C‘And who touches wood before take-off, those who cannot resist the lure of the local supermarkets and those who religiously collect hotel shampoo samples. If, typically, the journey is made up of kilometres, postcards and traditional dishes, it is also made up of small personal gestures which transform every move into an experience dotted with more or less bizarre rituals. This was revealed in a recent survey conducted by eDreams, one of the main European online travel agencies. The investigation took a photograph of the travel habits of Italians and foreigners, revealing a world populated with curious aspects and singular behaviors.
Italians and their little travel rituals
Starting from the beginning of the journey, the aspect of flying by plane had its sequel: fifteen percent of those interviewed, in fact, he admits to taking a moment of reflection before the plane takes off or you land, hoping that everything goes well. Something less they are those who travel with a lucky object: just twelve percent of compatriots do not give up their personal amulet. In short, it must be said that, despite the reputation of superstitious people, Italians turn out to be surprisingly rational when it comes to flying.
Small obsessions in hotels
Having then arrived at your destination, it is when the threshold of the hotel room is crossed that the true personalities emerge. About a third of Italians immediately choose the path of relaxation, flopping into bed as if after a long day at work. Others, however, they turn into meticulous investigators: Almost a quarter of travelers inspect every corner of the room with the attention of a detective in a detective novel. Then there are those who waste no time and immediately take actionunpacking the suitcase and arranging personal effects in the drawers as if he were to move permanently.
The strangest travel habits: a survey reveals what Italians do on holiday (Getty)
The great bathroom product dilemma
But there is another issue that deeply divides Italian travellers: toiletries in the bathrooms. Almost half of those interviewed, forty-four percent, believes that shampoo, conditioner and soaps must be used during the stay. But not everyone thinks this way. Among those who prefer to take them away, the reasons vary: there are those who fear that they will be thrown away after checking out and those who convincingly maintain that they have paid for them and can therefore also use them at home. A small, but significant, percentage of Italians, however, considers the appropriation of these products a sort of “hotel theft” and prefers to leave them in the room.
Early risers by nature
Other area: what time to wake up on holiday. In this regard, Italians demonstrate surprising energy. As many as two thirds of compatriots, sixty-five percent, they set the alarm clock early to immediately immerse themselves in discovering the place. Only a minority choose the path of a slow breakfast and morning relaxation, while just eleven percent allow themselves the luxury of sleeping late.
Shopping at the supermarket is a cultural experience
And once outside the hotel? Favorite destinations reveal an unexpected side of the Italian tourist. Almost half he can’t resist the charm of supermarkets and local marketstransforming daily shopping into a cultural experience. Thirty-nine percent, however, go towards the most unusual museumsfrom those with an erotic theme to exhibitions dedicated to wars, while a similar percentage explore local clothing stores.
Generations compared
Generational differences also paint an interesting picture. Compared to the various curious behaviors seen so far, in fact, while the Generation Zchildren between eighteen and twenty-four years old, emerges as the most superstitiousOn the contrary, those over sixty-five approach the journey with greater pragmatism, leaving superstitions and superstitions at home. Then the young people of Gen Z are the first to wake upas many as eighty percent get up early, but their explorationsInstead, they take different directions: they prefer to try local fast food and visit the most bizarre museums, showing a particular curiosity for clothing shops.
Looking beyond the border
Broadening the horizon, small obsessions and habits also change depending on cultural differences. Americans, for example, beat everyone else when it comes to superstitions: as many as thirty-seven percent “hope” that the plane departs and lands without problemsa much higher percentage than Italians. The Portuguese and British, on the other hand, are faithful to the ritual of boarding with the right foot.
Germans are the ones who sleep the most in the morning
On the morning wake-up call front, a clear division emerges between northern and southern Europe. Mediterranean travellersSpanish in the lead with sixty-seven percent, followed by Italians and Portuguese, they are faithful supporters of the saying “the morning has gold in its mouth”. The British prefer morning relaxation, while Germans like to sleep in late. When they finally leave the hotel, Germans and Britons head en masse towards the local supermarkets, with the former not failing to visit the clothing stores too. Americans and Portuguese, on the other hand, dedicate themselves to fast food gastronomic tours. Competing for the primacy of curiosity for the most original museums are Italians and Spanish, while the French show a notable interest in places linked to “black tourism”that is, destinations associated with tragic or macabre events.
Traveling is also this
Behind every plane ticket and hotel reservation lies, in practice, a world made up of little quirks, personal rituals and daily choices that tell us who we are. And, ultimately, the geography of our oddities says much more than a thousand tourist guides. And perhaps it is precisely this imperfect and contradictory humanity that makes every journey an authentic adventure, where the destination is only half the story.