20 March 2009

Aroused elephant tops list of bizarre holiday grievances

LONDON - Concerns about the sand being too white, anger at too many fish being in the sea and feelings of inadequacy after seeing an aroused elephant were among the most bizarre complaints made by British holidaymakers.

Using research by The Association for British Travel Agents (ABTA) and Thomas Cook, Telegraph Travel has compiled a list of the 20 most ridiculous complaints received by tour operators in recent years.

One envious holidaymaker complained that his friendÃ¢â¬â¢s three-bedroom apartment was Ã¢â¬Åâœclearly biggerÃ¢â¬~ than his one-bedroom place, while others could not hide their frustration that it took them nine hours to fly back to England from Jamaica when it only took the American travellers a mere three hours to get home.

One Briton complained that the Ã&#pound;3.50 pair of Ray Ban sunglasses bought from a street vendor, proved to be fake, another that his travel agent had failed to tell him to wear swimming trunks for his trip to a water park, while another tour operator was criticised for not telling a traveller that mosquitos could, in fact, bite.

Among the more jingoistic grievances were that there were too many Spanish people in Spain and too much curry served in restaurants in India.

A spokeswoman for ABTA said that it had witnessed a rise in complaints in recent years Ã¢â¬' in 2008 more than 22,000 people made complaints to ABTA-recognised operators, up from 19,552 complaints in 2007.

A spokesman for the Air Transport Users Council, the air passenger watchdog, said that the number of complaints it has received in the first three months of 2009 were up by more than 10 per cent on the same period last year.

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Your Comments (5)

adding a story!

I have been asked where were the pot-bellied undernourished children (as she saw on TV on programmes about Africa) in the village in Ghana where this NY based executive was volunteering.. she had come to help them, it seems!

By Raj Gyawali, Tuesday, March 24, 2009
train windows

Ken, hope you sold the lady seats on the side of the train facing America.

By Mere Observer, Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Leave your brains behind...

Upon inquiring why two guests had not arrived at our resort I found out that they were waiting for the bus. Our resort was on another island 45 minutes flying time away. Asked by an adult guest: "Where does the tide go when it leaves this beach?"...I responded: "If you walk to the other side of the island (500 meters) you will find it, its high tide there" The guests proceeded across the island to see the high tide. Now operate a Book On Line site, Guest: "I don't see why I have to secure my booking with a deposit? I prefer to book rooms in different hotels and decide when I get there which one I want to stay in"

By john nicholls, Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tourist Should Be Required to Pass Exam

I've been a retail travel agent for 18 years. There are times when I feel that prospective tourists should be required to pass an exam before being permitted leave to visit foreign lands. Heck, some shouldn't be allowed to ever leave their home towns, so ignorant are they of the wider world. The number of ridiculous complaints and law suits would quickly diminish.

By Rick Hurlbut, Monday, March 23, 2009
Add Idiot questions

I had a lady come into our Kawana agency (Qld Sunshine Coast)when we owned it, and asked me if Canadian trains had large windows.... She said she didn't want to go to America but with big windows on the Canadian train she could see across to the big American cities as the train went up and over the Canadian mountains !!

By Ken COULTER, Friday, March 20, 2009