Brits being ripped off due to lack of lingo

Unscrupulous foreign travel operators are targeting British travellers and over-charging them for poor services because of their lack of language skills.

Three quarters of British tourists believe they miss out on interesting places and better deals because they only speak English, according to a survey by translation software company Translution.

Many say that multi-lingual tourists on the other hand find it ‘easy to get off the tourist trail,’ ‘get a better deal’ and are ‘able to find new and interesting places not normally available to tourists’.

Almost half of those surveyed say that British travellers are preyed upon by tourist companies and accept that getting ripped off is part of the deal, and they can do nothing about it

Ted Marshall, managing director of Translution, said: “There is an overwhelming perception amongst the survey respondents that many websites and tourist operators still reserve their best offers for non-English speakers.”

“Rather than the dodgy few, it is now the norm for tour operators to overcharge English speakers just to be herded along the tourist trails, while other tourists are free to enjoy hidden pleasures at a better price.”

And although people are losing money, they are equally embarrassed and made to feel uncomfortable about their inability to speak another language.

Half the regular travellers surveyed ordered something they didn’t want or couldn’t eat in a foreign restaurant because they couldn’t understand the menu.

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty