Germans hogging the sunloungers? A new YouGov poll suggests that Italians and French holidaymakers are actually more likely to reserve sunloungers with towels, challenging the longstanding stereotype. The survey found that while many Germans (51%) and Britons (46%) associate Germans with waking up early to mark their spot, this perception is less common elsewhere in Europe, with only 5-17% of respondents in other countries sharing the stereotype.
According to the poll, only 38% of German holidaymakers admitted to reserving a lounger with a towel, compared to 45% of Italians and French. Britons were the least likely to admit to hogging a lounger (33%). Across all countries surveyed, most people (60-82%) considered the practice unacceptable, yet 51-63% said they had found themselves without a sunlounger because they were all taken, and 14-28% admitted to removing someone else's towel.
In Rome, the Guardian spoke to several Italians, none of whom admitted to the practice, though they could believe the data. Claudia Morani, a teacher, said: "I would never do it but I have seen it happen," adding that during a recent hotel stay, she witnessed fellow Italians leaving towels on loungers overnight to secure them for the next day. She noted that this also happens frequently on free beaches.
In Italy, the phenomenon has even spawned the term "furbetti dell'ombrellone" (umbrella cheats), referring to people who leave umbrellas pitched overnight to reserve prime spots by the sea. This practice is growing on free-access beaches, as Italians increasingly avoid private concessions due to high prices. Coastal authorities have targeted these "umbrella cheats" as part of a national beach safety campaign.
In late July, authorities near Naples seized 40 items, including umbrellas, loungers, and deckchairs, during a dawn sweep of a popular free beach. Similar operations have occurred in Puglia and Sardinia. Offenders face fines of up to €500, and reclaiming confiscated items involves bureaucratic hurdles.
Danilo Ruggiero, an activist with Mare Libero, attributed the habit to people not wanting to carry equipment in the heat and a desire to secure the best spots. In France, Chantal Henry, who lives in Menton, said she sees sunlounger hogging "all the time" at her local beach club, while her friend Virginie Pascual claimed "it is always the Italians." However, a Briton living in France, who wished to remain anonymous, insisted Germans were the biggest culprits, recalling an incident in Mallorca where a German man reserved five loungers with towels at 5:30am.