Nearly one in five Brits admit to holidaying in places they couldn’t point to on a map 950,000 Brits have booked flights and hotels for the wrong destination 1.9 million Brits have arrived at their holiday destination with the wrong currency. Planning where we will go, the place we will stay, and what we might visit is all part of the exciting build up to a holiday. But imagine the disappointment when you arrive at the wrong hotel or…
Nearly one in five Brits admit to holidaying in places they couldn’t point to on a map 950,000 Brits have booked flights and hotels for the wrong destination 1.9 million Brits have arrived at their holiday destination with the wrong currency. Planning where we will go, the place we will stay, and what we might visit is all part of the exciting build up to a holiday. But imagine the disappointment when you arrive at the wrong hotel or destination, leaving your dream holiday in tatters – a reality for over 950,000 Brits, according to research released by travelsupermarket.com.
And it’s been a near miss for many more British holidaymakers. Nearly one in five (18 per cent) admit they have been on holiday to a place that they couldn’t pinpoint on a map, with the worst offenders 20-29year olds – almost a third (31 per cent) of whom admit they couldn’t identify their destination. Ironically, the hardest destination to identify is one of the most popular holiday resorts for Brits – Sharm el Sheik. Nearly half (47 per cent) of those asked said that the Egyptian tourist mecca was the one they were least likely to be able to identify on a map. This was swiftly followed by Faro (31 per cent), Bangkok (23 per cent), Dubai (18 per cent) and Tenerife (7 per cent).
The research is also sure to cause a stir in the ever-present battle of the sexes. With men twice as likely as women to book the wrong flights or hotels, plans are perhaps best left to women to get the holiday that’s anticipated.
Worryingly the research also reveals that 1.9 million Brits have arrived at their holiday destination with the wrong currency – a concerning number when considering the potential costs of having to change the money abroad and the implications of being left with no cash in a foreign place.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com, said: “It may cause a few laughs, but it is worrying that a considerable proportion of the British public don’t know where in the world they are when they are on holiday, especially when so many of us go back to the same places year after year.
“With finances front of mind at the moment, finding you are in the wrong place after spending time and money planning a dream break could prove very disappointing. “For those people who are travelling somewhere new this summer, a simple internet search is a good starting point to check where you’re planning to go is the place you book and ensuring the local currency is what you think it is. This could save a great deal of time, hassle and expense later on when rebooking incorrect flights or accommodation or ensuring you have money to spend at the destination.”
Most popular ways of researching a holiday destination:
1. Look it up online (79 per cent)
2. Read travelogues (36 per cent)
3. Buy a guidebook (35 per cent)
4. Look at an atlas (25 per cent)
5. Do nothing at all (3 per cent)
A few common mix-ups:
– Palma Majorca and La Palma in the Canaries
– San Jose, California and San Jose, Costa Rica
– Amman in Jordan and Oman the country
– Bucharest and Budapest
– Lisbon, Portugal and Lisburn, Northern Ireland
– London, England and London, Canada
A few common mix-ups for travel agents:
– Bordeaux (BOD) and Bodrum (BJV)
– Los Angeles (LAX) and Lagos (LOS)
– San Juan (SJU) and San Jose (SJO)
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
