Three Quarters of Holidaymakers Eat Branded Fast Food Abroad

July 6, 2011 - PRLog -- As part of ongoing research into the holiday habits of Britons, an independent cruise comparison website, http://www.CruiseCompare.co.uk, conducted a study of 1,251 holidaymakers, in a bid to investigate the eating habits Britons adopt when on holiday abroad.

The study, conducted by http://www.CruiseCompare.co.uk , initially asked respondents if they change their eating habits (for example, eat at different times and eat different foods) when on holiday, compared to in their everyday life back home, to which the majority, 82%, answered ‘yes.’

When asked to explain the change in eating habits further, more than two thirds, 67%, admitted to eating more ‘unhealthy’ foods when on holiday compared to in their everyday life; of which 54% said they did so as a ‘treat.’

According to the poll by http://www.CruiseCompare.co.uk, three quarters, 74%, of the respondents had eaten from a fast food restaurant that could be found in the UK when abroad on holiday and a further two fifths, 41%, purchased hot beverages from a branded cafe that could also be found back home.  

Furthermore, 36% of the respondents to the study would welcome well known fast food restaurants that can be found in the UK on the grounds of their hotel complex. Similarly, 14% of the respondents who had experienced a cruising holiday would welcome a well known fast food restaurant onboard the cruise liner they travelled on.

The respondents who admitted to eating food from a well known restaurant chain when abroad on holiday were asked to select all that applied from a list, to explain why they did so.

According to the results from http://www.CruiseCompare.co.uk, the most common reason for the respondents eating from a well known fast food restaurant that could be found in the UK when abroad was because of ‘familiar taste,’ with 69% admitting this was why they did so.

A further 49% of the respondents who ate from a well known fast food restaurant when abroad said they did so out of ‘convenience,’ whilst 41% claimed they ate fast food to ‘see if the food tasted the same’ as it did in the same brand of restaurant in the UK.

More than a fifth, 21%, of the respondents who ate from a branded fast food restaurant when abroad said they did so, as the food was ‘cheaper’ than the local restaurants.

Danielle Fear, Managing Director of http://www.CruiseCompare.co.uk, commented on the findings:

“I can understand how home comforts can be appealing when abroad and it can be tempting to have treats like fast food whilst on holiday. However, surely people find trying new foods from different countries and cultures more of a treat? Perhaps a compromise could be treating yourself to a familiar meal from a fast food restaurant in the UK before you venture abroad for your holiday.”

She continued,

“It was surprising to see that cruisers would like to see branded fast food chains onboard, as cruises are well known for their exotic tastes and desire to try new cuisines. All inclusive holidays are a great start as the food and drink is included in the price; that way, without being overly wasteful, holidaymakers can try all different foods without having to spend large amounts of money."

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For more information, please contact Charlotte Horsfall, 10 Yetis PR Agency on 01452 348 211 or Charlotte@10yetis.co.uk  

EDITORS NOTES

•         CruiseCompare.co.uk is the UK's largest cruise comparison website, comparing more than 10,000 cruise holidays on more than 200 cruise liners.

•   CruiseCompare.co.uk has partnered with leading agents so offer cruises from the leading brands including P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, C elebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).