A YouGov vacationer barometer demonstrates that the long-standing stereotype of the "German sunbed reserver" is outdated. According to a recent survey, surprisingly, French and Italian travelers are the most likely to reserve sun loungers in Europe – and they do so with a towel. This is shown by an analysis based on YouGov data presented in "The Guardian." Only 38 percent of German respondents confirmed they had ever "reserved" a sunbed with a towel, compared to 45 percent of Italians and French. Brits are at the lower end with 33 percent.theguardian.comI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that.

Although this behavior is by no means primarily attributed to the Germans, the corresponding stereotype persists stubbornly. In Germany itself, 51 percent of the respondents considered the cliché to be accurate, while in Britain, 46 percent said the same. In the other European countries, the attribution was hardly mentioned – only between five and seventeen percent of the respondents associated reserving towels with Germans.theguardian.comPlease provide the text you would like to have translated from German to English.

Looking at acceptance and everyday annoyances, the survey presents a mixed picture: depending on the country, 60 to 82 percent consider reserving with towels unacceptable. Despite this clear disapproval, between 51 and 63 percent of all vacationers reported that they have not found a free sunbed at some point because they were all occupied. Additionally, 14 to 28 percent indicated that they have removed someone else's towel to secure a spot for themselves.theguardian.comPlease provide the text that you would like me to translate from German to English.

Between Stereotype and Reality: A Traveler's Perspective Beyond the Horizon

What connects beach and hotel guests in Italy, France, and Germany? What they all have in common is that securing a sunbed with a towel is not only a routine in many places but also an expression of an unspoken struggle for relaxed vacation comfort. Whether at the pool of a family resort in Sardinia or on a shady club beach on the Côte d'Azur – the early morning "towel photo" has become a routine.

For German vacationers, this finding evokes a paradoxical feeling in comparison to other European countries. On the one hand, the cliché of the sunbed reserver is consciously or unconsciously brought into the spotlight. On the other hand, the actual practices show less tendency to reserve than in countries like Italy or France. German-speaking travel designers and hotels could benefit from this realization – by communicating clear rules early on or implementing flexible sunbed allocation systems to defuse conflicts.

For LGBTIQ+ travelers, this development generally does not play a specific role – the survey context is gender- or orientation-neutral. Nevertheless, a transparent approach to sleeping rights, especially in inclusive resorts, can contribute to greater relaxation and fairness.

The next step is already evident in the practice of many hotels: An increasing number of establishments are implementing rules that limit reserving loungers with towels to specific times - for example, no reserving before 9 a.m. or automatically removing unused towels after 30 minutes. Whether these measures will become the new European travel etiquette remains to be seen – in hotels and on beaches, the reserving of loungers will likely continue tomorrow.