So many Dutch people are annoyed by their compatriots on holiday (and why)

You think you are calmly plopping down on a sunny terrace somewhere on the Spanish coast, and suddenly there are Dutch people sitting next to you who complain loudly about the weather. If you find that extremely annoying, you are not the only one. 69 percent of Dutch people are annoyed by the behavior of their compatriots on vacation.

This is evident from research by CheapTickets.nl among 1,042 Dutch adults, conducted by Panelwizard.

Young people in particular appear to be averse to their holidaying compatriots (78 percent). Among the rest of the respondents, this is 69 percent. It often does not stop at an annoyance here and there. For example, 36 percent state that other Dutch people have sometimes had a negative influence on their travel experience. Almost four in ten respondents therefore say that they do everything they can to avoid their compatriots as much as possible on holiday.

"Blah-dabbling groups of friends, elderly couples with passports and maps in their bum bags or that one neighbour who constantly stops by for a chat. You can often spot the typical Dutch on holiday from miles away", says Mira van Houwelingen, Chief Marketing Officer at CheapTickets.nl. Our choice of clothing betrays us , as was said earlier. The Dutch, practical as we are, don't shy away from zip-off trousers.

Van Houwelingen continues: "Many people go on holiday to get away from it all. The last thing you want is to still feel like you're at home. But maybe we find our compatriots so annoying because we recognise ourselves in them."

“Often noisy and a bit antisocial,” is how one respondent describes the behavior of Dutch vacationers. Another is bothered by the unwillingness to adapt to local culture, customs and habits. Yet another is surprised by the often poor level of English and the endless complaining about the weather and prices.

As many as one in five respondents are even prepared to pay more money for a holiday, if they are guaranteed that the entire trip will remain ' fellow countryman free' . In Germany, Spain and France, the chance of running into fellow countrymen is very high. These are the most popular holiday destinations among the Dutch . And these are not .

The research shows that more than half of the respondents try to behave as 'locally' as possible on holiday. Think of speaking the local language, going along with sleeping and eating rhythms and copying other things as much as possible from the locals. Men (57 percent) feel more part of the country of destination than women (50 percent).

Van Houwelingen believes that you get more out of your holiday if you immerse yourself in the local culture. “Have a chat with the locals, drink a cappuccino alone in the morning and join the siesta. Whatever you do, try not to keep the same routine as in the Netherlands. As a well-known English saying goes: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. ”