A Third of UK Tourists Suffer with Items Stolen on Holiday

A recent study conducted by luxury travel company, eShores, shows that a third of UK tourists have had their belongings stolen while on holiday.

The study asked 1250 holidaymakers information about which destination they have had belongings stolen, what items they’ve had stolen, and the value of their loss. This gave shocking insights into the scale of theft while on holiday, with 58% of the thefts occurring to people while holidaying in Europe.

The top 5 countries for theft were found to be:

1. Spain
2. UK
3. France
4. Greece
5. Italy

The study shows the total value of stolen items – 33% of people who have fallen victims to theft while on holiday lost items valued at £100 or above. This didn’t seem to make any difference to the amount who claimed with their insurance policies, with 52% of theft victims not claiming on the insurance that they had taken out for the holiday.

Those taking a trip this summer to the coastal getaways in Europe should be aware, as it was found that 44% of people on beach holiday have had an item stolen, compared to just under a fourth of people on city breaks being victims at 23%. Awareness of your belongings and safety measures are clearly needed while sunning yourself on the sand and sea. To help prevent further damage, eShores have put together some top tips for avoiding your items being nabbed:

Keep your small valuables close to you – the best way to do this is to use a money belt. They can be worn underneath clothing and will keep your money, cards, jewellery and other small valuables as close to you as possible at all times.

- Use the safe in your hotel – the majority of hotel rooms will have some form of locker or safe, and these are perfect for protecting larger items such as passports, mobile phones, cameras, and wallets. They are easy to use, just make sure you lock the safe using a code you can remember.

- Use safety straps to avoid dropping things – often items such as phones, cameras, and sunglasses get lost when they are dropped without the owner realising. Using a strap around your wrist for your camera and a lanyard or neck cord for your sunglasses should ensure your belongings never go far, even if you do drop them.

- Label some of your belongings – if you lose something, how is anyone going to get it back to you if they don’t know who or where you are? Label your luggage and larger electrical devices like cameras and laptops, and make sure you are traceable should someone find your mobile or bank cards.

Do a thorough final check before you leave – especially if you are on a multi centre holiday and staying in a few different hotels. It’s so easy to leave something plugged into the wall or tucked inside a drawer, so before you leave your accommodation to come home, make sure you do a final sweep of your room and check you haven’t left anything behind. Find additional tips and information at the eShores blog.