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Germans hogging the sunloungers? Poll finds Italians and French are worse
British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellas
TL;DR
- A stereotype of Germans reserving sunloungers is common among Germans and Britons but not widely shared by other Europeans.
- A YouGov poll found that 38% of German holidaymakers reserve loungers, compared to 45% of Italians and French.
- Britons were the least likely to admit to reserving loungers, at 33%.
- A majority of surveyed Europeans (60-82%) find the practice of reserving loungers unacceptable.
- Despite this, 51-63% reported being unable to find an available sunlounger, and 14-28% admitted to removing someone else's towel.
- In Italy, a trend of 'umbrella cheats' (*furbetti dell’ombrellone*) has emerged, where umbrellas are left overnight to reserve spots on free-access beaches.
- Italian coastal authorities are actively targeting these 'umbrella cheats', with recent seizures of reserved items and fines up to €500.
- The practice is partly attributed to a reluctance to transport equipment back and forth from accommodations.