Traveling abroad should be exciting. You pack your bags, plan your sightseeing, and imagine all the wonderful people you’ll meet. But what if the locals aren’t quite as thrilled to see you?
American tourists often have a reputation for being friendly and outgoing, but that doesn’t mean everyone appreciates their presence. A 2025 survey by Upgraded Points gathered responses from more than 2,200 people across 22 European countries to explore how residents feel about American visitors.
The results were surprisingly mixed. Although 64% associated American tourists with friendliness, some respondents expressed annoyance or negative opinions.
Here are 10 European countries where American tourists received some of the most mixed reactions.
France
France might be one of the world’s most recognizable vacation destinations, but American travelers shouldn’t automatically expect an enthusiastic welcome everywhere.
According to the survey, 15% of French respondents described their country as generally unwelcoming to American tourists. That was the highest percentage recorded for this particular question.
Interestingly, 47% of the American travelers surveyed believed France was among the countries where Americans were viewed least favorably.
Still, those findings don’t mean most French residents dislike American visitors. The survey suggests that France’s chilly reputation may be stronger than the actual negative sentiment reported.
Hungary
Hungary presents an interesting contradiction.
Around 8.7% of Hungarian respondents considered their country generally unwelcoming to American tourists, putting it second on that measure.
However, only 17.5% personally expressed a negative opinion of American visitors, one of the lowest percentages in the study.
Even American politics appeared to have a relatively limited effect. Just 8% said the 2024 U.S. presidential election changed their perceptions of American travelers.
The takeaway? A destination’s reputation doesn’t always reflect how its residents personally feel about tourists.
Norway
Norway stood out for an unexpected reason: politics.
About 8% of Norwegian respondents considered their country generally unwelcoming to Americans.
Meanwhile, 44% said the 2024 U.S. presidential election had influenced how they viewed American visitors, the highest reported share in the study.
That doesn’t necessarily mean their opinions became negative. It simply shows that political events can influence perceptions beyond national borders.
For American travelers, Norway’s results remind us that international reputations sometimes extend beyond vacation behavior.
Denmark
Denmark delivered some of the survey’s more skeptical responses.
Approximately 37% of Danish respondents reported having a negative opinion of American tourists, while 14.8% said they found American visitors annoying.
Yet only 7.5% described Denmark itself as generally unwelcoming.
Another 30% said the 2024 American presidential election affected their perceptions.
These numbers reveal an important distinction: someone can have reservations about tourists without believing those visitors should receive an unfriendly reception.
Spain
Spain appeared relatively high on one measure but surprisingly low on another.
About 6.9% of Spanish respondents described their country as generally unwelcoming to American visitors, placing Spain fifth for that question.
However, only 7.8% said American tourists annoyed them, among the lowest annoyance levels reported.
That’s quite a contrast.
So while Spain makes this list because of its placement in the survey, the findings hardly suggest widespread hostility toward American travelers.
Portugal
Portugal recorded the highest percentage of respondents who reported feeling annoyed by American tourists.
That figure was 18.8%, while approximately 38% expressed an overall negative opinion of American visitors.
Those numbers might sound discouraging, but one important detail matters: neither represents a majority.
The survey also didn’t establish exactly why Portuguese respondents held those opinions.
It’s tempting to blame particular tourist habits, but the available findings don’t support assigning one specific cause.
Belgium
Belgium might be the most surprising country on this list.
Approximately 38% of Belgian respondents expressed negative opinions of American tourists, while 18.3% reported annoyance.
However, just 1.9% considered Belgium generally unwelcoming to Americans.
That was the lowest percentage recorded on the national-welcome question.
In other words, negative personal opinions didn’t necessarily translate into a belief that American visitors would be treated poorly.
Belgium demonstrates why declaring an entire country unfriendly based on individual opinions can be misleading.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands recorded the highest reported share of negative opinions toward American tourists.
Nearly 40% of Dutch respondents expressed unfavorable views, while 14.9% said American visitors annoyed them.
However, only 3% described the Netherlands as generally unwelcoming.
That’s a significant difference between personal attitudes and perceptions of hospitality.
For travelers, it means the numbers shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence that Dutch residents generally refuse to welcome American guests.
Sweden
Sweden also registered considerable skepticism toward American tourists.
Approximately 36.9% of Swedish respondents reported negative opinions of American visitors.
Another 31% said the 2024 U.S. presidential election had affected their perceptions.
However, the published findings didn’t provide a corresponding Swedish percentage for whether respondents considered their country unwelcoming.
That distinction matters because unfavorable opinions don’t automatically predict how someone will treat a visitor.
Sweden’s findings offer another example of how attitudes toward American tourism can overlap with broader perceptions of the United States.
Ireland
Ireland rounds out the list with another surprising contrast.
About 17.4% of Irish respondents said American tourists annoyed them, placing Ireland third among the countries highlighted for annoyance.
Yet only 18.3% expressed an overall negative opinion of American tourists, one of the lowest percentages reported.
That suggests occasional irritation doesn’t necessarily mean broader disapproval.
Someone might find particular tourist encounters frustrating
without holding unfavorable opinions about American travelers in general.
It’s a useful reminder that tourists can occasionally get on people’s nerves without becoming unwelcome guests.
What American Travelers Should Remember
Before crossing these destinations off your vacation wish list, consider the survey’s bigger picture.
Across the European respondents, 72% said they were open to interacting with American tourists, while just 8% expressed reluctance. Only 27% reported generally negative opinions.
Those findings paint a much more encouraging picture than the idea that entire countries dislike American visitors.
The survey also measured different things, including annoyance, personal opinions, and perceptions of how welcoming a country might be. It wasn’t a ranking of countries that deny entry or mistreat American travelers.
And because the published methodology didn’t establish nationally representative results for each country, the percentages shouldn’t be treated as the opinions of every resident.
Ultimately, a little courtesy, respect for local customs, and willingness to experience a different culture can go a long way wherever your passport takes you.
The bottom line: Some Europeans have mixed feelings about American tourists, but the survey suggests that most remain open to welcoming them.
