The Great Britain once epitomised by the stiff upper lip, modesty and minding your own business has been replaced by a land of burger-eating binge drinkers, pornography addicts and followers of so-called celebrities.

That is the verdict of the latest Lonely Planet guide to Great Britain, the backpackers’ and low-cost travellers’ bible. According to the guide, it is “a telling indictment” that more Britons vote in TV talent shows than in elections for their country’s leaders.

Meanwhile, Britain has the fastest-growing market in the world for internet porn.

Lonely Planet, which has its origins and headquarters in Australia, nevertheless describes the Mother Country as a place where visitors can feel welcome and at ease.

It advises travellers that Britons love news of famous people “even though their ‘celebrity’ status is based on little more than the ability to sing a jolly tune, look good in tight trousers or kick a ball in the right direction”. On the culinary front, the guide says: “Without doubt you can find great food in Britain . . . it’s just that not all the Brits seem to like eating it.”

Although some crime rates are dropping, “vandalism and nuisance behaviour caused by binge drinking remain serious problems”. Lonely Planet Great Britain says that after the July 2005 London bombings “a general air of disillusion prevails”, with Britons seemingly “tired of politicians whatever their hue”.

As in previous editions of Great Britain, Lonely Planet praises the transformation of British cities, saying that Birmingham, “once a drab, grimy urban basket case”, has “spectacularly reinvented itself as a vibrant, cultural hotspot”.

The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Snowdonia and the North Yorkshire Moors have plenty of “wow” factor, but not every attraction is worth a visit – notably Sherwood Forest, where there are now more tourists than trees. David Else, the guide’s coordinating author, said: “Everyone can find something that suits them. Another great thing . . . is that being exposed to different religions, festivals, music and food allows Brits to experience other cultures without leaving the country.”

But rudeness and lack of generosity have helped to tarnish Britons, according to a poll of 15,000 European hotel owners. Expedia.co.uk, suggests that Britons have poor dress sense and are noisy, untidy and miserly tippers. The country came second in the worst-dressed tourist table, headed by the Americans, and fifth in the least-generous table, headed by the Germans. The worst tourist nation was France, followed by India, China, Russia and Britain. Japanese were voted the world’s best tourists.