HOW TO SPOT A BRIT ABROAD: BREAKFAST BEERS, FRY UPS, SPEAKING ENGLISH AND SUNBURN

• One in ten Brits (11%) refuse to try to learn the native language of the country they are visiting
• Three in five (59%) feel embarrassed when they spot another Brit on holiday making a fool of themself
• Expecting everyone to speak English is the most common holiday faux pas Brits make (74%)
• A huge four in five (78%) Brits use their phone abroad as a language guide
• O2 Priority has teamed up with Duolingo - the world’s No.1 language app - to help Brits stop making language faux pas on their travels with an exclusive three-month free trial of Duolingo Plus!

Branded a nation who mind their Ps and Qs, Brits are renowned for their love of queuing and politeness – but according to a new report, 90% think that Brits have bad holiday habits. The research^[1] by Virgin Media O2 and Duolingo comes as an estimated XX Brits are expected to flock abroad this summer for a well-deserved break.

Despite holidays usually being the perfect time to unwind and let your hair down, almost two thirds of those polled (63%) believe that there are plenty of typical “fails” Brits make when on holiday, including drinking beer at breakfast, which nearly a third (32%) think is a no go.

The study revealed the biggest holiday faux pas Brits make, including leaving the hotel room in a mess for staff to clean (45%), playing loud music or talking loudly at the beach or pool (41%) and ordering British food for dinner, like fish and chips, instead of sampling local delicacies (38%) all on the list.

The most common holiday faux pas Brits often make:

1. Expecting everyone to speak English – 74%
2. Getting burnt – 55%
3. Not trying to learn the local language at all – 49%
4. Leaving your hotel room in a mess for staff to clean – 45%
5. Playing loud music or talking loudly at the beach or pool – 41%
6. Ordering British food instead of the local specialities – 38%
7. Bagging sun loungers or spots on the beach with towels – 33%
8. Drinking beer at breakfast – 32%
9. Accidentally insulting a local by saying something rude in their language – 31%
10. Ordering British drinks, instead of alcohol made in the country they are visiting – 26%

Other cringeworthy signs of a Brit abroad include ordering UK made beer or alcohol instead of something made in the country they’re visiting (26%), closely followed by not tipping at a restaurant or bar (25%) as well as ordering a full English for breakfast (18%).

Despite Brits’ bad holiday habits, it appears we have good intentions, with 41% suggesting they always make an effort to learn some of the language of their holiday destination before they go away, and a further 48% stating they do try to learn a few phrases on occasion. Of those inclined to learn the language, the most popular phrases learnt include “hello” (88%), “thank you” (86%) and “please” (78%), with a fifth of Britons (19%) also attempting to learn directions to somewhere and 16% making a note of how to order their favourite drinks and how to say “cheers”. And, it seems convenience is key, with four in five (78%) Brits using their phone abroad as a language guide rather than a book.

Of those who don’t try to learn any phrases before they go abroad, over a quarter (27%) admit they often resort to hand signals to try and communicate on holiday, such as gesturing for the bill or saying thank you by putting their hands together.

Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer, Mobile, at Virgin Media O2 said:

"Holiday season is upon us with XX Brits set to travel overseas this summer for some well-deserved down time. But with life being busier than ever these days, it’s hard to find the time to learn a language. So, we have joined forces with Duolingo to offer our customers a quick and convenient way to brush up on some basics before they go away this year. And as O2 is the only major network to offer EU roaming at no extra cost, our customers can keep on top of their Duolingo streaks while they’re away, without having to worry about their mobile data.”

Virgin Media O2 has teamed up with Duolingo to offer Priority members a free three-month trial of Duolingo Plus on the mobile app, offering Virgin Media and O2 customers a saving of £29.97 so they can brush up on their holiday lingo.

Priority members can choose from a range of languages, including Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, Irish, Turkish and many more. And, as O2 is the only major provider to offer EU roaming at no extra cost, customers can keep connected throughout Europe without the hassle or concern of extra roaming charges.

George Audi, Director of Partnerships at Duolingo said:

"Travel is once again the top motivation for Duolingo learners in the UK, with 24% choosing it as their primary motivation to learn. We’re proud to partner with O2 and help Priority customers make their roaming this summer even more enjoyable by giving them the opportunity to improve their language skills before they travel."

Colin Watkins, UK Country Manager, Duolingo said:

“It’s embarrassing that 1 in 10 Brits refuse to learn a language before they travel. When you look at our data we often see people start learning when they return because they missed out by not knowing the language before they travelled. Don’t be one of those people. All it takes is 10 minutes a day so stop scrolling Insta or TikTok and start learning. I promise you that you will have a much better holiday if you know some of the lingo before you go.”

“We have seen a 60% increase in people learning for travel this June over last June in the UK. Almost one in four learners on Duolingo in the UK are now learning for travel.”

The most popular languages on Duolingo in the U.K. in June 2022 are;

1. Spanish (24% of learners)
2. French (19%)
3. German (8%)
4. Italian (8%)
5. English (6%)
6. Japanese (5%)
7. Welsh (3%)
8. Russian (2%)
9. Portuguese (2%)
10. Korean (2%)

Virgin Media and O2 customers can download the free Priority app on iOS and Android, or O2 customers can text PRIORITY to 2020 to access exclusive perks, rewards and experiences.

- Ends - 

For more information contact the Virgin Media O2 press office:

Email: press@virginmediaO2.co.uk 

Notes to Editors:

• O2 customers can enjoy roaming in Europe Zone at no additional charge, up to 25GB. For more information head to O2’s website.
• Duolingo Plus is currently £9.99 per month for individual monthly plan. Priority members can enjoy three-months free Duolingo Plus via the Priority app.
• The Reward is valid now until 11 September 2022.
• Duolingo Plus features includes:

• Ad-free content
• Unlimited mistakes
• Progress tracking
• Mistakes inbox
• Additional learning features
• For more information please visit the Duolingo Plus information page

About Virgin Media O2

Virgin Media O2 launched on 1 June 2021, combining the UK’s largest and most reliable mobile network with a broadband network offering the fastest widely-available broadband speeds. It is a customer-first organisation that brings a range of connectivity services together in one place with a clear mission: to upgrade the nation. Virgin Media O2 is the corporate brand of the 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA, and one of the UK’s largest businesses.

The company has 47 million UK connections across broadband, mobile, TV and home phone. Its own fixed network currently passes 15.7 million premises alongside a mobile network that covers 99% of the nation’s population with 4G, and more than 450 towns and cities with 5G services targeting 50% population coverage in 2023.

Virgin Media O2 completed its roll out of gigabit broadband speeds across its entire network footprint in 2021 and plans to upgrade its fixed network to full fibre to the premises with completion in 2028. In January 2022, it also announced that it would be the only major mobile network that isn’t bringing back roaming charges in Europe.

Virgin Media O2 is a major investor in the UK. It employs around 17,500 people, has more than 400 retail stores and has committed to invest at least £10 billion over the next five years.  

Integration work is progresses at pace, with Virgin Media and O2 launching a joint product - Volt - less than 5 months from coming together.

Today, the business delivers award-winning broadband and WiFi connectivity to homes as well as providing a connected entertainment service. This brings together live TV, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and a wide-selection of apps to customers through a set-top box and on-the-go through tablets and smartphones.

It also provides 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile services, and is the network of choice for mobile virtual network operators giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Lycamobile, as well as managing a 50:50 joint venture with Tesco for Tesco Mobile.

Virgin Media O2 Business plays a leading role in supporting the public sector and businesses of all sizes. This includes a variety of managed connectivity services and flexible working capabilities, security, data insight, 5G private networks and cloud solutions, as well as wholesale services to other operators and partners.

Awards for Virgin Media and O2’s telecommunications services include recognition by GWS for having the most reliable UK mobile network for three years in a row (2021, 2020, and 2019) and winning the publicly voted Uswitch awards in 2022 as both the Best Network for Roaming and Most Popular Mobile Network. Virgin Media was crowned Fastest Broadband Provider in the Choose Broadband Awards and Best Broadband Provider in the 2021 Trusted Reviews Awards and at the 2021 Mobile Industry Awards O2 claimed two wins - Network of the Year, and Best Online Retailer.

Virgin Media O2 is committed to using the power of connectivity to supercharge communities across the UK, taking action to close the digital divide and helping to build an inclusive, resilient, and low carbon economy. The company has set an ambitious commitment to achieve net zero carbon across its operations, products and supply chain by the end of 2040.

Virgin Media O2 is registered in England and Wales. Registration number: 12580944.  Griffin House, 161 Hammersmith Road, London, United Kingdom, W6 8BS. 

About Duolingo

Duolingo (www.duolingo.com) is the most popular language-learning platform and the most downloaded education app worldwide with over 500 million downloads globally including over 20 million in the U.K. The free app makes learning new languages fun with bite-sized lessons that feel like playing a game. The company's mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Duolingo now offers over 100 free courses across 41 distinct languages, from Spanish, French, German and Japanese to Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Latin.