Are American tourists are common sight in your country? If so what do you think of them? In Greece theres been a massive boom of them in recent years (post-covid) and they are now one of the largest group of tourists

[-]

Educational_Time2840@reddit

As an Albanian near the border the police pic got me bawling my eyes out in shock

[-]

PckMan@reddit

I don't discriminate, I hate all tourists equally

[-]

SansBouillie@reddit

People joke that Putin ended COVID, but the Croatian economy is so dependent on tourism that it was the beginning of the tourist season that ended the lockdown in Croatia.

We NEED all tourists or our country will collapse 🙏

[-]

mayhweif@reddit

I’ve met exactly one Croatian person and she was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Now I irrationally love Croatia. I hope to visit soon!!

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

Can u explain this take about putin ending covid, or tell me what to Google, bc, obviously, thats not a claim u hear in the west

[-]

SansBouillie@reddit

Hey, I don’t think the joke has a single origin for me to send you a link.

I live in Western Europe, and I've heard it repeated here since early 2022. The idea was that after the war in Ukraine started, governments (maybe ones most affected e.g. European ones?) largely stopped talking about COVID and related measures or COVID lost its relevancy in the news, so people joked that Putin ended COVID.

[-]

Wild-Act-7315@reddit

Huh, Greek people are so much louder than Americans. I grew up in America, and came to Greece and was shocked at how loud everyone talked here. I can hear people outside talking on the phone, and people in my apartment building sound like they’re shouting when having a whole conversation in the stairwell area. In America it wasn’t like that at all for me, people were generally quieter, and more thoughtful of their noise level. That’s not to say we don’t raise our voice when excited or when we’re happy, but with a normal conversation we don’t typically sound like we’re yelling like Greek people sound. I don’t know I just feel like Greeks are way louder than Americans are.

[-]

dubufeetfak@reddit

Its not just about db levels. Its about their annoying high pitch. The overly long "oooOOH heeEEELLLOOOOOOooouuuuuuuu, hooooOOOOOOWWWWwwe AAAAAAAREEEEeeee yyooOOOOUUUuuuuu"

baron_spaghetti@reddit

And results are the same. Many young people cannot afford a first home and are stuck in an endless cycle of high rents.

[-]

TrainingHeavy1666@reddit

Nowadays, I think housing is a global problem. Because of Airbnb (which I actually prefer over hotels since it allows ordinary people to earn some extra income, but in Greece they rent for 6 months and then tell you to leave because after 6 months it must go to short-term rental), because of the global energy crisis, because of wrong decisions by the EU, but more importantly, because of internal politics.

And no, I’m not aligned with any party. Every party I voted for has completely disappointed me. Even Mitsotakis. I don’t know who to vote for anymore or even if I should go vote. It’s a vicious cycle. Taxes are sky-high on basic goods like electricity, gasoline, and food. We were never a rich country like Switzerland, for example, but each family member could own a car, not worry too much about money for groceries, or take a 10-day summer vacation in or outside Greece.

Now, these things are luxuries. When tomatoes reach €6.50 wholesale in Greece, where they are produced, you can imagine how much they cost retail. We even have to think about tomatoes now. Unfortunately.

I hope for better years ahead.

[-]

Responsible_Low3349@reddit

Simple!

[-]

Mean-Aside1970@reddit

Bro I moved to england about 15 years ago I remember star news showing what brits were like on holiday here, and I was shocked. I was like there is no way they are actually like this.

I was so shocked when I moved over seeing that they actually did behave like that.

[-]

Longjumping_Ask_9097@reddit

I never understood this attitude, because unless you never leave your home city YOU are the annoying tourist somewhere else. And if you do never leave your home city, that's weird AF too.

[-]

Desperate_Plan_3927@reddit

Same as a Greek

[-]

S4vDs@reddit

(Country whose economy is largely tourism btw)

Cargo shorts + Baseball cap = American

[-]

jaleach@reddit

*Quietly removes the baseball cap I'm currently wearing*

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

Luckily I ditched the cargo shorts 10-15 years ago. But I still break out the baseball cap fairly regularly, as I was somewhat of a collector in my 20's. My Seattle supersonic, Baltimore Bullets, New Orleans Hornets, and Houston Oilers caps are dope af tho.

Not to mention the various iterations of my beloved orioles hats.

[-]

BelredRobby@reddit

I am from Seattle and our Sonics are coming back. Baseball hats make sense in Pacific Northwest. Hit me up if you want a Seattle mariners cap

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

Lol. I actually gave my M's hat to my cousin, who's an M's , when i saw him last summer to go to an O's game. Thanks for the offer tho.

[-]

jaleach@reddit

I'm not sure if it's the hat that angers them, or if it's the team logos on them. Probably it's the slovenly appearance (most Americans are slobs)?

I've never worn cargo shorts, so I'll count that as a win.

Honestly, the only reason I wear these baseball hats is that they belonged to my Dad, and he died in 2024. Wearing them makes me feel closer to him. I won't be wearing them when I visit the Balkans because they've got the American flag on them along with some rah rah Murica wording on them..

Having said that, I never wore hats until I hit 40, and all of a sudden, I always had a hat on. My favorite is a beanie I got for free nearly 20 years ago. I'm seriously considering going to a store and buying more hats in different styles.

A hat style I like, and I hate to admit this, is the caps the Ustase wore during WWII. They've got two or three folds, and I like the look, but I'd never buy one or wear one because of the stigma associated with them. It's like Hitler's mustache. Even if you thought it was a cool look, he ruined it due to all the mass murders he committed.

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

Yeah i haven't worn a hat since turning 40, 3 years ago. And I wish I could say I've never worn cargo shorts, but I did give them up circa age 30

Really, although I have multiple oriole hats ( them being my favorite team) I really just get hats that match stuff I already have or are vintage as ge, like the Oilers one. And I do wear other kinds of hats, beanie/winter hat types, but i think the contention here is baseball hats.i dont think it actually angers anyone, its just a surefire give away

But about americans dressing like slots, I dont think theres any question...we do lol. Have u ever seen pics of college students in like the 50's? Ful on suit&tie/dress shoes.

Im not sayi g we need to get back to that, but it'd be nice if more ppl took more pride in their appearance.

Also sorry to hear about your dad. Im disabled ( spinal cord injury) so I've been living back home since then) and we've gotten really close, and i have a lot of leftover guilt over what I've put her through. Well she's 80 rn and I literally have nightmares about her dying...idk what the he'll im going to do.

Th US is in many ways as big and diverse as the Balkans.

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

Having never been to the Balkans...just take this w a grain of salt: big-yes. Diverse- no.

English is spoken everywhere in the u.s. and Israeli Kansas really any different than many, many states we have here? Like say whyoming ( sp?), n &s dakota?, oklahoma?, Missouri?, Indiana? The only "diversness" i see in Kansas is the anti Texas bias, which is hardly unique to Kansas.

But like much of the u.s., Kansas is WAP country. . The balkans, generally speaking, speaks different languages, have varying degrees of cultural and political institutions/legacies, and varying religious affiliations

[-]

reverber@reddit

The language thing, I concede. Although there are communities in the US (including Balkan communities) where English is not the primary language. I will refrain from mentioning any linguistic similarities between any countries in the Balkans.

I don't know where the "anti-Texas" bias thing comes from. So I guess that is an indication of something people get wrong about Kansas? Though I am from NE Kansas, and SE Kansas might be anti-Texan? Kansas land area is about twice that of Bulgaria. It is big and its communities are diverse - the population is just 3 million so it is quite spread out.

Even some Americans get things wrong about Kansas. We do not ride horses to school. We are not constantly fighting off attacks from local Native Americans.

Our Governor is a Democrat, though the legislature are a bunch of performative conservatives.

Each state in the US has its own legislature and constitution, so not really a political monolith. The structures can be similar, but how they are implemented can be slightly different.

vanity-flair83@reddit

No, at least the older ones can name Serbia/Kosova.

Easy_Society4425@reddit

There are amazingly cheap flights to Istanbul at least from NYC airports, so statistics show 1.2mil American per year. The next two are because of the cruise ship Greece 1mil and Croatia 600-700,000. Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia and Romania are getting around 100,000 the rest under 50,000.

[-]

bro I can tell a Patra Greek and an Arta Greek apart, you think I can't see an Anglo?

Peloponnese and Epirus are very popular, Patra is a big city, they can shop if they need extra clothes before continuing the trip

[-]

thparky@reddit

This complaint is reassuring. I have been an American in Athens but I'm not loud and people always assume I'm Greek. I think I'm safe

[-]

lupi64@reddit

They tip better than most though

[-]

psuedoking1@reddit

Дај брате препоручи неку кафану у Атини где се могу чути хитови легендардног Василис Караса и слична музика. Идем у Мају па бих да избегнем неки фенсерај

[-]

petarandr@reddit

Ja sam mahom isao u septembru na 10-15 dana.

Vise me je zanimala hrana i more (jugoistocna rivijera je prelepa, precista i praznjikava jer je samo atinjani posecuju). Sto se hrane tice, deo Koukaki ima dosta malih dobrih restorana. Ne preskaci predjelo, namaze i tikvice na sve nacine.

[-]

Luvs2Spooge42069@reddit

As much as I loved visiting Croatia I understand, I see red any time I have to see large numbers of Californians and east coasters in my natural spaces too and don’t enjoy encountering them abroad either

[-]

CypriotGreek@reddit

I’m honestly very happy to see Americans visiting my country. There’s this stereotype that they’re loud and annoying, and yeah, they can be a bit loud, but they’re actually some of my favorite tourists.

I know it’s popular to hate on Americans, but in my experience they tip well, they’re friendly, and they actually try to engage with the place they’re visiting, even if they don’t always know much at first. At least they make an effort.

Compared to others, I’ve had far fewer bad experiences with Americans. The worst you usually get is the volume and a bit of the “know-it-all” attitude some have, but overall they’re solid tourists.

[-]

Awagala@reddit

Tipping is bad though, don’t want them to bring tipping culture to Europe.

[-]

GrimmLuke290@reddit

Ελαα τα ομορφόπαιδα

[-]

Live-In-Berlin@reddit

While of course they exist here, it's way less so than other countries. I maybe hear an American accent every two weeks, whereas in western Europe I can hear it every 2 hours or more.

[-]

lupi64@reddit

I've seen "I'm not American" pins on their backpacks

[-]

Sensitive-Mango7155@reddit

Hahahaha that’s too true

[-]

PanTsour@reddit

Never ask a woman her age

I haven't been in the industry for 10 years, but im confident my opinion on this would be, in say, the 10th-15th percentile, being generous.

Particularly good looking girl servers/bartenders have an unfair advantage even over other wait staff. We just never complain about it and accept that's just how it is, similar to the server vs salaried employee dynamic.

The status quo is just heavily ingrained and resistant to change, despite everyone knowing the precise reason why we're tipped employees: so businesses can underpay us to reduce the " skyrocketing price of labor". Its unjust and alien to other western nationalities, but its very hard to find practically any service industry workers ( at least in bars/restaurants" that are supportive of "european socialism" smdh

[-]

travelingsket@reddit

Says you're British so keep that same energy. It's not Yankee anything. I've seen waiters leave with just €25 in tips. Meanwhile going to the UK is highway robbery. They add it to your bill.

[-]

P-l-Staker@reddit

Meanwhile going to the UK is highway robbery. They add it to your bill.

You can request to have it removed. It is also not a UK thing. It's imported and condemned equally.

[-]

travelingsket@reddit

No Sir. The UK has forced gratuity on receipts after COVID. Many Balkan countries have yet to do it. Remove the plank from your eye before you come for America. And if you don't like me calling it out remove it.

[-]

P-l-Staker@reddit

No Sir. The UK has forced gratuity on receipts after COVID.

Don't you guys love it when people who don't even live here try to lecture you on how things AKSHUALLY work in your own country? 🤣🤣

Are you done now? 🥱

I've got a 2 year old nephew that can do better.

[-]

Everyone should be treated fairly and equally, nobody is more special than the other. If you want to earn more, you need to work harder and get more educated, not just expect people to hand you out money just because you think the world owes you.

[-]

Starfalloss@reddit (OP)

It’s positive and negative lol with the working conditions and wages of Greece in the industry which we unfortunately rely on (for better or well worse) have to take what we can get lol at least they are well behaved and friendly overall unlike others.

[-]

HorrorsPersistSoDoI@reddit

Do not be blinded, tipping culture is toxic and hurts everyone in the long run. Take a look at the japanese's opinion at tipping - it is "forbidden" to do it there, because it's like the customer is deciding how much the work of the seller should cost. Like, who the fuck does he think he is? Just like today he decides to pay more, tomorrow he may decide to pay less.
Also, the most important thing - it allows employers to treat their workers even worse, by not paying them enough and making the employees think the customers should be blamed.
It also creates negativity in the workplace, like, who gets to decide how much of the tip goes to who? Why don't the cook gets the majority of the tip, he cooked the food after all?
It is also tax evasion.

You can dislike US politics without associating with mere mortals.

I'm not going to hate on a random American just because of Trump, and the truth is they bring money here by spending it here.

[-]

Would love to see how your country does well without them.

[-]

Borisb3ck3r@reddit

Americans and thinking they are the most important ppl in the world, nane a morr iconic duo

[-]

sfsleep@reddit

I mean, the reason why any of us are not soviet serfs is America.

[-]

Hot-Bicycle5798@reddit

Every American i have met IRL have been nice. In Sweden, the us or in any other country. A bit loud sometimes but never the selfintled brain dead asshole you read about online.

genadi_brightside@reddit

Americans are a special breed of tourists.

Usually pretty nice people. And usually affluent.

But I can't bring myself to not hate the living guts out of them because of politics.

[-]

travelingsket@reddit

We don't like your politicians, either. But you won't hear an opinion about them from us because everyone usually knows billionaires create political disarray and use them as puppets. Has nothing to do with the average American. I left almost 10 yrs ago.

[-]

vanity-flair83@reddit

As an american, particularly regarding the 2nd paragraph...boo. America, as a political entity, doesn't do ANYTHING for altruistic reasons. And 2h3n we say "freed", all it amounts to is "changed" for the better, or, and most likely for, the worse

[-]

genadi_brightside@reddit

You are right. This is why I said Americans are nice.

It's hard for me to disconnect from all of the political cringe.

[-]

travelingsket@reddit

You hate nice people? Interesting.

[-]

genadi_brightside@reddit

Right now a huge part of the world hates the Americans. That probably doesn't make you bad people. Just people with bad bad government.

I personally am not happy that I have to pay more for a lot of stuff because you people can't have a coherent policy for 10+ years and allowed an idiot to rule.

No, I've never seen one. I'm pretty sure they only know about Greece, and think that the rest is a warzone.

[-]

No-Championship-4632@reddit

I've seen a lot in Sofia actually.

[-]

travelingsket@reddit

I go to Greece to shop at Sephora, see a few museums and eat flavored meat and bounce back to Albania.

[-]

kanzler_brandt@reddit

How do Albanians feel about tourists?

[-]

Lost_Being6809@reddit

This is what I think

[-]

cocoadusted@reddit

Bro who that on the left 👀 she looks like a famous p star

[-]

Iapetus404@reddit

Young Americans are pure d*heads.....after 30-35y.o are really cool tourists.

Fun fact most nice tourists in Athens are the Turks,polite,open and calm people.

[-]

Own_Worth_5929@reddit

Meh, there is a fair amount of them in Sofia and Varna I'd say.

British mfs however have replaced pre-war Russian tourists as my most disliked group

[-]

Yes please. And no one takes dollar here.

[-]

PanicDry@reddit

More common. If they're not LOUD and ObNixiOUs they're tolerable. Russians are way worse, they're simply filthy pigs who pee in the swimming pool when they're drunk.