British travellers spend an estimated £118 million a year on forgotten holiday items, once they are on a holiday, according to a recent study carried out by an international river cruise company.
The study has reported that around 41 percent, or nearly one in two British travellers, has forgotten at least one item that they had intended to pack when going on holiday abroad.
British holidaymakers leave around 15 million holiday items behind each year, with around 27 percent forgetting to pack shoes, 25 percent forgetting their mobile phone chargers, and 13 percent forgetting their sun cream, but as a nation the British still remember to pack comfort items such as brown sauce, pork pies and marmalade when preparing for their holiday.
The Top 10 Most Forgotten Items, according to the study are:
1. Shoes
2. Mobile Phone Charger
3. Sun Cream
4. Book
5. Glasses
6. Toothpaste
7. Tooth brush
8. Mobile Phone
9. Flip Flops
10. Passport
Wendy Atkin-Smith, the managing director of Viking River Cruises UK, said, ‘We were surprised to discover that so many British holidaymakers are forgetting their holiday essentials. We hope our handy ‘what to pack’ guide will prevent passengers from forking out unnecessarily to re-buy items they have forgotten.’
In light of the recent study, the company is supplying a ‘What to pack’ guide for their passengers before they embark, to ensure they have packed the essentials needed on a river cruise.
A recent Travel and Tourism report from the Office of National Statistics in the UK, pegs the average value of a forgotten item at £7.95, for around 36.2 million holidays a year taken by UK residents.
