Brits are the most disliked tourists

The British love of lager, fry-ups and karaoke has made us the most shunned tourists around the globe.

Staff in more than 17 tourist offices worldwide said the locals shuddered when the British arrived each summer.

Britons were said to be badly behaved, loud, rude and unlikely to try the local cuisine. The Germans were considered exemplary visitors.

They won admiration for conversing in the local tongue, being courteous and sitting quietly by the pool. Only the Americans pipped them to the post in one category - politeness. But the Germans were the meanest tippers.

Expedia, the online travel company which did the research, said Brits now rank bottom of 24 countries as the least welcome.

Dermot Halpin, the managing director of Expedia, said: "British holidaymakers are some of the most widely travelled in the world, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're good at it.

"A little effort goes a long way in a foreign country."

The Irish are similarly successful in upsetting locals when abroad, followed closely by the Danes.

One of the main aggravating factors appears to be Britons' unwillingness to try the local food, opting instead for egg and chips. And rather than try foreign languages, most Britons were criticised for simply speaking English louder to make themselves understood.