• More than two thirds of South Western holidaymakers take their electronic devices away
  • Tea bags are considered an ‘essential’
  • Celery makes the list!!

Research* into attitudes to holidays has found electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and e-readers are considered the South West’s most important holiday essentials, with 67% 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 Holidaymakers from the South West
1 Electronic Devices (mobile phone / ipad, etc.) 67%
2 Headache tablets 55%
3 Diarrhoea tablets 36%
4 Condoms / contraception 12%
5 Curling tongs / straighteners 11%
6 Toilet roll 7%
7 Photographs of family / children 5%
7 Religious texts 2%

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 celery, masking tape and “husband”.

Cautious practicality wins out with headache and diarrhoea tablets taking the second and third spots for South Western holiday essentials, at 55% and 36% 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.”

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,143 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th – 13th July 2018.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).