What's in your beach bag?
Holidaymakers are sunning themselves on the beach with over £3000 worth of must-have 'essentials' in their beach bags, according to new research.
Debenhams Travel Insurance found the average beach bag is now worth a whopping £3,395 as sun seekers take a range of high tech gadgets and designer sunglasses, watches and clothing down to the sand.
Of the 36 million people set to head off on holiday this year it’s likely that those who do hit the beach will risk taking even their highest-value items with them. The modern day beach bag is worth up to five times more than ten years ago, holding on average nearly £500 worth of jewellery alone.
Mike Hazell, head of Debenhams personal finance, said: “We’ve found that Kindles, iPads and smart phones have replaced the simple book and walkman as holidaymakers pack their beach bags with gadgets to enjoy as they soak up the sun.”
"While the typical value of our beach bags has soared, Debenhams Travel Insurance found that 75 per cent of us happily leave our bags on the beach when we take a dip in the sea," he added.
a surprising number of Brits have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude when it comes to safeguarding their possessions – even more surprising when many of today’s must-have gadgets are so high in value
But a third of Brits admitted they didn’t take out any insurance on their last beach holiday, with nearly half of those putting this down to it being a ‘low risk’ holiday.
Mike continued: “Having spent so much effort getting holiday-ready and selecting the perfect sea-side accessories, a surprising number of Brits have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude when it comes to safeguarding their possessions – even more surprising when many of today’s must-have gadgets are so high in value.
“Many people think they only need travel insurance if they plan to enjoy a lot of high-risk activities such as skiing or paragliding on holiday, but with so many of us happy to leave our valuables on the beach when we take a dip in the sea, the risk of theft or loss shouldn’t be overlooked," he added.
This relaxed attitude to holiday cover has seen seven per cent of Brits forced to claim for items stolen on the beach. For a third of holidaymakers who did have some cover in place, it was found to be inadequate to cover the value of the items stolen.
Mike said: “We would always advise you to make sure you have adequate cover for the cost of your belongings – and never to leave your valuables unattended, as this would invalidate your cover if they went missing.
The research found that people simply can’t be without their gadgets, even when relaxing on the beach. Brits today are 20 per cent more likely to wear their watch down to the beach than they were a decade ago and, while only seven per cent would have taken a Gameboy to the beach in 2002, nearly a third of today’s holidaymakers can’t sunbathe without their PSP and Nintendo DS within arm’s reach.
“We’re on the beach to relax and enjoy the sun, so perhaps we should leave our gadgets and electronic games behind. It also goes without saying that you don’t need to wear a watch to see that time slows down on holiday,” Mike added.
What pricey possessions do you take on holiday and do you take out travel insurance for these items? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
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