International Relations: Triposo Survey Proves Travelers Get Risky and Rude Abroad

BERLIN--(Marketwired - May 2, 2013) - Travel can be a great excuse to get out of your comfort zone -- and maybe even get a little crazy. Travel app Triposo recently conducted an anonymous survey asking travelers about their travel behavior and that of others, polling them on everything from travel pet peeves to the adventures they stumble upon while abroad.

More than 700 respondents from 62 countries took the survey, which found that foreign hook-ups, drunken escapades and five-finger discounts are rampant among travelers.

"For a lot of people, travel is a great excuse to let loose and get adventurous," said Richard Osinga, COO and founder of Triposo. "Most of the time, we think that's a great thing. It means people are more open to new cultures, exotic foods and all kinds of exciting experiences. We were a bit surprised to find that sometimes people take their travel adventurousness a little too far. But as long as you're staying safe and not hurting others, we say go for it! What's travel for, if not to get out there and live a little?"

The results of Triposo's survey show that, while travelers don't necessarily include hooking up (2 percent) or drinking (6 percent) on their travel to-do list while abroad, they certainly do partake! In fact, about 70 percent admitted to foreign fraternization of some kind, including one-in-four who admitted to a having a one-night stand while traveling abroad. Check out the results in detail below:

Social (Mis)behavior
No room? No problem! Seventeen percent of respondents admitted to hooking up in a public place while abroad. Others indicated that body language was sufficient for intercultural communication, with 16 percent admitting to a hook-up with someone who did not speak their language. Overall, 70 percent of respondents admitted to some sort of fraternization while abroad. Here are our key findings:

• 25 percent admit to a one-night stand while abroad.
• 6 percent admitted to cheating on a significant other while abroad. (Men were twice as likely to cheat.)
• 5 percent broke up with a significant other while abroad.
• 6 percent admitted to soliciting sex while abroad. (All of these respondents were men.)

Drunken Behavior
60 percent of our respondents admitted to partaking in some sort of adventure that was fueled by alcohol. Unfortunately not all of these adventures had a happy ending, as 11 percent admitted that drinking led to hurting themselves or someone else. Others reported drinking led to some unsavory public behavior:

• 20 percent admitted to urinating in public while abroad.
• 10 percent admitted to vomiting in public while abroad.
• 5 percent say drinking abroad led to naked escapades in public.

Just Plain Bad Behavior
Some respondents told us about illegal or questionable behavior abroad, including more than 20 percent who admitted to stealing while in a foreign country, even if it was just a hotel towel. Other findings include:

• 15 percent admitted to buying or selling drugs while abroad.
• Almost 14 percent admitted to some form of trespassing while abroad.
• 6 percent admitted to smuggling contraband while abroad.
• Less than 2 percent report being arrested while abroad, though more than 10 percent reported being held at the border.

About Triposo
Built by and for travelers, Triposo is a living, breathing travel guide. Triposo delivers in-depth information and detailed maps for more than 15,000 destinations and 400,000 points of interest in every country in the world. Triposo considers information such as location, time, personal preferences and weather to help you discover the world and get the most out of your travels. Available on iPads and smartphones, Triposo has been downloaded more than three million times. Triposo's investors include InterWest Partners, CrunchFund, Chris Sacca and Lars Rasmussen. Pack light. All you need is Triposo.