Do you regret what you got up to on holiday? New research shows a third of us do

Research has been conducted on 2,000 Brits, to see what are the top 50 things we regret doing (or not doing) on holiday. The study, conducted by working animal charity SPANA, revealed that a third of us regret our holiday antics!

Topping SPANA’s list as the biggest regret was ‘letting others dictate how you spent your holiday, rather than doing what you wanted.’

‘Choosing a destination that was too ‘touristy’ was found as the second biggest regret, followed by ‘choosing a destination where there was literally nothing to do.’

24% of those SPANA surveyed regretted their holiday location, while 14% blamed their personal bad behaviour was what they regretted most.

Chief Executive of SPANA, Jeremy Hulme, said: “It’s no secret that Brits love their summer holidays abroad, but it seems that all to often holidaymakers return home wishing they’d done things differently.

“Whether it’s engaging in embarrassing behaviour after letting their hair down, or not being adventurous enough in experiencing local food and culture, it’s clear that British tourists have a long list of holiday regrets.”

Top 50 holiday regrets:

1. 1 - Letting others dictate how you spent your holiday, rather than doing what you wanted
2. 2 - Choosing a destination that was too ‘touristy’
3. 3 - Choosing a destination where there was literally nothing to do
4. 4 - Falling out with the people you went on holiday with
5. 5 - Deciding not to purchase a souvenir and then wishing you had
6. 6 - Choosing a destination that was too ‘British’
7. 7 - Forgetting to wear sunscreen/sunbathing all day and getting badly burnt
8. 8 - Drinking local alcohol to excess
9. 9 - Drinking too much on a night out and behaving badly
10. 10 - Getting food poisoning
11. 11 - Not bringing plug adapters
12. 12 - Choosing not to leave the resort, and failing to ‘sight see’
13. 13 - Not making any effort to learn language basics
14. 14 - Going on holiday with the wrong people (in-laws, annoying friends)
15. 15 - Failing to try local foods when given the opportunity
16. 16 - Getting ripped off (e.g. not knowing the exchange rate or currency value)
17. 17 - Falling into a deep sleep on the sunbed and getting sunburnt
18. 18 - Being too scared to experiment with different sports and activities
19. 19 - Going out on the last night before a really early flight home
20. 20 - Not taking more sun lotion/mosquito repellant and paying more for it abroad
21. 21 - Walking through unsafe, unlit areas at night
22. 22 - Not telling your bank you’re going abroad
23. 23 - Not ‘switching off’ from work
24. 24 - Forgetting your phone charger
25. 25 - Embarking on a holiday romance
26. 26 - Deciding not to embark on a holiday romance
27. 27 - Not saving space for holiday purchases
28. 28 - Not paying for priority boarding
29. 29 - Talking about work on holiday, instead of enjoying the holiday
30. 30 - Being overly trusting when approached by people
31. 31 - Trusting a local and ending up lost
32. 32 - Not arriving early enough to reserve your sun bed with a beach towel
33. 33 - Not querying your hotel room on booking - so you end up with a bad view
34. 34 - Forgetting your ear plugs
35. 35 - Not knowing local dangers (e.g. avoiding tap water, salads etc.)
36. 36 - Deciding to get a really early flight home
37. 37 - Leaving your passport in the room
38. 38 - Sleeping with a stranger
39. 39 - Booking the cheapest hotel - and being stuck in the middle of nowhere (no research on locations, facilities etc)
40. 40 - Working on holiday instead of relaxing
41. 41 - Being hospitalised/sustaining injuries
42. 42 - Not paying extra to take more luggage
43. 43 - Not researching the hotel, and its other residents, well enough
44. 44 - Not knowing what to do in an emergency (e.g. 999 equivalent)
45. 45 - Getting into unsafe taxis
46. 46 - Travelling without insurance
47. 47 - Taking all your currency out with you
48. 48 - Not knowing local customs (e.g. appropriate dress)
49. 49 - Riding mopeds without helmets
50. 50 - Sleeping on the beach

Shockingly, the survey showed that 61% of people do not believe that their vaccinations are up-to-date. 22% of those asked also did not take out travel insurance when going abroad.