Germans hogging the sunloungers? Poll finds Italians and French are worse
British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellas
Germans are sunlounger hoggers, or so the longstanding stereotype goes. But not only is that cultural trope mostly confined to British – and, even more so, German – perceptions, surprising new data reveals that in fact Italian and French holidaymakers are the ones most likely to use their towel to stake their claim to a sunlounger.
A poll by YouGov of Europeans holidaymakers found that while many Germans (51%) and Britons (46%) associate Germans with the ritual of waking up at the crack of dawn to mark their spot, the perception barely exists elsewhere in Europe, with just 5-17% of those surveyed in other countries sharing the stereotype.
Source: Theguardian.com
Original source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/sunlounger-hoggers-poll-germans-italians-french-british
