JEDDAH: A top Saudi businessman has rejected reports that his fellow citizens misbehave and break the laws of countries they visit abroad during their vacations.

Abdur Rahman Al-Sane, vice chairperson of the national tourism committee of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC), said that a recent report by Business Insider magazine showed that American, British and Russian tourists rank among the top 10 most unruly abroad.

The top 10 list does not have any country from the Gulf region listed. The report is based on an extensive survey, in the form of interviews with tourists, and was conducted by Triposo, a travel and tourism guide app.

This report rejected the findings of an earlier report claiming tourists from the Gulf region are the most unlikely to obey rules around cleanliness and other issues while abroad in some European countries.

Al-Sane said the mistakes of a small number of individuals have been used to generalize about Gulf and Saudi tourists. “It is well known that Saudi tourists, particularly, abide by the rules on the roads and in public places.”

“Most of us travel to Dubai and Manama regularly for tourism and other activities. There we follow all traffic and other rules and regulations more so than in our own country.”

He said the mistakes made by some Gulf tourists, many of whom are now heading to Asia and Europe, are videotaped and posted on social networking sites, which then go viral. However, this cannot be used to generalize about everyone else.

The Business Insider report covered several negative aspects of tourists abroad, including around spending, dressing, language use, compliance with the rules of hotels and airports and other issues.

Brazilians are in tenth position in terms of bad behavior. Italy is sixth, France eighth, India seventh, Germany sixth, Australia fifth, China fourth, Russia third, Britain second, while Americans are ranked No. 1 in terms of committing travel and tourism sins.