Do you tip generously whilst on holiday?

Posted by Sue Anderson, 17th Feb 2014

Whether or not you tip for a service whilst on holiday can depend entirely on how positive the experience was for you, where in the world you are, how impressed you were with staff and just generally how generous you are.

We polled 2,578 people aged 18 and over from around the UK and asked them about their holiday spending. Everyone had been abroad on holiday for a 7-night break within the last year. We asked people about their generosity when it came to tipping on holiday.

People in South West most generous holiday tippers



First of all, we asked everyone to state what region of the UK they resided in. Then, we asked how much money, in total, they had spent in tips on their last holiday abroad and analysed the results to find an average tipping allowance for each region. The results were revealed to be as follows:

South West - £51.60

Wales - £48.27

London - £41.83

North East - £39.40

South East - £35.43

Yorkshire & Humberside - £27.50

East Midlands - £13.20

Scotland - £11.90

East Anglia - £10.63

West Midlands - £8.20

North West - £9.70



Holidaymakers more likely to tip when under the influence of alcohol



Our poll also revealed that 78% of respondents admitted that they were more likely to tip on holiday if they were under the influence of alcohol. Furthermore, 36% claimed to have got into a disagreement with somebody they were on holiday with over how much they should leave as a tip, or if they should use any at all.

17% of the respondents taking part admitted that they never left tips on holiday. When asked why this was the case, the majority (66%) said it was because they weren't regulars at the establishments in question and thought it would therefore go unnoticed. Hotel staff, such as those people responsible for cleaning rooms, were the most likely to be tipped on holiday, with 54% agreeing, followed by waiters or waitresses (46%) and taxi drivers (23%).

Some people like to tip on holiday if they are having a good time, but others are clearly of the mindset that they aren't regulars at these hotels or restaurants so they don't need to bother. Depending on where you go on holiday, there will be different expectations when it comes to tipping.

For example, those travelling to America and places like New York should expect to have to put their hand in their pockets for tips on several occasions, such as after taxi journeys or even when ordering a drink at the bar. Make sure you know what the attitude towards tipping is in whatever resort you are visiting and always take a little extra cash to use for tips.
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