A Reuters report says that British holidaymakers are prepared to stretch the truth and their wallets to impress friends and colleagues with tall tales of lavish vacations, a British survey said this week.
British financial services company Halifax found that Britons lie about the great weather, the celebrity sightings and even the expense of their holidays in an effort to be on the coveted side of what has been dubbed “travel envy”.
“Holidays have become the new Rolex or Porsche, a status symbol used to impress friends, family and colleagues,” Halifax Travel Insurance underwriting manager Paul Birkhead said.
Halifax surveyed more than 1000 British holidaymakers on the Internet for a list of 11 top holiday howlers.
The most popular fib was a claim of endless sunshine, followed closely by stories about dining at exclusive restaurants, bargain shopping and losing weight.
Holiday romances, socializing with celebrities, the class of hotel and even the resort visited were also on the list of embellishments.
Alongside exaggerations of stars, cars and glitzy bars, British tourists are also keen to pay up to £300 ($NZ799) for upgrades to get a better hotel, car or flight.
Ironically, two-thirds of those surveyed said they could not stand holiday bores banging on about their fabulous vacations, while 10 percent said they were secretly green with envy when hearing about luxury destinations.
Eight percent said they envied others who had dined exclusively and six percent said they were jealous of the flashy rental cars.
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Report by The Mole
