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Not really. “She probably helped things gain acceptance”. Italy not only has a huge sub tropical land mass but was the first port of call from the Orient from where many new spices came as well as plants. Italy was miles ahead of France in international trade from the Romans on.
I am going to research this, but my vague sense of this is that France didnt come into its own until after it became an empire…18th century? And when did their great chefs appear…Esoffier (sp?) and the like.
Oh god, how embarrassing that people act like this!!! The ugly American rep is safely intact!
As the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world and one that is made up of immigrants from just about everywhere, characterizing all of us as having any one characteristic is incorrect. I know plenty of Americans who are able to adapt to local customs when they travel. I’ve also met plenty of non-Americans who tried to replicate their home wherever they go.
Well, i don’t think it due to a bad opinion re. American food…here in France I would say that half of my foreign guests don’t seem to try local food … they eat take away pizza, sushi, and many of the guests who drive to my place arrive with their car packed with groceries from their country, which to a French is borderline insulting 
… Why people would eat that bread in plastic bags rather than buying fresh from a boulangerie is beyond me, but I think that many people aren’t just willing to go outside their comfort zone and try new things :).
I also had the opposite including guests who filled a ice-cooler with several kilograms of butter to bring home 
Well actually recently it’s been the mainland Chinese who have been causing havoc. Spitting in public places, to vandalising ancient artifacts or queue jumping.
There was one time I was queue jumped by an old granny, which left be pretty stunned that it actually happened.
Back to the main post, if you’re used to a certain standard, then anything below that will fall below expectations I guess.
I think I see the problem! You dont provide champagne glasses…I would knock you down for that.
Even China recognizes they have a spitting problem. When I visited there in 2003 there were signs throughout the train stations with a spitting person and a line drawn through it.
We had a Chinese guest explain why they spit so much. It’s because the air pollution is so bad in most cities in China that Chinese people always have so much mucous built up that they can’t breath until they get rid of it.
The Chinese government has actually directly addressed this issue to its citizens. https://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/10/chinese-government-publishes-guide-on-how-to-avoid-being-a-terrible-tourist/280332/
It seems much more difficult for Americans to acknowledge the same. I find that it’s never the American guests fault. It must just be “inevitable”. Right.
I’m Hong Kong Chinese and being a former British colony, we have a Westernised etiquette so we often cringe when we read up on mainland Chinese tourists causing chaos.
Still a pretty lame excuse. I’ve got asthma and I don’t spit everywhere including the kitchen sink.
The the best of my knowledge; asthma doesn’t cause phlegm to build up in the sufferer’s throat.
It does if you’re suffering a productive asthmatic cough. I had this earlier in the year and only strong steroids would clear it.
Once it starts it gets progressively worse and is intensely unpleasant because you can’t breathe and you’re also coughing and producing phlegm.
I find certain age groups, usually 50+, to be very picky and quick to offer criticisms of what we’re missing. ( only 1 mirror? 1 sink? No air conditioning?? The horror!) I’ve had terrible Canadians/Canadiens and equally as awful Americans. I have all but given up on pleasing the retiree crowd!
Yes, here too. Not sure why Canadians are getting so bad lately. (No offense to my Canadian friends here) Maybe because they have to spend a bundle to get to Hawaii and expectations are super high? I cringe when I see a request from Canada now. Sorry to admit that. 
My last few 50 plus guests have been awesome… but they were all TA folks.
American Host here who has extensively traveled via Airbnb in Europe & Central America. A few tips & observations:
-America, being a land of plenty for the middle and upper classes will have exceptions of certain things that everyone in the US has but many in Europe do not. For ‘normal’ Americans they will just expect these things unless told otherwise. Just as the British may expect tea and a water boiler, Americans will expect certain things.
Tip- Set Expectations: I’ve noticed that when I have difficulties its because I didn’t properly set the expectations right. If you are more concerned about maintaining a good rating rather than booking full, its makes sense to fully brief someone on the experience. For instance, I don’t have a microwave in my Airbnb, which is usually an expectation for most American’s. I’m very clear that they shouldn’t expect a microwave.
-In the US its typical for everyone to be overly friendly and polite, even though most aren’t necessarily as ‘nice’ or ‘friendly’ as their words and speech may imply. A typical ‘normal’ American may be rubbed the wrong way by terse or frank replies or other discussions.
Tip- When messaging or communicating with Americans, especially those of older and more conservative bent, it will pay dividends to be extra friendly and jovial in your words and demeanor. In my own hosting experience, even those who had critiques still gave me 5 stars and commented on my friendliness, etc.
Additional Observation:
As a Host in the US I obviously get lots of Americans but being a diverse country, many people of different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. Of the 10 or so bad experiences the majority have been from older folks who treat the place like a hotel (no cleanup etc) and several within that subset have been Asians. Chinese in particular (usually exchange students in my location) are ofter rather wealthy so I assume they have different expectations and look at me as a service worker and less as a host. But overall I do think that younger guests are more apt to give better reviews and higher ratings.
It does for me. Though when i get that sort of attack (My body: Panic systems! Produce the Phlegm!) the only way I can remove the gunk is by barfing.
Doesn’t spitting sound like a better alternative now? 
Why yes. Yes, it does!
Thanks Alia_Gee for your fascinating and considered analysis. We have our first American coming to stay tonight so it’ll be interesting to see how she copes with our narrow, bumpy lanes and remote location.
I worked for a company with an American base and found it fascinating that, typically, their understanding of the rest of the world was quite limited - even the UK. (How much do I know about what French or Germans might expect, let alone Orientals!)
Remember in the United States as in the rest of the world calling somebody oriental is a derogatory term.