Like it or loath it, tipping is a regular part of any holiday abroad. It can be a tricky business – how much do you leave? Do you give change or add extra to the bill? Should you even do it at all?
At home, tipping is generally considered good practice if you’ve received good service. When we’re abroad, the normal rules seem to go out of the window.
Now it seems that, with the recession squeezing our finances, tipping is the first area we are looking to cut back on.
Research by travel review website TripAdvisor has found that, in the face of financial hardship, a third of Brits have cut back on the amount that they tip when on holiday, or have simply cut it out altogether.
“It has been a challenging year for the British economy, and British tourists are spending very carefully,” said Emma Shaw, a TripAdvisor spokeswoman.
“While the majority are still rewarding good service on holidays with tips, many Britons are giving smaller tips as cost-saving continues to be a priority.”
However, the recession could just be an excuse, as the research also found that more than half of British holidaymakers are unsure what amount is appropriate to leave as a tip.
The research covered more than 5,500 travellers from across Europe, a fifth of whom were British. It found that, as a nation, we are among the most uncomfortable with tipping.
More than a fifth said that tipping abroad makes them nervous, while 22 per cent said they are put off holidaying in the US because of the general tipping culture.
Almost a third of Brits take the one-size-fits-all approach, tipping the same amount wherever they are eating, whichever country they are in.
