After a delightful
holiday, it is very common to bring something authentic or unique as a
souvenir. Usually the reason people buy a souvenir after holiday is for a
memento or as a gift for others. The souvenir which they bring back after a
trip could be a reminder of the holiday or the path they’ve taken in the past
when they’re looking at it in the future. Hence, it’s not a surprise that
people report spending almost 1/3 of their travel expenses on shopping. If you
often find yourself unsure of what to get as your souvenirs then check out
these tips below.
- Photographs
and postcards
Photographs and
postcards hold the highest rate of popularity for men and women as travel
souvenirs. This is because postcards are so closely linked to the
place or city, usually featuring an image of the location. Additionally they
can be sent to people whilst you are still on the trip and furthermore they are
relatively inexpensive to purchase. Let’s say you went to Melbourne and bought
a postcard of koalas or kangaroo from a local store. This gift could recall all
your memories you had upon your visit to that city when you look at it sometime
in the future. Likewise, postcards usually only cost around $2, hence, you
could buy it in a bulk – for many people!
- Authentic specialty art
If you have set
aside a budget for souvenirs, then you will be able to go for the authentic
ones – like regional specialty art pieces. It is especially incredible to be
able to own an authentic, handmade item from the location you are visiting, it
increases the specialness tenfold. Sometimes these types of souvenirs can be
more expensive due to the amount of genuine effort and artistry that goes into
them. However, afterall the whole idea is to get something authentic and
representative of places you have been so something made in that regionality is
always best. For example, Australian made
productslike an
aboriginal artist patterned silk scarf or a decorated traditional boomerang are
perfect authentic souvenirs from Australia.
- Food
The easiest gift to
bring back for people from your travels is to buy souvenir food. This is
because everyone loves food, or at least, everyone eats! Also, food items are easy to carry back,
cheaper to purchase and usually attached to the culture of the city or country
you visited such as Vietnamese coffee or New Zealand chocolate. The best option
is any kind of chocolates or lollies as these are loved by all and are often
sold in a big amount, so you can buy one huge package for many people which is
very convenient and cost effective. There are however, a couple of things to be
aware of when taking food between countries, one is to make sure that it
doesn’t go off, melt or mould during the transit, you don’t want to make
anybody sick or grossed out with a foul gift. The other concern to be aware of
are biosecurity laws, particularly countries that are islands with unique
inhabitants such as Australia and New Zealand tend to have very strict
biosecurity laws. This is to protect their unique environments and you can face
large fines, confiscation of your goods and in some cases even jail time if you
do not declare food when bringing it into these countries.
Whether it is as a memoir
for yourself, or to be given to your family, friends or colleagues, a souvenir
is a great choice to bring back in celebration of your trip. Souvenirs serve to
remind someone of a place or a thing. Getting them from your holiday is a way
to preserve the journey you’ve taken – both for yourself & others you care
about.
