Have we said ‘so long’ to the souvenir? Three in five people buy fewer souvenirs when on a holiday abroad
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gwilkinson@abt… Tue, 08/13/2024 - 11:24
New data from ABTA Travel Money, released today Wednesday 14 August, finds 58% of people are buying fewer souvenirs when going on a holiday abroad than they used to, with the change driven by tighter holiday spending budgets and environmental concerns.
When asked why they buy fewer souvenirs when on holiday abroad, 32% said the reason was not having as much money to spend while on holiday, and the same number of people said they are conscious of the environment and not wanting to buy unnecessary items.
But just ahead as the most popular reason for not buying as many souvenirs is that people found the habit and the products a bit old fashioned and tacky (33%).
Other reasons people said their gift giving habits are different are due to the changes in luggage allowances over the years and that people are travelling more so they can buy their own souvenirs.
It is family members most likely to receive a memento from overseas, with 41% of people who holiday abroad and buy gifts buying for adult relatives and 32% buying for children in the family.
The most common gifts given are food and drink (including alcohol), ornaments, clothes and fridge magnets. There also appears to be a theme of receiving animal related items – with a fake crocodile head, plastic donkey and large wooden elephant amongst the items people have been given as a holiday souvenir, and one person even reported receiving live fish!
One in ten people said they still buy for their work colleagues, suggesting that despite the shift to hybrid working the custom of bringing a holiday treat back to share with colleagues in the office still continues. Many people also reported bringing a little something back for their pet sitter.
For a lot of people travelling abroad who are buying fewer souvenirs or gifts than before, the money that isn’t spent on souvenirs is spent on their enjoyment of the holiday itself. Three in five (59%) are spending on eating and drinking out instead, with 55% putting the money towards the overall cost of the holiday, and 52% spending it on activities or visiting attractions while on holiday.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA Travel Money, said:
“Our research does suggest that people are saying ‘so long’ to the holiday souvenir. What was once a common part of a holiday – seeking out interesting, unusual or even comical items to bring back home – is on the wane.
“People are now much more conscious about what they are spending their money on when they are on an overseas trip, but they’re also able to stay in touch with family and friends back home a lot easier whether by phone, text or social media. So, someone’s holiday is perhaps a lot less mysterious than it used to be.”
For further information, contact:
press@abta.co.uk or 0203 117 0596
Out of Hours: contact the duty press officer 020 3693 0183
Web: www.abta.com
Twitter: @ABTAtravel
Notes to editors
1All statistics in this release are from consumer sentiment research conducted between 27-28 June 2024 by YouGov with a nationally representative sample of 2,060 UK adults. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults.
2 Further regional breakdowns are available on request.
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 4,600 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.
Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. When you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind.
ABTA also offers services to help you on your travels – ABTA Travel Insurance and ABTA Travel Money.
ABTA Travel Money offers over 50 currencies, with the options of secure next day home delivery (or the day of your choosing) or to collect from one of 240 locations after 60 seconds of ordering online (depending on branch opening hours and stock availability). Find out more at https://abtatravelmoney.com.
All this together means we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com
Continue reading...
Full Page image
gwilkinson@abt… Tue, 08/13/2024 - 11:24
New data from ABTA Travel Money, released today Wednesday 14 August, finds 58% of people are buying fewer souvenirs when going on a holiday abroad than they used to, with the change driven by tighter holiday spending budgets and environmental concerns.
When asked why they buy fewer souvenirs when on holiday abroad, 32% said the reason was not having as much money to spend while on holiday, and the same number of people said they are conscious of the environment and not wanting to buy unnecessary items.
But just ahead as the most popular reason for not buying as many souvenirs is that people found the habit and the products a bit old fashioned and tacky (33%).
Other reasons people said their gift giving habits are different are due to the changes in luggage allowances over the years and that people are travelling more so they can buy their own souvenirs.
It is family members most likely to receive a memento from overseas, with 41% of people who holiday abroad and buy gifts buying for adult relatives and 32% buying for children in the family.
The most common gifts given are food and drink (including alcohol), ornaments, clothes and fridge magnets. There also appears to be a theme of receiving animal related items – with a fake crocodile head, plastic donkey and large wooden elephant amongst the items people have been given as a holiday souvenir, and one person even reported receiving live fish!
One in ten people said they still buy for their work colleagues, suggesting that despite the shift to hybrid working the custom of bringing a holiday treat back to share with colleagues in the office still continues. Many people also reported bringing a little something back for their pet sitter.
For a lot of people travelling abroad who are buying fewer souvenirs or gifts than before, the money that isn’t spent on souvenirs is spent on their enjoyment of the holiday itself. Three in five (59%) are spending on eating and drinking out instead, with 55% putting the money towards the overall cost of the holiday, and 52% spending it on activities or visiting attractions while on holiday.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA Travel Money, said:
“Our research does suggest that people are saying ‘so long’ to the holiday souvenir. What was once a common part of a holiday – seeking out interesting, unusual or even comical items to bring back home – is on the wane.
“People are now much more conscious about what they are spending their money on when they are on an overseas trip, but they’re also able to stay in touch with family and friends back home a lot easier whether by phone, text or social media. So, someone’s holiday is perhaps a lot less mysterious than it used to be.”
For further information, contact:
press@abta.co.uk or 0203 117 0596
Out of Hours: contact the duty press officer 020 3693 0183
Web: www.abta.com
Twitter: @ABTAtravel
Notes to editors
1All statistics in this release are from consumer sentiment research conducted between 27-28 June 2024 by YouGov with a nationally representative sample of 2,060 UK adults. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults.
2 Further regional breakdowns are available on request.
ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 4,600 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.
Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. When you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind.
ABTA also offers services to help you on your travels – ABTA Travel Insurance and ABTA Travel Money.
ABTA Travel Money offers over 50 currencies, with the options of secure next day home delivery (or the day of your choosing) or to collect from one of 240 locations after 60 seconds of ordering online (depending on branch opening hours and stock availability). Find out more at https://abtatravelmoney.com.
All this together means we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com
Continue reading...
