We may spend most of the year looking forward to a holiday, but when we find ourselves abroad it seems that many of us don’t make the most of it. (Featured image by latedeals.co.uk)
Research has revealed that, far from doing and seeing as much as possible while abroad, 48 per cent of Brits say they don’t really want an adventure when they’re away.
A whopping 52 per cent of holidaymakers also admitted to having ignored famous landmarks on previous holidays.
That is the finding of research by Latedeals.co.uk, which questioned more than 2,000 adults to find out if we are a nation of Karl Pilkingtons – the idiot abroad.
“Long working hours and busy family lives mean that our annual holiday is the only time we get to relax,” said Calum Macdonald, from Latedeals.co.uk.
“New environments and customs can be exciting for the seasoned traveller but they can cause anxiety too.”
It was found that more than a third of Brits find sightseeing unappealing, with the majority preferring to stay in the comfort of the beach or hotel pool.
While 85 per cent of people say their holiday is the highlight of their year, just 23 per cent choose their destination specifically in order to experience a different culture.
When it comes to holiday priorities, recharging the batteries, meeting new people and lazing around in the sun are right at the top of the list. In contrast, sampling foreign food and visiting local landmarks are definitely at the bottom.
It seems that we can’t do without many of our home comforts when abroad, with 19 per cent of us visiting a Starbucks or McDonald’s at least once on our trip.
“With many people only getting one or two weeks abroad per year, they want to take it easy and not spend all their time traipsing around the local tourist spots,” Mr Macdonald said.
“An Idiot Abroad and Karl Pilkington represent this view to the extreme, but I think the fact that people can relate to some of the things he’s saying is the reason why it is such a popular show.”
