'Embracing culture' can cut holiday costs

06.02.2009
Britons may cut their cost of a trip abroad by embracing local culture, it has been claimed.

Cordy Griffiths, public relations manager for Hotels.com, suggested vacationers may be able to learn how to haggle effectively by paying attention to their surroundings while on a getaway break.

He commented that in many ferry destinations, bartering is part and parcel of the experience, with local markets often offering items for double their actual value, expecting tourists to try to knock them down to a cheaper price.

Mr Griffiths told: "There is a cultural aspect, understanding the local norms and working out what is acceptable and what"s not."

He went on to say a trip abroad is the perfect chance to fine-tune haggling techniques, with the face-to-face connection with a market trader needed to help gauge how well the bartering is progressing.

Britons save £1.7 billion each year by refusing to pay the first quoted price for items while on holiday, according to research from Hotels.com.

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