“Brits are stingy abroad!” says currency exchange company
Travelling Britons are terrible tippers
British holidaymakers are still reluctant to tip generously despite the huge increase in trips abroad, new research reveals
To tip or not to tip: that is the question that continues to perplex British holidaymakers, despite the surge in travel in the last 30 years and the increased exposure to the many different tipping customs around the world.
When in doubt, the British traveller errs on the side of stinginess. While just under half use a ballpark figure of about 10 per cent for tipping in restaurants and taxis when abroad, new research has revealed that more than one in three British holidaymakers leave less than five per cent – and some 15 per cent of men don’t tip at all.
Brits are terrible with their money abroad, it seems, and stingy to boot. Says who, exactly?
The findings, contained in a new survey of nearly 2,000 travellers conducted by the travel money provider ICE (International Currency Exchange), reveal that about 39 per cent of British travellers still find the issue of tipping awkward and at times embarrassing.
And why would a bureau de change choose to highlight the issue of tipping in the press?
Another factor was failure to budget for tipping: some 43 per cent said that they didn’t factor that in to their holiday spending plans…
Tom Johnson, Head of ICE Online Business, said: “Tipping etiquette seems to take many of us outside our comfort zone and while most respondents tend to use a 10 per cent rule of thumb it was surprising to see that so many tip five per cent or less. This is well below what’s expected in some parts of the USA and Canada where tips can be in the region of 20 per cent. That’s £200 out of a budget of £1,000, making it a serious expense.”
And, of course, Mr Johnson has some self-serving advice on how to cope with the demands of tipping:
In order not to be caught short when abroad, Mr Johnson suggested travellers factor in tips when planning their holiday spending – and equip themselves with low value denomination notes of the local currency to be dispensed as and when the butler or bellboy calls.
Surprisingly enough, his advice amounts to ‘be sure to change over more money at a bureau de change’. I’m sure he has a view on which one to use, too…