Lying, stealing, running away from restaurants without paying… these are all things that most of us would never dream of doing in normal life.
But when we’re in a foreign land, it seems that our moral compass goes completely out of whack as we look for ways to save money while we’re away.
New research has revealed the surprising lengths that some Brits will go to in order to cut the cost of their holiday.
If you saw a sign in your hotel saying ‘Free room upgrade for newlyweds’, would you try and blag your way in?
According to a survey by International Currency Exchange, 5.5 per cent of Brits have done exactly that, pretending to either be on their honeymoon or celebrating a birthday or anniversary to get a room upgrade.
Other rather dishonest tactics used by holidaymakers include sneaking into the pool of a hotel or resort they weren’t staying in, or using a nearby hotel’s shuttle bus service.
It seems that service-stealing is pretty rife, with 11.65 per cent of Brits saying they have ‘borrowed’ the facilities of a neighbouring resort.
While these may look like the actions of younger holidaymakers, the research found that parents are no better.
More than 11 per cent of parents have admitted to lying about the age of their children to get money off the admission cost at a theme park.
If lying and trespassing weren’t bad enough, stealing also appears to be a legitimate money-saving tactic in the eyes of some tourists.
A whopping 39 per cent have admitted to pilfering from a hotel’s breakfast buffet in order to avoid paying for lunch.
OK, so this isn’t the worst crime in the world – the breakfast food is usually complementary, after all – but a law-breaking 1.4 per cent admit to scarpering from a restaurant or bar without paying the bill!
