by I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. My name is Annabel and I am a total alcoholic. I used to drink too much every day but now I’m a mother and I had to stop, with a few exceptions: trips abroad being one of those. So I would be horrified if I were among the tourists in Zanzibar this month whose hotels had run out of booze. Supply shortages on the east African archipelago have left resorts with dwindling reserves of beer and wine – and foreign guests, whose cash accounts for 90 per cent of the island’s GDP, have understandably fallen away. .
One American tourist, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I love Zanzibar and its beaches… the only challenge I feel now is that I can’t get hard drinks. I want to have spirits or even whiskey but there is nothing in the hotel.” Listen, hear.
I remember, in vivid detail, the very few incidents where I was unable to get alcohol while traveling – once on a road trip through the Bible states of North America, where Sunday is prohibited in several counties. ; and another time in Dubai, where it was (at the time) illegal on religious holidays – that should tell you all you need about my unhealthy relationship with him.
Both times, I moved through all stages of grief: denial (there must be some mistake!) anger (it’s a hotel full of tourists, why should we be punished by a God we don’t believe in?) bargaining (it’s possible. ta you make an exception, kind bartender?) and depression (I guess I’ll end the day with a glass of tap water then).
I am far from myself. All you have to do is look across an airport departure lounge at dawn to see you – enjoying one of the only instances, oddly enough, where it’s socially acceptable to drink in public in the morning. If you did that on the Tube, you’d be arrested. But about to catch a flight? Goodbye to that.
A uniquely British quality?
As someone who is half English, half Irish, it is written into my genes to be a lush on holiday, or so the clichés go. The British tourism stereotype, of course, has two distinct and paradoxical aspects. We are a lot of crass, heathen barbarians, or we are very civilized, very polite and too apologetic, depending on whether you are in Magaluf or Mustique – but no matter which camp we are in, we have always been. a drink in our hand. I spoke to some of Telegraph Travel’s overseas writers to get their views.
Languedoc-based Anthony Peregrine notes: “Certainly, France has fewer boozy resorts than, say, Spain or Greece, the kinds of places Brits flock to at happy hour from breakfast onwards. Having said that, mature Brits, those holidaying or living in the south of France, might surprise their French counterparts with their enthusiasm for local wines. Also beer, cognac, calvados and anything else that comes in a bottle. There are few traditions of the French equivalent glass that are not empty.”
From Germany, Andrew Eames considers the following: “Germans, unlike the British, do not usually drink to get drunk. Sure, the older generation is happy to drink beer at any time of the day, but that’s because it’s seen as ‘liquid bread’, a form of nutrition. That’s why you can buy beer at McDonalds in Germany, but no other kind of alcohol.”
The Americans share a contrary reputation with us. “They’re either saints or sinners when it comes to drink,” says Douglas Rogers. “They’re Puritans who don’t drink anything – or they become completely broke.”
And sure enough, according to American travel writer Sara Sherwood, it all comes down to the destination. “Sit in a Mediterranean restaurant in August and you’re more likely to see British tables going over multiple bottles of rosé than you are to see Americans, French or anyone else getting unlimited at lunch,” she says. “But are Americans really drinking less? Or is Europe not a drinking destination for Americans – for that, look for them in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, or Florida for Spring Break. For Americans, Europe is for culture, so you tend to have more well behaved Yanks on a learning mission, but for Brits, European beaches are more economically accessible so they’re more of a playground.”
Generational change?
One observation that emerged with everyone I spoke to was the significant generational change that has occurred over time. “All signs point to a decline in public displays of drunkenness,” says Sherwood. “GenZers in high-income countries around the world have turned away from alcohol since the Covid pandemic.” Eames also says that “the younger German generations are also drinking less and therefore less likely to be seen on the ramp abroad”.
It is the same story in France, says Peregrine: “French consumption is falling rapidly. This is particularly true of wine, as every second television program shows – French health fans are perfectly happy to reach one of our main industries and major earners.” He also adds: “The youth aspects of France is falling prey to the new pain. As a 35-ish winemaker told me recently: ‘Even my friends behave now because a glass of wine with dinner every night is the threshold of alcoholism’.”
Even in the UK, recent studies show that up to a quarter of 16 to 24 year olds are full. Lauren Burnison launched the country’s first sober travel company, We Love Lucid, in 2019, telling Telegraph Travel: “I wanted to share with others the life-changing impact that traveling without alcohol has had on me. Most importantly, I wanted to give people an opportunity to connect with others who have decided to quit or are reassessing their relationship with alcohol.”
I can’t imagine a break without a drink – do I have a problem?
I can’t do moderation when drinking on holiday and home turf (although I pride myself on not behaving like a madman when under the influence), which is why I save the wine with for special occasions and foreign adventures.
Issy Hawkins, an English actress and sobriety campaigner who is 30 years old this year, has gathered millions of TikTok followers for her recovery stories. “I loved holidays when I was a drinker for the sole reason that day drinking extravaganzas were acceptable for normal drinkers, so I wouldn’t do them myself,” she says. “And as far as I was concerned, the sooner the better. Airport drinking at 7am, strawberry daiquiris by the pool at 11am. It was just an excuse not only to drink a lot but to start at the most insidious time possible. And when I saw that I spent most of my waking hours wondering where my next drink was coming from, this was the last chance to go mad.”
Issy was 21 when she underwent treatment for alcohol addiction. “Being sober in your twenties was so unheard of,” she recalls. “I was a complete fish out of water. Now, though? The number of young sober people is increasing. And I think it’s amazing, where everyone used to drink like they used to, that today there are questions about whether alcohol is something they agree with, right from the start.”
As for holidays, “where I would happily sit in a sunroom decomposing for a week and not see anything interesting, now I’ll explore, take tours, research the best restaurants and spend my budget drinking while sampling the best food. ”, she says. “And I don’t wake up with chronic anxiety and an upset stomach. Who wants that when you’re on holiday?”
Three (almost) booze-free holiday destinations…
Maldives
This Muslim-majority archipelago lets the island resorts set their own rules, so you’ll find plenty of alcohol. But its capital Malé and the local islands prohibit its sale and consumption.
United States
Although America’s unpopular prohibition laws were repealed in the 1930s, some counties, all in the south, are still “dry”. Arkansas has the most (more than 30), where it is illegal to buy alcohol. You can, however, eat it, as long as you cross county lines to get it.
UAE
The rules in the Middle East federation have changed a lot in the last decade, as a testament to how much the people of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been willing to accommodate expats and tourists. Alcohol went from being available only in certain resorts with special permits, and never during the month of Ramadan, to something that flows to many foreigners throughout the year (I don’t see him drinking or drunk in public) .
…And one where cattle are banned
Saudi Arabia
Some other Muslim-majority countries prohibit drinking, but not holiday options (see Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya). However, Saudi Arabia opened up to tourists in 2019 and there are already plenty of great resorts like Dubai. But he remains steadfastly without drink – for now. In a slight relaxation of the rules, it was recently announced that, after 70 years of prohibition, one shop will soon open in Riyadh to supply alcohol exclusively to non-Muslim diplomats. If it wants to compete with the UAE for tourists, further easing of restrictions may be necessary.
