VisitBritain accused of ‘Fawlty Towers’ approach to visitors
VisitBritain has been criticised for a list of dos and don’ts aimed at helping hoteliers and tourism operators to welcome overseas visitors.
Newspapers have called the tourism advice a "Fawlty Towers guide to foreigners".
The Daily Mail said the advice from the tourism body could be considered offensive and contained too many generalisations.
Among the suggestions, tourism operators and hotel staff are urged to understand that Indians are amiable but have a tendency to change their minds quite frequently; and talking politics with Belgians is to be avoided.
Hotel staff are also advised to deal promptly with any complaint from German or Austrian tourists, who can be "straightforward and demanding" to the point of "seeming rude and aggressive", or make eye contact or smile at French visitors.
Other tips including not giving rooms with low ceilings to Russians – as they are a "tall nation" – and not sleeping superstitious people from Hong Kong in four-poster beds as they associate them with ghosts.
VisitBritain’s report says Aussies are known to be "very direct and to the point" but sometimes hard to read.
"Humour is always key when talking to Australians. Don’t take offence to jokes about ‘Poms’ – it is more a friendly endearment than an intended insult."
VisitBritain also asks tourism employees to be mindful of the distance Australian visitors have travelled.
"Remember that they may have not slept for 30 hours and could show signs of intolerance," it said.
Ian Jarrett
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