The real cost of your holiday case

Despite the impact of the recession, ebookers have uncovered that Brits are refusing to give up their holiday essentials and will spend an estimated 4.4 billion pounds this year on pre-trip treats such as clothing, cosmetic treatments, books and gadgets.

The Cost of Your Case Study, which was conducted by leading online tour operator ebookers.com, polled more than 4,000 UK adults and uncovered that the average holiday suitcase will contain around £92 of new items. The study also uncovered:

- When it comes to holiday vanity, Brits take their pre-holiday preening seriously with 50% of adults heading to the hairdressers for a chop

- We don’t like to show our white bits either, with 1 in 10 admitting they’ll buy fake tan to bronze those pasty legs

- To ensure they don’t run into any ‘hairy’ moments, a surprising 4% of British men will also get their back waxed

- We’re a nation of smart bookers, with 43% of travellers buying a guidebook before heading off on holiday

Break the Bank

Fashion fans aren’t letting the credit crunch get in the way with over a fifth (22%) of Brits hitting the high street and buying a new wardrobe for their break. Almost a quarter (24%) will splurge on something special and buy new clothes for their long weekend away, compared to more than half (58%) of the population who will buy a new wardrobe for their week long holiday abroad – despite clothes often costing less on the continent!

Staying Connected

When it comes to keeping in touch and up to date, men lead the way with over a fifth taking their laptop on holiday, with 27% commenting their laptop is a necessity for week long holidays. It seems that not everyone wants to stay connected through, with a quarter (25%) of men and women admitting they’ll leave their mobile phone at home.

Claire Howard-Jones, Head of Marketing for ebookers.com, said: “Whilst the credit crunch is placing more pressure on us to make our pounds go further, Brits aren’t foregoing the smaller luxuries ahead of their holiday. It’s important for holiday makers to become savvy packers and save on costs before they jet off to ensure they don’t compromise their holiday savings before they arrive at their destination.

“To help with those holiday budgets, ebookers are offering some great saving in their summer sale for the smart booker, helping them save on the overall cost of their holiday and giving them more cash to spend once they’ve arrived.”