An interesting new survey has revealed that British people abroad have a lot to learn about foreign tipping customs.
Travel information website TripAdvisor conducted an in-depth study to examine the tipping habits of 6,000 people from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The results of the survey are eye-opening- 60 percent of all the Brits have no idea how much they should tip for services when in another country, with 16 percent claiming to have been confronted by staff for leaving inadequate amounts.
Shockingly, 22 percent of Brits actually admitted to deliberately avoiding travelling to the US due to rumours of the strong tip culture there.
TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma O’Boyle said: “At home, the rules are very clear - if you go to a restaurant and have a good experience, then you pay a 10 to 15 per cent tip. Once abroad, however, Brits tend to bury their heads in the sand, and just apply the same rules. Eight per cent of Brits we surveyed said they had had a holiday spoiled by an awkward tipping situation: we can only speculate as to what happened, but it really stresses the need to make sure you do your homework, and avoid embarrassing yourself or the people serving you.”
When travelling abroad it is important to get a grasp on local culture and tradition. Learn more about this topic in our detailed City Guides.