Germans are known as sunlounger hoggers, but this stereotype is mostly confined to British and German perceptions. New data shows that Italian and French holidaymakers are more likely to use towels to claim loungers. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

According to a YouGov poll, 51% of Germans and 46% of Britons associate Germans with the ritual of early reservation, while in other countries only 5-17% share this view.

Furthermore, only 38% of German holidaymakers admitted to reserving a lounger with a towel, compared with 45% of Italians and French. Britons were least likely to admit this (33%).

Across all countries polled, most people (60-82%) considered the practice unacceptable. Still, 51-63% said they had found themselves deprived of a sunlounger, and 14-28% admitted to removing someone else's towel.

When the Guardian asked Italians in Rome, nobody admitted to the practice, though they could believe the data.

Teacher Claudia Morani said: "I would never do it but I have seen it happen." She added that during a recent hotel stay, she witnessed Italians leaving towels on loungers at the end of the day to use them the next morning. Morani added: "This kind of thing happens a lot on beaches here, too – the free ones."

In Italy, some beachgoers are gaining a reputation as "furbetti dell'ombrellone" (umbrella cheats), a term coined by the press for people who leave umbrellas pitched overnight to reserve spots. This practice is growing on free-access beaches, unlike private concessions that are increasingly expensive.

The problem is so severe that coastal authorities in Italy target these offenders as part of a national beach and lake safety campaign. In late July, authorities near Naples seized 40 items, including umbrellas, loungers, and deckchairs, during a dawn sweep. Similar blitzes occurred in Puglia and Sardinia. Fines up to €500 are imposed, and reclaiming confiscated items is a bureaucratic ordeal.

Activist Danilo Ruggiero of Mare Libero said: "This has become a bit of a habit. I think it's more related to people not wanting to carry umbrellas, chairs and other equipment back and forth from home, especially in the heat. But there is a tendency to try to get the best position by the sea, and this shouldn't be done."

As for France, two residents of the south were not surprised by the findings. Chantal Henry from Menton said: "I see it all the time at my local beach club. I get really fed up with it." Her friend Virginie Pascual alleged: "It is always the Italians."

However, a Briton living in France, who remained anonymous due to German colleagues, insisted Germans were the biggest culprits: "I saw it in Mallorca – it was 5.30am and a German dude was hogging five loungers with towels."