A recent study, published by UK-based International Currency Exchange (November 2013), found that 40% of British travellers admitted they found tipping awkward and almost one in three confessed they did not know how much to tip in a destination. In order to help UK travellers understand the different rules when tipping abroad, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has compiled a comprehensive guide highlighting the relevant local customs. This is available in the Know Before You Go section of the website at www.aph.com/tipping.

The research compares the rules and etiquette of tipping across 28 destinations, including Australia, France, Japan, Mauritius and USA, highlighting the local customs when tipping in hotels, restaurants, bars and taxis.

Surprisingly, only 12 of the 28 countries featured in the research were found to expect tipping from customers. However some countries impose a mandatory service charge to bills, with Dubai including a 10% charge and France a 15% charge. Other countries such as USA and Canada calculate tips as a percentage of the total bill before tax, ranging from 10% for satisfactory service and 25% for outstanding service.

However travellers should be aware that tipping is not expected in certain countries and can even be considered impolite. For example, most establishments in China impose a strict 'no-tipping' policy as certain quarters consider a tip to imply their work is undervalued by the employer. The exception to this rule however, is when tipping a guide on a group tour which is usually expected to be around 12.11CNY (£1.22).

Tipping is also generally not accepted in restaurants and hotels in Japan, except for when staying in a Ryokan (a traditional inn) where guests are expected to leave a small tip (around 1000JPY / £5) in an envelope before leaving.

With regards to tipping in hotels, this was found to vary greatly. Hotel employees working in Australia do not expect to be tipped, whereas it is customary for guests to tip hotel staff in all other countries apart from Asia. The amount of tip is also dependent on the service being provided, with tips ranging from 10.00HRK (£1.09) to 20.00HRK (£2.18) for hotel porters in Croatia, whereas concierge can expect to receive between 15.00HRK (£1.63) to 25.00HRK (£2.72). Concierge staff in Germany and France, however, will expect between €8.00 (£6.60) to €20.00 (£16.63) dependent on the level of service and hotel.

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK's award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a third year running at British Travel Awards 2012. This year APH also celebrates its 33rd year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)

Visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

Media Enquiries

Sarah Salord / Jessica Meins / Alice Walker / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk