Whilst holidays abroad are supposed to offer people an escape from the stresses of everyday life, 78% of Scots say they experience stressful pressure points on their family holidays (above the UK average of 71%).
New research from InsureandGo uncovered the key things that are most likely to spark tension and arguments for Scottish holidaymakers. Many Scots admitted to stress and domestic arguments before their plane had even taken off – 19% saying that packing was frequently a cause of family arguments and 32% saying flight delays often caused unnecessary stress.
Also appearing on the holiday stress-list for Scots were; poor weather (29%), rude staff at resort (22%), and the rising cost of buying things abroad (22%). For those on driving holidays, map-reading often caused rows – and 3% of Scots said their partner flirting on holiday also caused family arguments.
Adding to holiday stress levels, the InsureandGo research suggests that Scottish holiday makers also showed signs of being addicted to their mobile phones abroad. Only 14% of respondents said they could stay off their phone for the length of their holiday. In contrast, 7% of Scots said they checked their mobile at least hourly on holiday, with 21% checking their mobile device daily, every few hours.
In terms of what people do on their phones when abroad on holiday, many Scots may be connecting with the people they are not on holiday with. Across Scotland, 46% of survey respondents said they messaged their friends at home, whilst 39% checked their social media feeds daily. In addition, 32% of Scots said they used their phone on holiday to check their finances whilst 19% wanted to stay close the latest sports news and results at home.
Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo commented:
“Whilst eight in 10 Scots told us the role of a holiday was to get away from the everyday stresses of life at home, our survey suggests many struggle to unwind when they get away – and many find packing and getting on the plane a cause of stress in itself. At InsureandGo we recognise that holidays are more than just a break from the routine – they should be an opportunity to reset and reconnect. And part of stress-free holidays is having good travel cover in place. At InsureandGo our aim is to make this easy, so nothing gets in the way of a much-needed mental switch-off on holiday.”
To discover more about InsureandGo visit: InsureandGo.com
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