New research by the UK’s fastest growing online independent travel agent has revealed the extent to which pushy sales staff in overseas resorts grate on British holidaymakers, with two thirds claiming to have been faced with such staff on their last holiday.

Latest research from one of the UK’s leading independent online travel agencies has offered an insight into the attitudes of Britons’ towards the sales staff found in popular holiday resorts around the world.

www.sunshine.co.uk carried out the study as part of research into the holiday habits and preferences of British holidaymakers. 1,881 people in the UK were subsequently polled, each of whom had been on holiday in the past two years. Respondents were initially asked, ‘During your last holiday, were you faced with pushy sales staff or traders at any point?’ to which 67% answered ‘yes.’

These people were then asked what type of stores or outlets these particular members of staff had been in. The most common culprits, deemed ‘pushy’ by the respondents, were from the following outlets:

·      Street/ Market Traders– 22%
·      Restaurants – 19%
·      Gift shops– 16%
·      Technology Shops– 9%
·      Excursion agents – 4%

When asked, ‘Did you purchase anything on your last holiday that you didn’t particularly want, due to a pushy member of staff?’ 48% said ‘yes.’ These respondents were then asked how much they had spent on their last holiday on items that they didn’t need or want, but felt pressured to get by pushy staff.

On average, each respondent that did end up bringing home items or getting services they didn’t want spent £42 on such products. When asked, ‘Have you ever got into an argument with a member of staff in a foreign resort before?’ one in ten, 11%, claimed that they had.

Furthermore, 37% felt that they had been ‘ripped off’ in some way during their last holiday abroad, whether it was due to a faulty product they had purchased or an unsatisfactory meal they had been given in a restaurant.

Chris Brown, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, had the following to say about the findings:

“Many resorts, particularly in Europe, are renowned for street sellers who try to flog tourists “designer” sunglasses and other items they don’t necessarily need. In a way, you come to expect that if you visit somewhere like Tenerife or Turkey, but it becomes a bit of a nuisance when even the staff in the local gift or camera shops try to persuade you to buy something.

“At the end of the day, they are just doing their job, but tourists shouldn’t feel pressured into buying anything they don’t really want or need. The best way to approach that situation is to tell them that you are just browsing; if they continue to try and sell their products to you and you feel harassed in anyway, move on to the next shop. You certainly shouldn’t hand over any money for something you aren’t really sure about; this cash would be better spent elsewhere on something else that will allow you to make the most of your holiday.”