More than half of men have absolutely no say in where they go on holiday, it has been revealed. A study of 2,000 adults has shown that women take the lead on all aspects of holiday planning, from choosing the destination, to shopping for clothes and booking the transport.
In fact, the only things men are responsible for are getting the family to the airport, carrying the luggage once there and driving abroad.
43% of women even insist on carrying all the passports when travelling, fearing their other half can’t be trusted to have his own.
Victoria Sanders, managing director of Teletext Holidays, which commissioned the research said:
“This research clearly shows that women have a tight hold of the reins when it comes to organising holidays for the family.
“It would appear that women are generally more organised when it comes to going away, and invest time researching the ideal holiday destinations, planning what to do when they get there and making sure everything is planned in the finest detail.
“Men on the other hand seem to be more relaxed and spontaneous creatures; happy to simply turn up at the planned destination when told, and assuming responsibility of the few jobs they’re allowed to do when needed.
“It isn’t the case that men are incapable of planning holidays, but more that they are happy to hand over the reins to their partners and reap the rewards later on.”
The poll shows that 52% of women prefer to take charge of the holiday money, exchanging British pounds for local currency and saving up in advance.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, women largely assume responsibility of all the pre-holiday shopping too – and as such spend an astonishing £243.08 in the process; the equivalent of a quarter of the overall holiday cost spent on items such as sun tan lotions, clothes, swimwear, books and accessories.
As a result, 14% of ladies have been accused of spending too much on a holiday before even departing.
As well as choosing where to visit, women are definitely more likely to take control of other aspects of the holiday:
- Women will take the lead when it comes to booking flights and arranging travel upon arriving;
- 22% of ladies claim they have to do all the talking abroad, whilst their other half struggles with the local language;
- Over 10% of women, after taking charge or packing, claim their partner has gone mad when he realised just how much has been squeezed into the suitcase.
Four in 10 women always take control of making sure things are looked after at home too – feeding the cats, making sure bills are paid and having the plants watered are all roles some women lay a claim to.
BREAKDOWN OF HOLIDAY RESPONSIBILITIES
WOMEN
Choosing the holiday destination
Holiday money
Booking the flights
Packing the bags
Shopping for new holiday clothes
Shopping for toiletries and sun tan lotions
Making sure things at home are looked after
Creating an itinerary for the holiday
Booking transport for the holiday
Carrying the passports
Speaking to foreign people
MEN
Sorting out transport to the airport
Carrying the holiday luggage
Driving abroad
Navigating abroad
