Do you know how long travellers spend packing for a summer holiday? Image supplied.
The summer holidays will be here before we know it and Booking.com have revealed some interesting trends that show 41% of global travellers consider packing as an exciting part of their holiday and 36% of New Zealanders agree. We love an organised holiday wardrobe even better if it’s a well considered capsule wardrobe and it turns out travellers spend almost five hours (3.33 hours for NZ) on average sorting out their holiday wardrobe.
Planning and packing a holiday wardrobe that will meet your needs and have you looking and feeling great is an essential part of getting organised to go. A capsule wardrobe can be great for holidays as well and there are lots of ways to make the most of the space in your suitcase. Interestingly research done by Booking.com across 21,500 global travellers reveals some interesting stats on the art of packing.
That research showed that two fifths (41% global, 36% NZ) of global travellers think packing is an exciting part of our trip whereas almost half (45% global, 47% NZ) think it is one of the biggest vacation worries, along with the uncertainties of weather (55% global, 50% NZ) and sometimes daunting vacation research (47% global, 53% NZ).
No stranger to travelling and an expert at packing is, Joshua Nu’u-Steele, New Zealand Area Manager at Booking.com. “Holidays are a time when we can switch off, escape and immerse ourselves in a new environment,” he says. “If you look good, you feel great, it’s all part of the holiday experience, so I try to pack wisely. My two must have items to pack when I’m off on holiday are my Ray-Bans and a good short sleeved linen shirt”.
Would you believe that travellers spend almost five hours on average sorting out and prepping their holiday wardrobe. Which is more than the time spent researching their holiday destination (4.7 hours) or finding accommodation (3.8 hours). The funny thing is summer holidays that involve the beach tend to take the longest to pack for (39% global, 30% NZ), although we all know how tricky it can be to choose the right swimsuit. Those packing for city breaks (38% global, 40% NZ) spent a little less time than party trips (35% global, 26% NZ). Unsurprisingly spa trips required the least packing (8% global, 5% NZ).
It’s easy to spend too long on packing so Fashion Designer Christian Cowan advises; “My top tip for packing quick is to simply keep everything on the hanger. I have all my outfits on thin hangers, so they can easily fit right into a suitcase, and then on arrival I just pop them on the rail. Staple items should include anything that make you feel fabulous.”
Of course for many people a pre-holiday shopping trip so they look their best while away is on the cards with almost a third of global travellers (32% global, 19% NZ) going shopping in advance. Trying to decide what to wear can be the next challenge with half of travellers turning to current fashion trends (50% global, 13% NZ) to inspire their look and 29% global vs 17% NZ doing more research when we know we’re going away. Interestingly over two thirds of global travellers (69%) globally and 75% of New Zealand travellers look to friends and family for inspiration. Our favourite TV shows also inspire 44% global and 50% NZ shoppers while social media influencers (37% global and 35% NZ) have an effect on what we choose to buy too.
Even with careful planning there’s always those amusing and not so amusing mishaps when travelling with half of travellers (50% global, 51% NZ) packing too much. Although packing too little also affects (12% global, 10% NZ). No surprise will be that almost a third (30% global, 27% NZ) forgot to pack an essential item such as an electronic charger (16% global, 14% NZ). While the most annoying packing problem has to be those pesky shampoo explosions, with 11% global and 8% NZ travellers not sealing liquids properly.
Whatever kind of holiday you’re packing for this summer New Zealand fashion is always in style so make sure you check out what your favourite local brands have on offer.