• Revenue Cycle Management
  • COVID-19
  • Reimbursement
  • Diabetes Awareness Month
  • Risk Management
  • Patient Retention
  • Staffing
  • Medical Economics® 100th Anniversary
  • Coding and documentation
  • Business of Endocrinology
  • Telehealth
  • Physicians Financial News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cardiovascular Clinical Consult
  • Locum Tenens, brought to you by LocumLife®
  • Weight Management
  • Business of Women's Health
  • Practice Efficiency
  • Finance and Wealth
  • EHRs
  • Remote Patient Monitoring
  • Sponsored Webinars
  • Medical Technology
  • Billing and collections
  • Acute Pain Management
  • Exclusive Content
  • Value-based Care
  • Business of Pediatrics
  • Concierge Medicine 2.0 by Castle Connolly Private Health Partners
  • Practice Growth
  • Concierge Medicine
  • Business of Cardiology
  • Implementing the Topcon Ocular Telehealth Platform
  • Malpractice
  • Influenza
  • Sexual Health
  • Chronic Conditions
  • Technology
  • Legal and Policy
  • Money
  • Opinion
  • Vaccines
  • Practice Management
  • Patient Relations
  • Careers

Travelers' Dirty Little Secrets

Article

You're not alone if you've ever peed in the pool, taken extra hotel toiletries, or even cheated on your partner when on vacation. A just-released survey chronicles 8 "dirty little secrets" of adult vacationers in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and China. The results may surprise you.

Hotel Key

You’re not alone if you’ve ever peed in the pool, taken extra hotel toiletries, or even cheated on your partner when on vacation. A just-released survey by Travelzoo, a publisher of travel deals, chronicles 8 “dirty little secrets” of adult vacationers (age 18+) in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and China.

“Everyone has travel habits—some we’re proud of and some we’re not so proud of,” says Gabe Saglie, Travelzoo senior editor. “We thought it would be interesting to see the commonalities and differences among global travelers.”

Who tinkles in the pool or ocean? According to the survey, 64% of Americans admit to this bad behavior compared to 58% of Canadians, 46% of Britons, 44% of Germans and 41% of Chinese.

Hotel Toiletries

Who takes home extra hotel toiletries? More Americans, 69%, confess to grabbing the mini-bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion than the other surveyed nationalities. However, pocketing these items is popular. Some 63% of Canadians, 61% of Chinese and 45% of Britons admit to this conduct while only 20% of Germans do.

The Germans were also the least likely to reserve a lounge chair with a towel, 33%; do vacation planning during work, 38%; and play hooky to extend their vacation, 10%; but they rank highest in philandering while on holiday.

“It was surprising that the Germans were most likely to have a vacation fling followed by the Chinese,” says Saglie. Overall, fidelity rules since the percentage of transgressors remains low. However, 10% of Germans report cheating on their partners compared to 5% of Chinese, 4% of Britons, 3% of Americans and 2% of Canadians.

More survey findings are below. At right is a Travelzoo infographic (click for a larger version):

Planning Vacations During Work Time

*70% Chinese

*67% Americans

*64% Canadians

*40% Britons

*38% Germans

Playing Hooky to Extend a Vacation

*24% Americans

*16% Canadians, and 16% Chinese

*15% Britons

*10% Germans

Skipping Out on a Bill

*13% Americans

*9% Canadians

*8% Britons

*7% Germans

*6% Chinese

Reserving a Lounge Chair Long Before You Need One

*64% Canadians

*59% Americans

*40% Chinese

*33% Britons, and 33% Germans

Sneaking Goods through Customs

*32% Chinese

*23% Canadians

*22% Americans

*19% of Britons

Germans were not asked about customs because, according to Travelzoo, “it wasn’t culturally correct.” And peeing in a pool, playing hooky, planning your vacation at work and skipping out on a bill are culturally correct? We’re confused. Still, Travelzoo’s survey is fun.

What dirty little secrets should be added to the survey? Feel free to sign in with an alias.

Follow me on Twitter, @FamilyiTrips

Related Videos
Victor J. Dzau, MD, gives expert advice
Victor J. Dzau, MD, gives expert advice