‘Sunbed Wars’: A Holiday Nuisance and Its Impact on Holiday Satisfaction

The clichéd German-British competition on securing the best sunbeds in holiday resorts has been the inspiration for anecdotes and even advertisements in the tourism sector. Although, this holiday nuisance may appear insignificant, it reflects a form of guest-driven misconduct. Early in the morning, before breakfast, tourists begin ‘reserving’ sunbeds with their towels as to ensure, for them and their families, the most favourable places in the sun for the whole day. This frequently results to frustration, verbal conflicts and even physical violence against other holiday-makers, who were not as ‘proactive’ enough to make their own ‘reservations’. Often, hoteliers’ attempts to regulate the allocation and usage of sunbeds are ignored, resulting to sunbed shortages and corresponding complaints. Such attempts to solve the problem, are regulatory or systemic in nature, yet they often fail to deliver the expected results. In turn, this implies that the behavioural drivers and perceptions need to be better-understood. This study aims to examine the factors influencing the sunbed-reservation phenomenon at a micro-level (i.e. Individual perception/behaviour). Furthermore, it should provide an understanding and potential recommendations on how to manage sunbed capacities more effectively within hotels, cruises, beaches, ultimately leading to improve guest satisfaction.