---
title: British Travellers Are Dropping Destinations They Cannot Pronounce, Mostly for Fear of Sounding Rude
description: Nearly a third of British adults have dropped a destination because they were unsure how to say its name, and sounding rude is the main worry.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-08-09T08:00:00.000Z
updated: 2026-08-09T08:38:59.540Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/britons-skip-destinations-they-cannot-pronounce
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-a-breathtaking-aerial-view-of-reykjavik-cityscape-in-winter--6730779.jpg
categories: Smart Travel
content_type: News
region: United Kingdom
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
access: members
schema_type: Article
---

Three in ten British adults have decided against a destination because they were not sure how to say its name. Research commissioned by the booking platform Omio also finds that 22% are less likely to visit somewhere they cannot pronounce. Asked why, 30% point to the worry of sounding rude, 26% to plain embarrassment and 17% to the fear of being judged for getting it wrong.

British travellers also keep quieter about the places they cannot say. Some 26% are less likely to mention such a destination to friends and family, so the harder names collect less word of mouth, and one in five stick to the destinations they can already pronounce.

## More Than Half of American Travellers Have Abandoned a Booking Over a Name

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