Research by Barclays Insurance shows that 80% of holidays spoiled by unexpected mini disasters

British holiday makers are frequently left disappointed by summer holidays as ‘disasters and irritants’ such as sunburn, missed flights and ‘other British holidaymakers’ ruin what should be the best two weeks of the year according to research from Barclays Insurance.

Eighty per cent of holidaymakers have experienced at least one ‘disaster’ whilst on holiday, over half (55 per cent) have experienced flight delays or cancellations, 39 per cent have suffered from sunburn or sunstroke and almost one in five (19 per cent) have fallen ill whilst away. However, one of the biggest irritants for British holidaymakers is – other British holidaymakers who annoy 39 per cent of travellers.

Even if British tourists do not encounter a disaster they are still difficult to please with less than half (44 per cent) feeling their holiday was better than expected and 13 per cent left disappointed by their annual break.
The biggest irritant is also the biggest disaster, delayed or cancelled flights top the list followed by fellow British holidaymakers, whilst local touts and over inflated prices are also berated. At the other end of the scale we are obviously becoming more sophisticated as only one per cent of holidaymakers moaned about the food.

Top 10 most common holiday disasters
Flight delayed/ cancelled 55%
Sunburn / sunstroke 39%
Fallen ill 19%
Food poisoning 18%
Lost luggage 15%
Victim of a theft 14%
Fallen out with travel companions 10%
Severe weather conditions 7%
Lost money 6%
Hotel / flight overbooked 6%

Top 10 biggest holiday irritants
Delayed flights 46%
Brits abroad 39%
Touts 28%
Overcharging 24%
Packing / unpacking 21%
Luggage reclaim 19%
Transfers 18%
Bad weather 17%
Tour reps 9%
Language 7%

Mark Till, marketing director for Barclays Insurance, said: "For most of us being stuck at an airport suffering from sunburn, whilst watching an empty luggage carousel with hundreds of other British holidaymakers is a vision of hell that we could all do without. But although travel insurance won’t help you with irritants like other British holidaymakers, it can help with the bigger disasters like cancelled flights, getting ill or lost luggage."
Barclays are currently offering an automatic upgrade to annual travel insurance for anyone taking out a policy for 14 days or more, providing 52 weeks of cover for the price of two weeks. For more information on Barclays travel insurance and other products, go to Barclays Insurance

Contact Barclays:
Barclays Insurance
Elizabeth Holloway
0207 116 6229
Elizabeth.holloway@barclays.com