VisitBritain has given a robust response to tabloid criticism of market profiles which it publishes to help UK tourism businesses cater for inbound tourists.

Reports by a number of tabloid newspapers likened VisitBritain's advice on cultural customs to the famous BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers, suggesting some of the tips border on the offensive.

The advice was reported as featuring tips such as not to mock Indian accents or that people from Hong Kong are superstitious and prefer not to sleep in four poster beds. However, VisitBritain says the advice has been misrepresented and decontextualised:

"The points that have been picked out and repeated are random, and don't paint a true picture of the market profiles," Visit Britain chief executive Sandie Dawe told Leisure Opportunities.

A look at VisitBritain's Market and Trade Profiles shows rather than being a dos and don'ts list as reported, the profiles are actually in-depth, 60-page briefings that have been sensationalised and paraphrased by the tabloids.

Far from being a leaked or recently devised list as claimed, the comprehensive documents have been on the VisitBritain website for a number of years and are designed to help businesses cater for overseas visitors.

Dawe added: "These profiles - put together by staff who are native to the country featured - provide valuable information on cultural differences and market trends for the industry and have been made to look silly through creative cherry-picking."

She also indicated that none of the newspapers had contacted the Visit Britain press office to check the accuracy of the claims prior to publication, although the Mail Online did carry a quote from VisitBritain marketing director Joss Croft.