Arrogant, unfriendly and no sense of humour: what foreign tourists think of the English

In the eyes of the world, the British people – and in particular the English – are arrogant, unfriendly and have almost no sense of humour.

Research carried out by VisitBritain found that visitors from 35 different nations listed Britain a poor 16th overall on a list of countries likely to offer the most friendly welcome. And it is some of our nearest European neighbours who are particularly scathing about our national character.

The French had particular problems with the English – rather than the Scots and the Welsh – and were the least likely of any of the countries surveyed to visit the United Kingdom, despite their close proximity.

German respondents believed that only the Russians were less friendly than the British, with the perception of us also being neither "creative, lively or innovative".