Over two-thirds of over 55’s take their electronic devices on holiday. Tea bags are considered an ‘essential’. Twice as many over 55’s take toilet roll on holiday than pictures of their family, and celery makes the list!!
50 Plus reports that research into holiday attitudes has found electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and e-readers are considered the UK’s most important holiday essentials, with 69% of over-55’s saying they’re high up on their packing list.
But a leading travel insurance provider says that this could leave holidaymakers without adequate cover should those devices be lost or stolen.
Holiday essential
- Electronic Devices (mobile phone / i-pad, etc.) 69%
- Headache tablets 60%
- Diarrhoea tablets 44%
- Curling tongs / straighteners 11%
- Toilet roll 8%
- Photographs of family/ children 5%
- Religious texts 3%
- Condoms / contraception 2%
The research, conducted by AllClear Travel Insurance, shows there is a regional peak with 79% of Londoners prioritising their gadgets on holidays. Unsurprising the highest proportion of people never to opt for a digital detox are students at 86%.
Chris Rolland, AllClear CEO says travel insurance policies usually have a limit on the number and value of gadgets that can be claimed within baggage cover: “Many people may well be going over this limit and might want to consider additional gadget cover.”
Within the survey, respondents put forward ‘other’ items also important to them for a happy holiday and supporting the British tea-obsessed stereotype, teabags came up regularly. Other essentials taken on holiday were surprisingly English celery, masking tape and “husband”.
Toilet paper features at number five in the table with 8% of over-55’s considering it a holiday essential – with only 5% considering family photos a travel essential.
Cautious practicality wins out with headache and diarrhoea tablets taking the second and third spots for UK holiday essentials, at 60% and 44% respectively.
Chris concludes that with so many Brits off on their holidays this summer, his advice as always is to ensure you have full comprehensive travel insurance in place: “Baggage and gadget cover is certainly useful when something goes wrong, but the more common and bigger claims arise from cancellation and medical bills abroad. The latter can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds and so it is essential to be properly covered this summer.”
(Story source: 50 Plus)
