Say ‘hola’ to a bit of culture
Forget what you have been told about the typical British traveller; we are all becoming culture vultures keen to sample foreign food and try out the local lingo – allegedly.
According to a survey by the holiday firm Thomson, seven out of 10 British travellers claim to speak to the locals in the local language, and as a nation of travellers we are also taking more of an interest in local traditions and cultures that we did in days gone by.
A summary of the survey in the Daily Express says the most common words used are “hola”, “por favor” and “gracias” in Spanish, and “bonjour” and “au revoir” in French.
A spokesman said: “We are not saying that seven in 10 people are fluent in the languages but these days people do try to use some local words when ordering meals and drinks. It can make all the difference to our image abroad.”
Thomson also says we are becoming more and more keen to visit local cultural sites when on holiday; the company has introduced 150 “culture trips” over the last three years.
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