‘Essential Holiday Items’ account for 1bn spend abroad
Abbey Credit Cards have released research that shows that Brits are spending over a billion pounds a year just buying items in foreign countries that they?ve forgot to include in their luggage before their trip.
What do people believe are the most essential items for a holiday? Well, it?s a pretty obvious list that?s topped by cameras (two thirds of Brits say they couldn?t be without one on holiday) and followed by sunglasses and swimwear. Nearly half believe that books are essential, with just over two thirds also believe their mobile phone and credit card are must have items to take with them on holiday.
Beauty products and hair straighteners are also high on the list for women but don?t quite make the cut as ?essential? because men unsurprisingly rate them quite low on the list.
Despite the high priority given to swimwear and cameras these are also the top two items which are accidentally left at home. Over 65 per cent of people forgot to pack at least one item from the list last summer. Holiday makers turn to expensive tourist shops to replace items with new swimwear and disposable cameras. The average cost of replacing items was around ?39, a figure that rises to ?50 for those ages between 18 and 34.
Head of Credit Cards at Abbey, Callum Gibson, stated: ?Holiday packing often falls to the last minute because of more pressing pre-holiday tasks, making it only too easy to inadvertently leave essential items at home. We should maybe all just take a few extra minutes this summer to ensure we’ve packed everything we need before setting off for the airport.?
Recent research from the company also finds that Britons are also on course to pay over ?73 million in foreign exchange fees over the summer. The company offer a ?Zero? credit card which is currently the only card on the market which doesn?t charge for foreign exchange.