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Destinations knownWho are the world’s best tourists? Japanese take the top spot in survey of 26 countries

Much thought has been given to the world’s worst travellers, but the best deserve some recognition

A recent YouGov study explored the attitudes of respondents from 26 countries around the world, almost all agreed on the top spot

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Japanese tourists at the Statue of Liberty, in New York City, in the United States. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:30am, 11 Sep 2019Updated: 9:46am, 11 Sep 2019

Many column inches and much thought have been dedicated to identifying the country responsible for spawning the world’s worst tourists. Less consideration has been given to those who occupy the other end of the spectrum, those who navigate the globe with such dignity and poise that they go unnoticed – or at least unrewarded – all thanks to their impeccable comportment.

It is easy to see why well-behaved wanderers don’t garner the same airtime as their more deviant counterparts. Stories of Chinese travellers sparking a diplomatic spat after being booted out of a Swedish hostel and accusing the police of brutality, and an Indian family caught in the act of making off with half the contents of a Balinese hotel have far greater viral appeal than, say, tales of tourists properly disposing of their litter or politely and quietly queuing. Surely, though, the courteous tourist deserves some recognition, but who are they and where do they come from?

According to a recent international study conducted by British market research and data analytics company YouGov, “one nation stands out above all others”. When asked where they believed the best travellers hailed from, respondents from 26 countries across Europe, Asia and the Arab world, as well as the United States and Australia, all (with the exception of Italy) singled out Japan. In Finland, Spain, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, visitors from the Land of the Rising Sun were considered worlds ahead of sightseers from anywhere else.

The poll does not dissect why Japanese tourists are held in such high regard, but it could be something to do with their reputation for extreme politeness. Remember when Japanese soccer fans stayed behind to clean the stadium after watching their team lose to Belgium at last year’s Fifa World Cup, in Russia? Turns out that modest acts of mindfulness do go viral, after all.

A Japanese fan cleans up after a match at the Fifa World Cup 2018, in Russia. Photo: Reuters

At the heart of such civility are two culturally ingrained concepts, omotenashi and tatemae, argues online tourism platform Live Japan.