New research out today – 27th June 2018 – reveals that 48% of us have arguments on holiday – and the football World Cup is likely to trigger more strife.
The survey, carried out for World Travel Market, found that 23% of us squabble even before we depart for our holidays, and 22% have a row during the journey to our resort.
With holidaying English football fans eager to watch coverage of Gareth Southgate’s squad in Russia, it also seems that many World Cup widows will be seeing red.
The study showed that only about one in five holidaymakers will be watching the football matches with their better halves. Ahead of England’s critical match against Belgium tomorrow, half the women surveyed are not looking forward to being snubbed during the televised games.
Apart from TV tensions, it would seem there are several potential flashpoints throughout the holiday, with the top stress factor being worries about leaving items behind – cited by 27%.
This is closely followed by anxiety during the actual journey and the airport experience (both cited by 26% of respondents).
However, it would seem that holidays do help us to wind down from the daily grind, with two-thirds of holidaymakers saying they switch off within a day of arriving on holiday.
Therapist and TV psychologist Dr Becky Spelman said: “Holidays should be a highlight for everyone but as we place so much pressure on ourselves to have a good time, it’s almost inevitable that some of us will have bust-ups.
“My tips to avoid stress would be to plan ahead and negotiate before you travel – if you want to watch the matches during your holiday, it would be good to suggest other activities you can do as a couple or family before or after each fixture…and perhaps plan an indulgent treat for the one who’s not a fan. Booking a spa treatment might well mean you don’t get a shown the red card by your other half.
“Finally, recognise that there will doubtless be stress points in the holiday – such as getting to the airport on time, arriving jetlagged in the middle of the night or dealing with upset tummies or sunburn. Accept that mishaps happen, take a deep breath and just be glad you’re not the England manager. That is a stressful job!”
World Travel Market’s Paul Nelson added: “Us Brits spend all year planning and looking forward to our holidays that the pressure can sometimes lead to stress and an inability to relax.”
World Travel Market is the place where the travel industry agrees the holiday deals and packages that holidaymakers experience. World Travel Market is responsible for more than £3 billion in travel industry deals agreed by 50,000 of travel’s leading executives from 182 countries and regions.