Irish admit a fling is key part of holiday

WHETHER it’s the heady mix of sun, sea, sand and sangria – or simply the thrill of a no-strings affair – Irish holidaymakers have admitted a fling is an essential part of the perfect getaway.

According to a survey from Hotels.com, almost 60% of lucky-in-love Irish professed they had fallen for another whilst in a foreign land.

When it came to being open about their relationship status back at home, the Irish were not generous with the truth as one in 10 admitted to lying to their new-found love interest in order to make a romance more likely.

For many, the romance was not just a two-week fling, however, with more than 40% loved-up holidaymakers attempting to keep the flame burning once they returned home.

But holiday romances rarely last, and the research revealed that the majority of Irish who embark on a courtship believe it is as a result of a “moment in time” and holiday circumstances rather than actual romance. Only 7% of those surveyed claimed the love had lasted, with a third saying it had slowly petered out (33%).

One in five holiday couples called time on their foreign romance before they embarked on their homeward-bound journey, believing that a holiday fling should not outlast the holiday.

Communications director for Hotels.com, Alison Couper, maintains that while the research shows that love often blossoms when people are on holiday away from their daily routine, old stereotypes seem to be holding up.

Irish and Brits are the most reserved about relationships on holiday whereas Italians really set pulses racing.

The survey polled holiday-goers from eight European countries, and the results showed Italians to be Europe’s most romantic nation, with more than three quarters admitting to a holiday romance, followed by a similar number of Spanish holidaymakers (76%) who keep an eye out for romantic opportunities when abroad.