• British holidaymakers spend more than £400 tipping service staff over the course of a holiday
  
• UK travellers spend an estimated £9.7 million on tipping per day
• Brits set to spend £1.4 billion collectively on gratuity this summer 

 

Tipping etiquette can be one of the biggest headaches about going on holiday, but new research¹ from Direct Line Travel Insurance reveals Brits are taking no chances and shelling out £3.5 billion showing their appreciation to service staff² abroad every year.

Whether it be to ensure they get the fluffiest towels or secure the best seat in a restaurant, British holidaymakers spend an average £45.83 tipping service staff every day they are on holiday. With the average holiday lasting 8.9 days³, that’s a total of more than £400 over the entire trip.

Last year saw UK travellers pack their bags for a total of 417.5 million nights abroad and spend £32.2 billion on just the holiday itself. With around half (52 per cent) of Brits stating that they tip whilst on holiday, it is estimated that these tips amount to a further £3.5 billion, or £9.7 million each day, being spent in foreign countries by Brits⁴. With the summer months accounting for roughly 40 per cent of all British holidays abroad, Direct Line estimates that as much as £1.4 billion could be given in tips by Brits this summer.

Despite tipping being encouraged in the USA traditionally, Brits are actually more forthcoming with tips when travelling in Europe than they are in America. When asked about how likely they were to tip different staff members in different holiday destinations, British holidaymakers stated that they were more likely to tip all eight services in European destinations than in the USA.

When thinking about who to keep sweetest while away, UK jetsetters are most likely to leave money behind for waiters (81 per cent), followed by porters (69 per cent) and housekeeping staff (62 per cent). At the other end of the scale, just 27 per cent would give a tip to the pool attendant.

Looking at the motives for not tipping, the most common reasons include: the staff being hostile or rude (46 per cent), the service not being good enough (40 per cent) and people thinking it would be too expensive to tip everyone (34 per cent).

When it comes to budgeting, it seems that tips from British holidaymakers are more generous at the start of the holiday than at the end. Nearly two thirds (65 per cent) admitted to tip less towards the end of their time away than they did at the start. The most common reason being running out of money (30 per cent) followed by people feeling they had tipped enough over the course of their stay ((24 per cent), not liking people to just expect it of them (17 per cent) or the service not being as good towards the end (17 per cent).

Further research⁵ found that more than four fifths of hotel staff (82 per cent) ranked Americans as the most generous tippers during their visit. The UK placed second with 14 per cent of votes, followed by Germany (nine per cent) and the Netherlands (six per cent). Italians were classed as the worst tippers with a quarter (25 per cent) of hotel staff votes followed by Spaniards (12 per cent).  

Home geography also plays a part in how willing Brits are to tip service staff when visiting their resorts. Londoners are most likely as 70 per cent said they would tip, while just 42 per cent of those living in the East Midlands and the North East would be willing to part with cash as a gesture of gratitude for a service they received.

 

Table one: Regional breakdown of people who would tip while on holiday

Region	Percentage of people who would tip on holiday
London	72%
Northern Ireland	59%
North West	52%
Scotland	52%
Wales	50%
Yorkshire and Humberside	50%
South West	49%
South East	47%
West Midlands	46%
East of England	45%
East Midlands	42%
North East	42%
All United Kingdom	52%

Source: Direct Line Travel Insurance, 2019

 

Tom Bishop, Head of Travel Insurance at Direct Line, said: “Knowing when and how much to tip in different countries can be a challenge. The level of service you receive can really make or break a holiday, so it’s great to see that so many Brits seem to be happy with the services they receive while visiting other countries.

“However, we would advise travellers to be vigilant when carrying large sums of money and their cards with them while abroad and to ensure they have adequate insurance cover to ensure that there are no nasty bills or surprises should something go wrong.”

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

 

¹        Research conducted by Opinium Research among 2008 UK adults between 30th April and 3^rd May 2019

²        Service staff includes bar staff, housekeeping, porters carrying bags, doormen/women, pool attendants/towel providers, staff delivering room service, hotel concierge and waiters in restaurants

³        Direct Line analysis of ONS Travelpac data covering UK residents on holiday in 2018. Latest dataset published on 24^th May 2019

⁴        Calculations based on 71% of British adults having been abroad on holiday in the last five years, spending an average of 8.9 nights on holiday and giving an average of £45.83 per day in tips (based on research findings for average tip amount and frequency for eight services). Calculation assumes that one tip is provided for every two adults per transaction.

⁵        Telephone research conducted amongst 100 hotels globally

For further information please contact:

Naomi Kombe 
Media Relations Executive
Direct Line Group

01651 832895
[email protected]

Samantha Stewart

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

[email protected]

0207 025 6497

 

 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting https://www.directline.com/travel-insurance