Does travel involve bad behaviour, survey asks

A survey of Canadian travellers shows most are leaving some of their responsible behaviour at home.

In its survey, Cheapflights.ca, an online travel deals site, asked more than a thousand Canadians what they do on vacation.

More than 60 per cent of respondents reported taking a break from “being responsible” while on vacation. Some 64 per cent of women surveyed said they undertook some irresponsible vacation behaviour, while 57 per cent of men said they did.

When asked how they’ve been “irresponsible,” most say they “overspent” (53 per cent), 46 per cent said they got “too much sun,” 31 per cent said they consumed “too much alcohol,” and a quarter said they “stayed out all night or late into the night.”

Seven per cent of those surveyed reported making a “regrettable romantic decision.” People under the age of 34 were the most likely to have made a bad romantic choice (12 per cent).

The most unexpected benefits respondents got from their vacation were love of a new food (53 per cent); lasting friendships (37 per cent), great holiday-card pictures (35 per cent), while a third said love of a new drink.

Vacation worries varied for men and women. Overall, “spending beyond your means” ranked as the number one worry when Canadians are on vacation. This was the number one worry for men. For women, overspending came in second. The number one concern when on vacation was forgetting to pack certain things. Being robbed or having items lost or stolen was the second worry overall.

Almost a quarter of the respondents admitted to keeping vacation secrets from a family member, friend or spouse.

To read more, cheapflights.ca/travel/canadian-travel-habits-let-loose.