UK offers etiquette quide for Olympic visitors

Travelers from the Middle East are likely to be demanding with staff and “are not used to being told what they can’t do,” the guide warns.

I have first hand experience of this. I used to work in a big hotel here. The Middle-Eastern guests were some of the biggest manchilds I have ever encountered. "What do you mean I can't get the best quality 3-star sushi now?! It is only 11:30pm! This is Tokyo, right?!" Trying to explain to them that "the best quality 3-star sushi" restaurants are not open in the middle of the night was as if I'd just called their mother something rude. I know not everyone is the same, and there were a few nice people, but they were generally bad.

Americans didn't take jokes well, Australians were all great, English people were stubborn and the French were... well... French.

I'd really like to read this guide.

"while Japanese people consider prolonged eye contact impolite"- I guess it's ok to stare and gawk at foreign people in their homeland.

How 'bout the UK come up with a flier to hand out to tourists (who are guests in the UK) about the local customs there and how THEY should adapt to this particular welcoming country. I get tired on occasion of the cultural sensitivity Nazis telling folks they have to walk on eggshells in order to not offend visitors to your own country. Don't be deliberately rude, but if a visitor takes offense to a common cultural practice in your own country, it's these visitors who are being insensitive.

Tokyoapple; damn right! I admire the sentiment of this push to ease international integration, but you can guarantee that Britain is the only place on earth bothering to do so.

Tokyoapple: They're only trying to help. There have been incidents where Canadians have killed people when they were mistakenly called Americans.

After reading the article - I'm reminded of the movie "In Bruges" when Colin Farrell knocks out the Canadian in the restaurant, thinking he was an American.

Canadian tourists are likely to be sniffy about their nationality, the guide suggests.

Yes. Yes. The little brother syndrome is a problem for them.

Americans won’t ever hesitate to complain.

Massive whingers. This is coming from the English who moan like banshees.

Complaining and whinging are two different things.

I agree about the Americans having no sense of humour, however.

British teaching etiquette?

Such BS. The article I read about this made comments about not making eye contact with Japanese people and showing them the soles of your feet. While Japanese aren't great with eye contact such a lie and the soles of their feet? Thailand perhaps but not Japan.

With regards to the Canadian pins and flags, I have seen more Americans with them than Canadians. While it is certainly good to try and educate people about cultural differences, London really isn't the place that needs help with this. Perhaps those visiting London should be the ones to look into the cultural differences?