by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 7:35 AM ET, Mon August 31, 2026
A new survey from SafariBookings.com asked 192 tour operators to rank tourists by nationality across five categories: politeness, tipping, spending, adventure and interest in food.
According to the results, for Canadians, our strong point is spending. Canada tied Germany for second place among the nationalities perceived to spend the most while travelling, with each receiving 12.8% of responses. The U.S. took the top spot at 24%.
Canadians also ranked third among the best tippers, receiving 10% of mentions. Americans led that category by a wide margin at 29.5%, followed by Germans at 13.1%.
Canadians Have Safari on the Brain
The rankings come as Canadians continue to show an appetite for African safari travel. According to Go2Africa’s State of Safari 2025 report, Canada was the fourth-largest source of safari enquiries in 2025, behind only the U.S., Australia and the U.K.
Global interest in African safaris has continued to climb, increasing 14% in 2023, 12% in 2024 and another 7% in 2025.
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Grand View Research estimates the global safari tourism market was worth US$37.7 billion in 2025 and will reach approximately US$39.7 billion in 2026.
Sorry, Not Sorry: Canadians Are Still Pretty Polite
According to the survey, Canadian tourists placed fourth among the world's most polite travellers, with 9.2% of responses. Japan topped the ranking with 21.1%, followed by Norway at 10.6% and Switzerland at 10.4%.
The U.S. followed Canada in fifth place at 8.7%.
“What stands out in these results is how different nationalities lead in different areas – Japanese tourists for politeness, Americans for tipping and spending, and Germans for adventure. For the questions surrounding food, the results are much more diverse, suggesting that individual preference plays a bigger role than national customs,” said Anita Kovalevska, data researcher and content manager at SafariBookings.com.
We're Taking the Scenic Route — And Apparently Not Big Foodies
Canada landed further down the list when operators were asked about adventurous travellers.
Germany ranked first, with 21.1% of responses, followed by France at 17.8% and the Netherlands at 11%. Canada placed eighth at 6.3%.
The country's weakest showing came in the foodie category.
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Canada ranked 10th out of 11 nationalities listed, receiving just 2.2% of responses. India topped the ranking at 18.7%, followed closely by Japan at 17.5%. France placed third at 12.4%, followed by China at 12.3%.
But one safari operator cautioned against reading too much into differences between nationalities.
“After years in tourism, I have found that people from different countries are often more similar than different. Regardless of nationality, there is usually the same excitement when guests see their first elephant, lion, or giraffe in the wild,” a tour operator from Rafiki Tembo Tours & Safaris shared.
Kovalevska said the range of nationalities represented in the survey reflects the international nature of safari travel.
“Overall, it’s fantastic to see so many different nationalities in the ranking. Traveling provides the perfect opportunity for people from all over the world to come together and enjoy the magic of an African safari.”
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