When it comes to going away, a new survey shows that we can’t leave our home comforts behind…tea bags, biscuits and Marmite, all make the list of the top 10 things people pack in their suitcase.
The survey by the Post Office shows that while almost half (48 per cent) of UK holidaymakers class themselves as ‘culture vultures’, they’re still not willing to stretch to risking an inferior cuppa.
More than one in five (22 per cent) of UK travellers always put aside space in their suitcase for their favourite tea bag. Those who mentioned a particular brand put Yorkshire Tea on the top of the pile (30 per cent) with Tetley (18 per cent) in second place.
When it comes to coffee it appears UK travellers are much more trusting of their foreign hosts with only 6 per cent taking their own supply on holiday. Food and drink seems to be high on most travellers’ priority list with nearly half (45 per cent) using their extra suitcase space for some kind of refreshment.
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Top 10 items UK travellers always make room for in their suitcase |
|
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Tea Bags |
22 per cent |
|
Coffee |
6 per cent |
|
Books |
5 per cent |
|
Shoes |
5 per cent |
|
Chocolate |
3 per cent |
|
Biscuits |
3 per cent |
|
Marmite |
2 per cent |
|
Straighteners |
2 per cent |
|
Kindle |
2 per cent |
|
Crisps |
1 per cent |
Despite the high number of cultural tourists, books and kindles are only considered vital for 7 per cent of those surveyed with most favouring domestic luxuries. Many take the phrase quite literally with 1 per cent of travellers viewing toilet paper as a travel essential. One respondent takes their comfort so seriously that they will never pack a suitcase without their memory foam mattress topper.
Even though there are more opportunities to experiment abroad, others see never being too far from a full English breakfast as important. Bacon, sausage, black pudding, beans and brown sauce feature among other must-pack items. One canny Edinburgh man could even make it a full Scottish breakfast, with the tinned haggis he never leaves the country without.
The Post Office’s Paul Havenhand said: “Whether you are travelling to immerse yourself in another culture or soak up the sun, it’s clear that a lot of UK adults enjoy taking a piece of the familiar with them. But apart from a good cup of tea, it seems people’s ideas of what is a travel ‘essential’ are as varied as their favourite destinations.”
