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Brits fail to learn lingo or insure - 9 July 2008

British holidaymakers are known as some of the best travelled in the world. Since the inception of the family package holiday, we have taken advantage of our proximity to so many different cultures and landscapes to make the most of the countries around us. However, according to research from online hotel booking service Laterooms.com, we don’t make so much effort to learn the language as we might.

The survey, carried out among the customers Laterooms.com, one of the leading accommodation websites in the UK, found that 54 per cent of Brits, some 25 million people, are unable to recognize even the most basic phrases in the language of their destination. Furthermore, 81 per cent of those who do not speak the language refuse to take a dictionary or phrase book with them, and 33 per cent rely entirely upon the goodwill of bi-lingual locals to speak English.

While this is embarrassing for us as a nation, the survey revealed some of the more comical ways in which the British public tries to get around the language barrier. A scary 19 per cent resort to talking louder and slower to get their message across; the embarrassing use of improvised sign language is chosen by 39 per cent; and possibly worst of all, ten per cent (a full five million people) speak English in a foreign accent to help understanding.

This lack of language skills among the British public is all the more concerning when the figures for illness are taking into account. Some 65 per cent of travelers have fallen ill while away on holiday, with many being unable to communicate effectively with medical services.

It seems we are no more careful when it comes to the things we leave in our properties overseas, and how we insure against their loss or damage. Zurich Private Clients estimates that some £6.3 billion of personal goods are left behind in unattended property overseas, and that many people are not adequately insured.

One in ten of owners admit to not having home contents cover in their overseas property, and a further one in ten are unsure whether they are properly covered. This is worrying considering the fact that property owners have an average of £15,200 of personal contents in their home overseas, with some risking up to £100,000 of belongings. Infrequent use of the property makes the risks to the contents greater, with 52 per cent remaining unoccupied for more than as month at a time.

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