Kiwis stingy - but French worst

New Zealanders may be a well-travelled lot, but a new study shows we don't like spending much when we are out seeing the world, and we're not that keen on learning the local lingo.

The second annual global Best Tourist Survey - by online travel company Expedia - last month quizzed 4500 hoteliers, finding New Zealanders the sixth most stingy tourists, from a field of 27 nationalities.

But while we might be unwilling to pay a tip (17th), we are happy to pay a compliment, with the survey finding Kiwis the ninth most polite tourists.

We are also the 10th most uncomplaining.

New Zealanders can also take heart in having beaten our transtasman counterparts at something: we ranked 16th-loudest tourists compared with the Aussies, who took fourth spot.

Americans were voted the noisiest.

Motel Association chief executive Michael Baines told the Herald New Zealanders travelling in their own country were a pleasure to host, very polite, and "terribly appreciative".

Kiwis differed from foreign visitors in that they were "not needy" and tended to "try to solve their own problems rather than worry people".

"We see a problem, we fix it. It's in our nature."

Mr Baines was not surprised to hear the Americans had roared into first place as the loudest tourists."You certainly know that they're there."

The Americans managed to redeem themselves, however, winning the title of best tippers, for a final placing of eighth-best tourists.

Overall, New Zealanders finished exactly mid-table - grabbing 14th place in the best-tourist stakes.

The British were the second most generous, followed by the Germans.

The Japanese claimed the top position overall as the world's best tourists.

Not only were they the best, they were also praised for being the quietest, cleanest, most polite and least likely to complain.

The French were judged the world's worst tourists, snatching several titles, including most frugal, meanest tippers, and most impolite.

Expedia New Zealand spokeswoman Louise Crompton said it was good to see Kiwis were considered good-natured and polite overseas, but there was some room for improvement when it came to tipping, and learning the local language while abroad.

HOW THE WORLD RANKS TOURISTS

BEST TOURISTS
1. Japanese
2. Britons
3. Canadians
4. Germans
5. Swiss

WORST TOURISTS
1. French
2. Spaniards
3. Greeks
4. Turks
5. South Africans

MOST POLITE
The Japanese

MOST IMPOLITE
The French

MOST QUIET
The Japanese

MOST FRUGAL
The French

MOST CLEAN
The Japanese

MEANEST TIPPERS
The French