Subhas Rai, a senior executive with a leading FCMG, was surprised to find written on hotel wall in Argentina, which he visited recently, that tipping is an offence in that country. However, the waiter who served him during his stay there expected to be tipped, though in a clandestine manner, without the hotel manager seeing it.
Experts on travel and frequent travellers say Indians visiting foreign countries have been experiencing different kinds of tipping customs, which differ from nation to nation. Such customs do not necessarily depend on the quality of service, however.
Wego, a leading travel search site in Asia Pacific and Middle East, in a recent study revealed where and when one should tip while on the road.
"Knowing in which countries tipping is acceptable is as important as knowing which countries discourage the practice. Some countries even take offence," said Joachim Holte, chief marketing officer, Wego.
In Argentina, for example, tipping is actually illegal. However, waiters often expect foreigners to tip them. So, if you are on a trip to that country, discretion is advised.
In the US, low wage earners in the service industry rely on tips to balance out their income. In Romania, tips are often declined, and in Japan, it's considered an offence.
As a general rule, one is expected to tip a waiter as a sign of appreciation of service in restaurants in Austria, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa and Turkey. However, in restaurants in Fiji, Malaysia and South Korea, you can do without paying tips to the waiter.
"There are always considerations and dependencies in any country that you should investigate further before travelling there," Holte added. "For instance, in the UK, tipping a waiter who serves food in restaurants is okay, although the bill would have unexpected service charges. However, tipping for drinks at a bar is just not cricket!"
"In some countries, one may have to pay tips for certain other services as well. In general, it's not uncommon to give a small tip to your porter as he drops off your luggage in your hotel room in most places. And you're fairly safe if you round up your fare for taxi drivers in any foreign country you go apart from New Zealand and Chile, where it's not expected at all," the report adds.
In countries like Australia and New Zealand, where there is no history of tipping, the situation is changing as more and more tourists visit these countries, raising the expectation of some service providers who have now started seeking tips.
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