Smartphone the top item for gap year travellers
Wednesday, 22 August 2012 8:46 AM
Laptops, mobile phones, hair straighteners and Kindles are now considered essential travelling companions
The smartphone is the number one item that Gap year travellers will pack in their backpacks this year according to new research from Post Office Travel Insurance.
More than half of those surveyed (52%) said they would not be leaving home without their precious gadget.
Laptops, mobile phones, hair straighteners and Kindles are now considered essential travelling companions. The traditional sleeping bag has fallen out of favour in the list of backpack must haves, with guitars and teddy bears more likely to be taken on the trip of a lifetime.
Other items which made it into the top five are: Laptop/iPad; A debit/credit card and money; iPod; and a digital camera.
Worryingly, the research reveals that despite their backpacks containing some high cost items almost one in three (29%) 16-34 year olds felt that travel insurance was not essential when travelling abroad.
Paula Cottrell, Head of Travel Insurance at Post Office Ltd, commented: “Embarking on a Gap year break is an exciting time for travellers, but with expensive technology contained in the not so budget backpack, trying to keep down costs by cutting back on essentials such as travel insurance could be an expensive mistake.”
Research was conducted by Censuswide between 4 - 5 July with a sample of 2,009 UK adults.
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