home millions of dollars and are being arrested more than ever.

The latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs show that 2009 is set to become the first year when more than 1000 Australians are arrested and when more than 1000 Australians are expected to die overseas, The Australian reports.

Surely we’re not all bad.

While I don’t get to travel overseas a lot I do make a point of behaving myself while in someone else’s country. Mind you, I pretty much behave at home too. I suppose that with more Aussies travelling we’re bound to see an increase in the number of ‘ugly Australians’ leaving our shores.

What’s your experience? Do you travel a lot? If you’re Australian have you ever seen other Aussies behaving in such a way that you’d rather you weren’t idetified as their countrymen? If you’re not from the land down under, what are your impressions of Australians that have visited your part of the world? Who do you think are the world’s worst tourists?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He has worked in radio at Perth's media ministry Sonshine for over 25 years and has previously worked at ministries such as Compassion Australia and Bible Society.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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4 Comments

  • Australians are horrible.

    I avoid them all the time when traveling.

    When I hear that accent, I run the other way.

    The worst is when we’re IN Australia. Then I just can’t get away from them!!! It’s scary!!!!!

    No. I’m joking. Of course.

    I’ve heard American tourists are pretty bad. I wonder if we’re bad…. We are Americans. Not sure if we fit the stereotype or not.

  • Good to learn you “pretty much” behave at home! 😉

    When being in Greece a bunch of “Poms” behaved pretty bad. But, well. I also ran into Italian guys, French, Canadian… and certainly also German guys where I thought, oh, my…

    I suppose some people need to feel unsupervised to test their boundaries. What I think is odd is that I don´t speak of Teens but also of people 40+.
    Some have the attitude: Hey, I pay for this, so I can behave that way, a maid told me. Sad, I think.

    The world’s worst tourists? Those who don´t treasure and respect the people and rules of the place they´re in – no matter if on holiday or at home, I´d say.

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