Holiday hagglers save £3.5 billion abroad annually

Whether we’re buying straw donkeys or sombreros, electrical goods or fridge magnets, we’re a nation of holiday haggling pros according to new research from AA Insurance.

Brits save £3.5 billion annually by bartering with the locals abroad, holidaymakers saving an average of 23 per cent during each haggling exchange.

Almost three quarters (60 per cent) of Brits say they haggle on holiday, with four in ten (41 per cent) saying it’s an essential part of the experience and a third (36 per cent) saying they just like getting in the spirit of things. A further 43 per cent haggle abroad as they feel it’s what people expect and almost one in five (17 per cent) say bartering abroad comes naturally to them.

Haggling No-Go Zone

However, when it comes to bringing their haggling skills back home, less than one in five (18 per cent) of Brits claim to regularly barter in the UK. Four in ten (40 per cent) feel it’s embarrassing and not the ‘done thing’ and 23 per cent say they would only haggle if other people did.

To encourage more Brits to get a better deal when booking their holiday as well as when they get to their destination, AA Insurance has teamed up with travel aficionado Craig Doyle to produce a guide to ‘Getting a Better Deal Abroad’.

It covers everything from getting a better deal at the online travel agent to honing haggling skills and is available to download at gettingabetterdeal.com.

Haggling Hot Spots

Whether it’s Boqueria Market in Barcelona or Marche aux Puces in Paris, Europe (39 per cent) is the number one bargain hunting hotspot. Second in the league is Africa (31 per cent), followed by South East Asia (17 per cent).

Haggling League – Places Brits Are Most Likely to Haggle

1. Europe
2. Africa
3. South East Asia
4. North America
5. South America
6. Australasia

Bartering Bargain Hunters

Men are the most likely to bag a bargain (68 per cent), compared to 53 per cent of women. Age brings out bartering tendencies with those over 55 the most generation to try and get a better deal (63 per cent).

City slickers in London are the most likely to haggle abroad (65 per cent), compared with just 55 per cent of Midlanders and the Welsh.

Christian Young, director of AA Travel Insurance says: “It’s great we’re saving so much each year by haggling on our holidays – it shows Brits have got what it takes to bag a bargain and get the best deal possible. But when it comes to bartering back home, our stiff upper lip gets in the way.

“We’ve teamed up with travel expert Craig Doyle and used the expertise of The AA Team who are dedicated to getting a better deal for people on their insurance, to produce a guide that offers top tips on booking the holiday back in the UK as well as haggling in local foreign markets.”

Top Haggling Tips:

Remember haggling is a game and is meant to be fun

Don’t be rude or lose your temper or you turn the haggle into an argument

Be reasonable – the vendor needs to make some profit

Make sure it is appropriate to haggle or you will only end up looking cheap. Flea markets are okay; the grocery store is unlikely to be

Try and research the price of the item you are going to haggle on beforehand by looking in other local shops or online if practical

Point out any imperfections before you start as this will help you get a better price

Useful Haggling Phrases:

“That’s far too much?”

“I can’t afford that.”

“I’ll give you half.”

“You must be joking!”

”Oh no, that’s the tourist rate, what is the real price?”

“No thank you, it’s too expensive.”

“I’ll think about it and come back later.”

“How much for cash?”