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Travellers alerted to valuables stacking up at home

27/07/06

Holidaymakers will typically fill their houses with hundreds of pounds of goods before going on vacation, which may not be covered by all home contents insurance policies.

New statistics from Post Office Credit Cards reveal UK travellers spend an average annual figure of £121 on holiday products before they leave the country.

However, six million people will spend over £200 on items such as designer clothes, footwear and sunglasses, increasing the number of valuables in homes that are vulnerable to theft.

Moreover, it appears that travelling women spend up to 50 per cent more than men on items to be worn overseas.

For instance, 54 per cent of women spend money on swim-wear compared to 23 per cent of men - while 61 per cent of females buy footwear products as opposed to 34 per cent of the male population.

Gary Fitton, head of Post Office Credit Card, says holidaymakers may spend more than they realise on holiday items that build up at home.

"People want to make sure they look their best and have fun on holiday," he said.

"And for many, this means a lot of preparation before they even board the flight - spending that perhaps isn't always realised in the total cost of a holiday."

In June 2006, the Spanish institute of tourism Turespana estimated the number of Britons travelling abroad had increased by approximately 7.5 per cent in two years.

The organisation claimed 2005 saw an estimated 44.2 million British tourists heading overseas, as opposed to 41.1 million people in 2003.

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