Travel insurance takes back seat for Brits
The average holidaymaker travels with £3174.65 of luggage it was revealed today, but a fifth of British holidaymakers fail to take out travel insurance cover for lost or stolen items.
The shock study shows that despite shopping around for the best holiday deal Brits then pack thousands of pounds worth of clothes, shoes, electrical equipment and cosmetics.
Jacky Brown at Sheilas’ Wheels travel insurance, which polled 3,000 people said: “The majority of folk don’t give a second thought to the value of the goods they are packing into their suitcase and hand luggage, but in reality the contents are worth thousands.
“And when it comes to the crunch, most holidaymakers don’t even use half of the items they take with them.
“Brits need to learn to pack light – not only would this reduce any implications of excess baggage fees, but it would also soften the blow if the luggage did go missing.”
The poll shows the average traveller takes £325.09 of clothes, £119.40 of shoes, flip-flops and wedges, and £75.73 of accessories such as scarves, sarongs and hats.
Holidaymakers also pack sunglasses to the value of £94.45, and jewellery to the tune of £236.50 – because although bikinis and shorts are all that is needed during the days, at night-time Brits like to dress to impress.
Electrical equipment also sends the value of holiday luggage soaring – as people travel with cameras worth £231.03, camcorders worth £281.03 and shavers totalling £104.71.
In addition, holidaymakers pack entertainment such as mp3 players, CD players, laptops, and mobile phones, a collective total of £1,207.61.
Personal hygiene sets them back another £189.25 as they pack their suitcase full of toiletries, hairdryers and straighteners.
And the suitcase and hand luggage itself costs another £51.23 – taking the total value of holiday luggage to just over three grand.
Interestingly, four in 10 couples admit to arguing over the contents of the suitcase, as one usually wants to take more than the other.
And 34 per cent of Brits have been forced to buy another bag or suitcase on holiday to accommodate their new purchases to bring home.
Jacky Brown further commented: “For peace of mind, it’s vital for holidaymakers to make sure they get a quote, choose an international travel insurance package and double check what they are covered for, as while you can’t plan for every eventuality, you can make sure you have done everything you can before leaving the UK.”
Source: OnePoll
Breakdown of results
Average cost of luggage in pounds:
Clothes 325.09
Shoes 119.40
Jewellery 236.50
Accessories 75.73
Sunglasses 94.45
Toiletries 80.08
Hair equipment 109.17
Laptop 552.60
Camera 231.03
Camcorder 281.03
Mp3 player 189.04
CD player 131.26
Mobile phone 334.71
Baby equipment 181.23
Electric shaver 104.71
Food / snacks 77.39
Suitcase 51.23
Total 3174.65