“Eight per cent of Brits we surveyed said they had had a holiday spoiled by an awkward tipping situation: we can only speculate as to what happened, but it really stresses the need to make sure you do your homework, and avoid embarrassing yourself or the people serving you.”

Ms O'Boyle said that the countries whose tipping customs Britons were most confused by were the US, where a generous tip is often expected by staff, and Japan, where tipping rules vary. "In the US, tips often represent a significant part of staff's income, so you have to tip everywhere - be it in a bar, a taxi or a hotel. In Japan, there is no one-size-fits-all rule for tipping: its appropriateness depends on where you are, the company you’re in, and who your host is. So it's not just what you tip, but who you tip, that travellers need to think about.”

The survey also found that the size of tips had dwindled since the beginning of the economic crisis, with one third (35 per cent) of Britons saying they were now tipping less. Spanish travellers seem to have been the most hard-hit by the crisis, with 65 per cent admitting they have reduced the amount they usually tip.