Tourists 'blow the budget' in Vegas
24 July 2014 08:51
Las Vegas has been voted the most likely place where tourists spend too much cash
More than half of Britons admit to leaving their money constraints at home when enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
According to a survey of 1,973 adult holidaymakers, 57% overspend while on holiday, with Las Vegas deemed the most likely destination to leave tourists with a much lighter wallet.
Two-thirds of Brits reveal Sin City really does live up to its moniker, with tourists also likely to flash too much cash in Paris and New York, the poll shows.
Also in the top five places where holidaymakers are likely to overspend are Venice and Ibiza, with 6% admitting to cutting their break short due to running out of finances.
Reasons for breaking the holiday budget include getting caught up in the excitement (55%), while a third admit to not budgeting well for their trip.
And for those who do overspend, a trip to the cash point is usually in order. Holidaymakers travelling with credit or debit cards would do well to take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover theft or any loss of important documents.
Some 32% say they have been forced to pay for goods on their credit cards and 20% have even had to rely on family members at home to get them out of financial difficulty.
Matthew Wood, a spokesman for vouchercloud.com, which carried out the survey, says overspending on holiday is an easy thing to do, especially when you "just want to enjoy yourself".
"Plus, in the back of your mind, you know that you may only get one chance to see, do and buy these things; you might never go back to that destination again," he points out.
But he advises that holidaymakers can take steps to ease the financial burden before they embark on their trip.
His advice includes researching the area beforehand, with the internet and travel guides a good place to start.
Mr Wood says by doing this you can budget effectively and avoid any unexpected expenditure.
Vouchercloud questioned 1,973 over-18s who had been on holiday in the past five years.