European tourists lead global rankings for adventurous travel behaviour
A new survey of tour operators highlights the distinct spending and behavioural habits of international travellers, offering valuable insights for the European hospitality and tourism sectors.
A global survey of 192 tour operators has mapped the travel habits of international visitors, revealing distinct national patterns in politeness, spending, and adventurousness. Japanese travellers were named the most polite, while European nationals dominated the rankings for adventurous holiday habits.
German, French, and Dutch tourists secured the top three positions for active and adventurous travel, capturing 21.1 per cent, 17.8 per cent, and 11 per cent of mentions respectively. Conversely, British and Spanish travellers were less likely to seek active holidays, each receiving under 5 per cent of the vote.
For tourism businesses and local economies, visitor spending power remains a critical operational metric. American tourists topped the lists for both tipping and overall expenditure, securing 29.5 per cent and 24 per cent of operator mentions respectively. This reflects the well-established tipping culture of the United States.
However, European travellers also represent a highly reliable economic base for the global hospitality industry. German and Swiss visitors ranked prominently for generous tipping, capturing 13.1 per cent and 8.6 per cent of mentions. German and Canadian tourists tied for second place in overall spending, each accounting for 12.8 per cent of operator mentions.
In the politeness category, Japan led the global ranking with 21.1 per cent of the vote. Norway and Switzerland followed closely behind at 10.6 per cent and 10.4 per cent. Italian tourists ranked last in this specific metric with just 1.3 per cent, though European visitors overall received strong professional praise for their engagement.
Highlighting this engagement, one operator from Imara Tours Zanzibar stated: “Many of our European guests are very interested in wildlife behaviour and often ask detailed questions about animals and conservation.” The operator added that this curiosity makes game drives very engaging. Additionally, France and the Netherlands ranked third and fifth among the biggest foodie travellers, capturing 12.4 per cent and 7.7 per cent of mentions.
