Hungry Australians are cultural imperialists when they travel

A surprising number of Australians are cultural imperialists when they travel; seeking to impose their own values on the countries they visit. 

Many are also mean, according to results from a survey conducted by travel search engine  ​kayak.com.au​. 

Australians are particularly poor when it comes to tipping; often refusing to tip poorly paid local workers because tipping is not prevalent in their own country.

 

Over a fifth of those surveyed (21%) admit to never tipping when travelling and a further 16% only tip the waiters if the service was great, no matter the tipping etiquette in the country. 

Just 43% said they will tip the waiter ​if ​ tipping is expected in the country.

No wonder Australian travellers are not always greeted with joy by hospitality workers. 

The ​Travel Spending Report ​revealed that sampling local cuisine is the No.1 priority for Australians abroad. 

Dining out took out top spot in the survey of travel intentions with 50% of Aussie travellers prioritising spending their money on eating out at restaurants and cafes while abroad.

Paling in comparison, fewer than one in 10 (8%) choose to spend most of their money on exercise and adventure activities on holiday, while a quarter opt for splashing the cash on tours (25%) and cultural activities (26%).

Over a quarter (27%) of Aussies spend over $60 a day on food on holiday, while a third spend between $31 – $60 per day. Almost two thirds (63%) of Aussies also consider good food as key criteria when initially choosing a travel destination.

Hichame Assi, managing director, APAC, Global Hotels & Affiliates ​at Kayak says: “For Aussies on holiday, food and travel go hand in hand."