Canadians’ dream destinations
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef tops in travel survey,
We don’t think much of American tourists. We’re dying to visit the Great Barrier Reef. And we want to shop on our holidays more than folks in other countries do.
A recent survey of Canadian travel types came up with some interesting results. Most notable, perhaps, is that 39 per cent of Canadians in the Living Social survey named Americans as the “world’s worst tourists.” Second worst, the Canadians said, were Chinese, followed by French and Japanese. Only five per cent of Canadians named ourselves as the worst, which is rather boastful for a country of allegedly modest people.
But, hey, lots of other folks agreed with us. Of the Australians surveyed, 30 per cent said Americans were the worst. Even the Americans said they’re the worst, with the U.S.A. tallying 20 per cent in the American voting.
Thirty per cent of folks in Ireland said the British are the worst, but the Americans came in a close second at 29 per cent.
Asked to name our top dream destinations, 26 per cent of Canadians chose the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Next was the Eiffel Tower in Paris at 22 per cent and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt at 20 per cent. After that came The Great Wall of China (19), The Acropolis in Athens and Times Square in New York (17 per cent each), The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum in Rome and Disney World in Florida (all at 16) and Las Vegas and Stonehenge in England, each at 15 per cent.
The Living Social survey was an online affair that took in folks in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the U.S. and Canada.
All but the Aussies named the Great Barrier Reef as their top dream site. For the Aussies, the chart topper was the Pyramids at 26 per cent, followed by the Great Barrier Reef at 23 per cent and the Great Wall of China at 20 per cent.
The Irish went the most bonkers for Australia’s famous diving destination, rating the barrier reef at 31 per cent. A few tidbits: More Irish than Americans (11 per cent to nine) listed the White House as a dream destination. Respondents in the UK were the most crazy about Disney World (23 per cent named it as their dream destination; more than any other country), Las Vegas (22 per cent, more than anyone else) and Hollywood (16).
Americans, on the other hand, were the most crazy about Buckingham Palace, with15 per cent of Americans listing Liz’s place as a dream destination. That was the case for 13 per cent of Canadians and 12 per cent of Aussies, but only seven per cent of UK folks and just five per cent of the Irish.
Asked about our favourite travel activities, 42 per cent of Canadians said shopping. That was more than the other countries, although Australians came in at 38 per cent.
Asked if they’ve stolen or accidentally walked away with hotel property while travelling, a solid 78 per cent of Australians answered in the negative. Next were Canadians, woe is us, at 68 per cent, then the Irish and UK folks tied at 65 and the Americans at just 61 per cent.
Tsk, tsk.