A new survey has revealed that shopping for clothes in readiness for an upcoming holiday adds an average of 33 percent to the holiday cost for women in the UK.
The survey, which was carried out by travel agency company sunshine.co.uk, revealed that on average a woman spends £245 on clothing, accessories and toiletries when preparing to go on holiday. This compares with an average amount spent on flights and accommodation of £710, and signifies a sizeable addition to the overall cost of the trip.
The pre-holiday shopping spree typically includes four items of swimwear, six summer dresses, five tops or vests, three pairs of sandals or other shoes, two pairs of shorts, three items of holiday jewellery; sunglasses, a beach bag, sun lotion and additional makeup. The prime reason that 21 percent of female respondents to the survey gave for their urge to spend on the new wardrobe was their determination not to be seen wearing the same items of clothing when photographed for the coming holiday as they were when photographed for the previous holiday. This was also the reason why a third of respondents said that they bought some new items of clothing every time that they went on holiday.
Chris Clarkson, co-founder of the Sunshine website, was quoted in the Daily Mail, saying, ‘I think it’s easy to forget about other costs involved in going on holiday on top of the flight and accommodation. My advice would be for people to really take a look at the clothes and accessories they already have, because there’s no need to buy new items each time.’
