French Trying To Shed Rude Reputation With Etiquette Manual

Above, nothing "rude" or "surly" about this restaurateur near the Tsukiji Fish
Market in Tokyo. I only met this fellow just minutes before this photo was taken.

The Japanese are some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet while traveling.  However, the French have an opposite reputation. (I have never been to France, so I don't have any first-hand experience to convey here.)

They have been called "rude" and "surly" towards foreign visitors. This reputation, whether deserved or not, has been wearing on the French tourism industry and they are taking steps to change that perception.

In Paris, a new etiquette manual is being distributed to those who are in contact with foreign visitors.

According to Canoe Travel:

The British like to be called by their first name. Americans are direct and frank, Brazilians are by nature warm and touchy-feely, and Chinese visitors are satisfied with a simple smile and hello in their language.

These are some of the tips offered in a six-page etiquette manual that is being handed out to Parisian restaurateurs, taxi drivers, and sales staff in an effort to shed the city's worldwide longstanding reputation as rude and surly. 

Having such an etiquette manual is probably a good idea if this reputation is accurate.

One item in the article concerns the Japanese tourist:

And tourists from Japan typically arrive in the city with strictly regimented, itemized itineraries as well as high expectations. 

"The Japanese never complain right away when they're not satisfied but will complain when they return to Japan." 

That is something that Americans who interact with Japanese visitors should probably bear in mind.

To read the full article, go here.