England is a nation of "overweight, alcopop-swilling, sex-and-celebrity obsessed TV addicts," according to a travel guide that will no doubt be read by hundreds of thousands of visitors to our islands.

The latest edition of the highly accessible "warts and all" Rough Guide to England warns visitors that the heart of many towns and cities consist of "identikit retail zones". We are "obedient consumers, rather than active citizens, with brand loyalty the nearest thing to religious/spiritual belief..."

Potential tourists who haven't actually bought their tickets yet might be further discomfited to read that attempting a conversation with a stranger in England "can be seen as tantamount to physical assault", such is our unfriendly nature.

"Commuters suffer overpriced, under-funded public transport," says the guide, before going on to complain that "England is a country where accent and vocabulary stamp a person's identity like a brand", and we have "a tiny aristocracy, who in some cases trace their roots to the Norman Conquest of the eleventh century, still own most of the land".

Somehow it isn't quite cricket that, however much we wring our hands on a daily basis about loutish behaviour, litter, overcrowded trains and soulless town centres, we should not be underlining these shortcomings in a travel book read mostly by foreigners.

Let them find out for themselves that some Brits can be snobs or louts. Why underline such weaknesses to all and sundry across the world, who will buy the guide in their own language and arrive on these shores with all sorts of preconceived notions about us – albeit with some basis in truth?

We may pride ourselves on having some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe, but the Rough Guide pulls no punches in labelling us as "insular, self-important and irritating". It also suggests a national identity crisis, and tells all-comers that "the English are devoted to sarcasm on a gigantic scale", yet "often mistaken as coldness or hostility, the warmth (of the English) is in the humour, a sort of national solidarity that is bred in the bone".

Blackpool, already struggling to reinvent itself as a 21st century resort, is described as "shamelessly brash", Derby is "unexciting", and as for Torquay, that jewel of the English Riviera, it is written off with: " St Tropez it ain't."

The book does recognise that, of the 200 destinations covered by Rough Guides, no other is so "fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse", despite its perceived flaws.

Despite the "ouch factor" for those of us who kid ourselves that England is tops at everything, Leeds is described as a city that "still has a true northern grit to its character", York is listed as the England's 14th most popular visitor attraction and Whitby is classified as the country's best family beach, with its "acres of beach, rock pools, lighthouse, piers and prom..."

The rocky reefs and honeycombed cliffs of Robin Hood's Bay are also listed as the country's eighth best beauty spot.

The guide's authors also have soft spot for parts of the English character, saying we are a nation of "animal-loving, tea-drinking charity donors thriving on irony and Radio 4". It claims the country is "a genuine haven for refugees", and praises both our thriving pop culture and dynamic fashion, music and acts scenes. London's Tate Modern, Coventry Cathedral and Manchester's Imperial War Museum are also honourably mentioned as architectural beauties.

So is this judgment by such a big-selling travel guide likely to dent our international tourist industry, which brings 33 million visits a year to these shores, generating £16bn in spending?

"I doubt it very much," says Sian Brenchley of tourist organisation Visit Britain. "These comments should not be taken seriously. They underline the quirkiness of the English character more than anything. I think the tenor of the comments is very much tongue-in-cheek.

"Britain is such a strong tourist brand, particularly with visitors from the US, Germany, France, Ireland and Spain, that this kind of thing does not damage it. People also get their information from many sources – not just one – before they choose a holiday destination."

Even the impact of a colossal event like the 7/7 bombings in Central London in 2005 did not damage tourist income as much as many pundits predicted.

Research initially estimated that the attacks would cost the UK £750m in lost earnings, but despite a dip in visitor numbers and spending in the couple of months following the bombings, the year ended £1.2bn up on 2004 in overall earnings from foreign visitors – although the number of US tourists fell.

Interestingly, Visit Britain reports that 40 per cent of international visitors come as a result of a film or TV, with a noticeable increase in bookings as a result of the release a few months ago of Elizabeth – The Golden Age, the film about Queen Elizabeth I starring Australian actress Cate Blanchett.