Irish lust after holiday flings

SURVEY:THE IRISH are a lusty lot on holidays with nearly three-quarters saying that holiday romances are more about lust than love.

Hotels.com’s latest survey of Irish members that use its site found that 76 per cent of Irish people are less inhibited on holidays and 74 per cent say that a holiday romance is all about lust rather than love.

The survey into Irish people’s holiday romance habits reveals that 35 per cent have had a holiday romance and 37 per cent have had more than one in their lifetime.

Those who have a holiday romance tend to have more than one with 30 per cent confessing to more than one amorous engagement in the same holiday.

Despite our reputation for being lobster pink in the sun, the Irish prefer their own kind on holiday. Irish holidaymakers find their fellow countrymen and women the most attractive at 18 per cent, followed by the Italians and the Scots at 16 per cent and then the Swedes at 12 per cent.

The Scottish accent came out tops with 26 per cent of people surveyed saying it was their favourite accent to hear on holiday. French and Italian accents were each favoured by 16 per cent and 14 per cent said that an English accent sent their hearts aflutter.

Dubliners are regarded as the most attractive people in Ireland by 53 per cent of respondents. Favoured by 21 per cent of those surveyed, the Dublin accent was the favourite accent Irish people like to hear abroad. It was followed by Donegal and Cork accents.

Almost half of Irish people said that they would be open to keeping in touch with their holiday flames after returning home. But 26 per cent were not so optimistic and expected the romance to last only as long as the holiday.

A similar survey last year found holiday romances tended not to last with just 3 per cent ending in marriage.