PARIS, Oct 9 — What are the main differences between the French and English when choosing a travel destination? Eurostar attempted to answer this conundrum, and ended up confirming well-trodden stereotypes in its study, which was published today.
The French are known as inveterate gourmands, while the British have a reputation for loving to lounge in the sun. Old clichés die hard, and Eurostar’s study confirm them, with over 72 per cent of French respondents claiming to prefer discovering new cuisines while visiting a new region or country, while only 42 per cent of Brits claim to have the same preference.
24 per cent of the latter even admit to bringing their own food along when traveling abroad. Eating tasty food is key to successful holidays for the French, as 35 per cent of them do their homework and seek out the best restaurants before setting out.
On the English side of the Channel, 45 per cent of respondents claimed to seek out to sunnier vistas, with an unsurprising 39 per cent of them choosing familiar destinations. The French, for their part, are more curious, with 20 per cent taking advantage of a trip to take in an exhibition, while only 11 per cent of Brits add cultural outings to their vacation itinerary. Conversely, 32 per cent of the French claim to avoid tourist traps like the plague, versus 15 per cent of the English.
Curiosity is also expressed in an effort to interact with the locals: 69 per cent of the French claim to engage in conversation with the local population, while 51 per cent of the English have responded to the idea of learning the language of their destination with a resounding “nein.”
The study conducted by Atomik Research surveyed 5,015 individuals 18 and over in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, between September 12 and 16, 2019. — AFP-Relaxnews
