A reason why foreign countries may be reluctant to allow visa-free travel for South Africans is that they’re shady travellers, at least that’s according to a recent Travelstart survey.
The study, which aimed to reveal “the dark side of the South African traveller”, found that 17% of local citizens have smuggled narcotics abroad while a further 24% have lied to a customs official. Over 10 000 business and leisure travellers were surveyed.
Other, less serious offences South African travellers are guilty of are:
Stealing from hotel rooms – 18%
Disobeying ‘No Photos Allowed’ signs at popular tourist sites – 33%
Alcohol was a major factor in fuelling disorderly behaviour, with 9% of survey respondents admitting they’ve been too drunk to find their way back to their hotel, 5% admitting to urinating in public, and a further 17% sleeping with a stranger abroad. Some 3% of participants admitted to being thrown out of their accommodation for disorderly conduct.
The Travelstart survey also revealed the item a South African was most likely to smuggle overseas – more than 80% of the respondents have tried to sneak biltong into their destination.
